- Use good quality glass bottles; we strongly suggest not using plastic bottles.
- Use a natural cork when bottling; synthetic corks may cause problems.
- With storing, use a dark area, lay the bottle on its side and leave for 6/12 months.
If you are making wine at home, you need to know about storing homemade wine properly to keep it in the best possible condition. The process begins with bottling and takes in storage, temperature control and more. Here’s our guide to getting the job right:
How to bottle homemade wine
Tips for getting started
- Use good quality bottles with heavy glass.
- Bottles should be completely free from chips, cracks or rough edges.
- The smooth glass is the best option.
- It would help if you avoided plastic bottles altogether.
- Always sterilise thoroughly before use.
- Traditionally white wine is stored in clear bottles and red wine in green.
You can buy wine making kits to get the best out of your home wine brewing.
How to transfer the wine
The best way to transfer wine from your secondary fermenter is by siphoning. This removes any unwanted sediments and minimises the air entering your wine while bottling. It would help if you filled your bottles up to approximately one cm below the bottom of the cork when the bottle is stood upright.
Adding the cork
The easiest way to add a cork is to use a corking machine. They are inexpensive and an excellent investment. Just remember these points about corks:
- Always purchase high-quality corks.
- The best are corks cut from a single piece of cork bark.
- Synthetic corks lack tradition, and some find they are more problematic/challenging to use.
- Boil all corks to sterilise them before use
Newly filled wine bottles
All newly filled wine bottles should be stored in an upright position for around 2-3 days to allow surplus air to seep out. After this, you should store wine bottles sideways to enable contact between the cork and wine.
The moisture from the homemade wine will cause the cork to expand. This creates a secure vacuum that successfully seals your wine from the air!
How to store homemade wine
Wine storage at home needs thought, too. Homemade wine needs to be stored in a place with the right temperature and humidity, free from light and vibration, to allow it to mature properly. Please see our ‘How to Store Wine At Home Guide’ for more detailed information.
Also, check out our range of wine cabinets if you don’t have an appropriate cellar!
In short, follow these tips, and you won’t go far wrong:
- Keep your bottles at a stable temperature.
- The less light, the better
- Keep your bottles stored on their side.
- Keep away from anything with a strong odour.
Wineware has a fantastic array of equipment to help with your wine storage. From thermometers to dehumidifiers, neck tags and wine bags, all the equipment you will need to make the most out of your homemade wine collection.
Don’t forget to take a look at our great range of wine racks, too.
How long do I leave homemade wine?
Wine needs to mature slowly and for different periods for reds and whites.
- White wines need a minimum of six months.
- Red wines need at least one year.
Keeping a whole cellar of homemade wine can be a complicated business, so why not look at our range of cellar books, which will help keep your collection in order?
More top tips
- Never store the homemade wine in the kitchen – the temperature varies too much.
- Wine in clear bottles needs to be in a dark, windowless room.
- Sparkling wine is more sensitive to UV (ultraviolet) rays than regular wine.
- Sterilise all of your equipment and bottles properly
Tasting wine
After all the effort you’ve put into your home winemaking, you want to make sure you’ll get the best drinking experience. Decanting wine is a great ritual and heightens the experience. Still, it is also essential for exposing the wine to as much air as possible before serving – a crucial part of wine appreciation.
At Wineware, we have all the equipment you’ll need to appreciate your wine correctly.
Useful wine storage accessories
Looking after your homemade wine collection is nearly as much fun as making it, so to make the experience of caring for your collection even better, we have got a brilliant selection of accessories.
If you need wine bottle neck tags to keep track of your collection, we have a great selection. If you are taking your precious wine to friends, then check out our range of wine bags. Opening your wine won’t be a problem either, with one of our easy to use corkscrews.
If you plan on a night in with friends and your latest bottles, then we have the complete range of glassware you need to fully enjoy the flavours of your wine, including specially designed tasting equipment used by the professionals.
If you require any other advice or information regarding topics in this guide or any products on our website, please contact us.
