Wine should be stored in the dark at temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees. Humidity can be important, too, as the amount of moisture in the air affects corks. Dry corks can shrink, split and leak, letting air in and wine out.

Usually maintaining the ideal conditions for long-term wine storage requires a cellar or dedicated wine refrigerator. It’s best not to keep unopened bottles of wine in your regular refrigerator too long; it’s too cold and too dry. If you don’t have the space or money to build a wine cellar, Google “wine refrigerator” for lots of options.

The color of the bottle affects a wine’s risk of being damaged by light. White wines in clear bottles are usually meant to be drunk young and thus are not at such a risk of environmental damage. (If you want to verify this, leave a Sauvignon Blanc in a clear bottle on a hot windowsill for a week and give it a taste to see how light and heat negatively affect wine.)

For wines being aged, dark green or brown glass keeps light from getting into the wine and causing unwanted chemical reactions.

Always leave aging bottles laying down; again, to avoid drying out the cork.