Storing corked bottles long term

Is it better to store corked wine bottles with mead or corked belgian beer bottles with beer upright, or on their side like wine bottles?View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424142824.114347.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424142865.150871.jpg

Storing corked carbonated beverages on their side could weaken the seal (using traditional corks), whether or not this applicable to the amount of time you plan on storing I'm not sure of. I guess the deal is that keeping moisture on a Champagne style cork will cause it to lose elasticity over time, possibly allowing minute amounts of air/liquid into/out of the bottle. I believe that if you have gas (co2) in-between the liquid and cork, the liquid will keep that gas moist which will in turn keep the cork moist, hence removing the necessity to store horizontal.

FYI, several champagne style bottled beers I've bought in the past specifically say to store upright on the bottle (latest is a smokestack series from Boulevard).

Ok honestly I doubt it matters much.
There is plenty of history behind horizontal storage with the belgian sour styles.
Most American corked bottles say to store upright.
Wine by comparison is still, and stored horizontal to keep corks moist and prevent cork rot as they dry out from upright storage. I doubt the corks would lose elasticity as long as the proper humidity level is also observed. I doubt co2 would alter that I the setting of beer stored horizontally.
I've not gone and searched for any pure scientific experiments, research, etc on the subject though.
I have a fridge I store mine in upright, and a few in the drawers on the sides, as well as a wine fridge with shelves on which I also store beer, some corked, some capped, horizontally. Can't find any negative attributes when stored on side so far,

TD

I could be mistaken, and probably am, but I thought for corked beers you wanted them upright in part, because they are bottle conditioned. Does that not come into play?

I honestly doubt it matters much either, just explaining some of the supposed cons of horizontal (I can't find any cons of vertical).

I too do it both ways in my beer fridge since the top shelf can only hold short bottles upright. Although I doubt if I've had any one bottle in there for more then 3 months. No problems either way.

I'm not sure why that would matter if they are bottle conditioned or not. I personally would probably leave them upright out of convenience while they initially carbonate before putting in storage either upright or not. The yeast just like sediment in unfiltered wine or aged wine will settle by gravity. For wine they have a fancy way to decant, but for beer, since you're typically going to chill it before opening, just out into fridge a couple days to let the sediment settle to bottom.
About the ONLY concern I can see is if the corks are harboring any contaminant organisms.

the one time I stored (long term) a corked beer on its side, the cork started disintegrating inside the bottle.

So it seems the consensus is that still beverages (wine, mead, etc.) are better stored horizontal and carbonated corked beverages (beer, champagne, etc) stored upright??