Entertain with the perfect wine storage solution at home

Staying in is the new going out, and home entertaining is making quite the comeback. So if your wine collection is sitting in boxes it's time to take action and get organised - there is much entertaining to be done!

If you’re unsure where to start, don't panic. Howards has a huge range of quality wine storage systems and wine accessories on offer. With a few easy ideas you'll be celebrating your organised wine in no time. The Howard’s philosophy of ‘Plan, Sort and Store’ can be applied anywhere in the house, including your wine collection.

Plan

When planning your storage solution consider how often you drink wine, how big your collection is likely to grow and where the right spot in your home to store your wine would be. For those with a small collection, a bench top wine rack is great for keeping a few bottles easily accessible. Alternatively put wasted space to work and use under-utilised areas beneath kitchen counters/islands. Those with a growing collection will require a larger space and should look for a well-built wine rack such as our wall-mounted, modular or freestanding options.

Sort

When sorting your wines, start by dividing your wine collection into reds, whites and dessert. For easy access once stored, consider grouping these into wine types. It’s a good idea to take account of how many wine bottles you have now and estimate how big you anticipate your collection may grow. Measure the height, width and depth of your chosen cellar space and take these measurements into one of our wine storage specialists at Howards. We will be able to assist you with a free* measure and quote.

Store

Now the fun starts; storing. Once your wine rack has been installed, start by storing your wine by quality or colour. Store your most frequently used wine on the top levels of the wine rack and less used or wine to be aged on the lower levels. Ensure your wine is stored in a dark place out of direct sunlight. Optimum storage temperature is 10-12 degrees.

Now you're ready for easy entertaining!

Wine 101 with Howards!

• Creating your first cellar? Sunlight will prematurely age a bottle of wine so make sure your storage is in a cool, dark, airy space.
• When storing wine shoot for consistent temperatures and note that higher humidity level helps prevent corks from shrinking. Ideal humidity is between 65-75%.
• Keep it sideways! By storing wine on its side you help keep the cork in constant contact with wine, which is essential to keep oxygen at bay.
• Starting a cellar with limited space? Try storing your wine in a cupboard in the centre of your house. This will keep your bottles at a constant temperature.
• Ever had trouble getting a cork out first go? Make sure you have a quality corkscrew and try twisting it into a different part of the cork until corkscrew arms are raised.
• Red wine should be served at room temperature so uncork red wines and decanter an hour before drinking to let your wine develop flavour.