In a previous article, we discussed how to store wine but what we omitted to advise was whether the wine should be stored on its side or upright. So here we go… As a general rule, traditional corked wine bottles should always be stored on their side. By doing this, the cork remains moist preventing it from shrinking, which in turn stops unwanted humidity from entering the bottle and meddling with the quality of the wine. By ensuring that the cork is constantly soaked, a slow “normal” exchange between the air and wine is permitted, it’s worth noting that this is of course, an exchange that can never be had with a screw cap or synthetic cork. This gentle oxygenation enabled by storing the wine on its side, allows the tannins to soften, the acidity to lessen and the aromas to evolve. You now may be asking yourself, how should I store wine that is sealed with a screw cap or even a synthetic cork? It’s fair to say that nowadays, we see more and more wine sold using these sealing methods. More often than not, these methods tend to be applied to younger, or new world wines, that are generally not meant for ageing, which would mean that you could store these bottles upright. Following these storage guidelines will almost guarantee that when you finally open your bottle of wine to taste, it should be simply flawless!