It’s common knowledge that fine wine needs to be stored in temperature controlled conditions. What’s not so widely known is what actually happens to wine when it isn’t. Here’s an example of where a picture is worth a thousand words.

This is sad—a case of 1966 vintage port ruined by excessive temperatures at an uncontrolled storage site. Heat caused the liquid to expand, pushing the cork and eventually the wine out of the bottle. Needless to say it all wound up in the dumpster.

Bottom line: Store your wine at 55-58 degrees, whether you store it at home or at a professional wine storage facility. Make sure to avoid fluctuations in temperature, like in a residence or office where day and night temperatures are set to different levels. Never put it in the kitchen (unless it’s in a wine fridge) and never, ever, store it in a mini-storage facility that isn’t temperature controlled.

Click here to read more dos and don’ts for wine storage..