White Wine Storage Question....

ridgeway · 08-05-2009, 05:19 PM

Here is a stupid question...

Does white wine get stored with corks up? I bottled 5 gal of Riesling with non synthetic corks. I had someone tell me, "you store white wine with corks up".

**Clayton** · 08-05-2009, 05:26 PM

i though all wine was stored on its side to keep the cork moist and swollen tite on the neck. i have see lots of wine cellors with hundreds of bottels and thay where all on there side and i know that has some white wine. and wine rack arnt call red wine racks.

i think what thay miss understood is this.
at first you store all your wine cork up, this give time for any settament to form in the bottom ring in the wine bottle. thats why there in that pooch in the bottom, that collects and holds fast any yeast and settements thay may have got in the bottle.
after that is solid. you move it on to its side for long term storage .

2-0turbo · 08-05-2009, 05:29 PM

All wine with natural corks should be stored on it's side to keep the cork moist and sealing. If you put them vertical, the cork will eventually dry out and you'll loose the seal and the wine will start to expire.

I don't think this is an issue with the synthetic corks though. I'm not sure so I won't say for sure. But, since it is synthetic, it doesn't depend on moisture to stay moist and maintain a seal.

etp777 · 08-05-2009, 05:44 PM

natural should be on it's side (or upside down if you have to store in box). Synthetic doesn't matter.

Suspect clayton is spot on about your friends confusing cork life with sediment avoidal.

ridgeway · 08-06-2009, 03:11 AM

Thanks...I figured the non-synthetic cork need to be moist.

etp777 · 08-06-2009, 02:28 PM

I would probably still keep synthetics moist if I used them, as I wouldn't want to store wine different ways, easier to keep everything the same.

But back in my original period of winemaking, gave parents a bunch of wine, and half of one case got lost in basement. Found it three years later, they'd been upright that whole time with synthetic corks, and there was no shrinking of cork, no leaking, no loss of wine, etc. So certainly seemed like they were alright without keeping the corks m oist. I sure wouldn't do that with a natural cork. Of course, I didn't mean to do that with these synthetic corks.

Texron · 08-06-2009, 05:01 PM

The synthetic corks appear to be made from a hard plastic. They just seem like a better mouse-trap to me.

mmadmikes1 · 08-07-2009, 12:44 AM

the hard synthetic corks have given me more leaks than I am willing to tolerate. the composite synthetic corks have been working great. I stll use natural for all long term storage

etp777 · 08-07-2009, 01:43 PM

Yeah, I use all natural now. Or agglomerated, rather. Next time I put in order with Northern Brewer though I am going to get a batch of the next level up with solid cork ends.

mmadmikes1 · 08-08-2009, 01:47 AM

I was going to start wax sealing as next step up. Kind different way of looking at things