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The question of storing a white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc has its challenges. Whether opened or unopened, there are some simple hacks to preserve your wine.
Storing an opened or unopened bottle of Sauvignon Blanc is pretty straightforward once you learn the main principles. They are…avoiding sunlight, storing your bottle on its side, and keeping the bottle at the optimal temperature and humidity.
These hacks are guaranteed to preserve your wine for as long as possible! There isn’t a one-size-fits-all all solution, so read below for the best practices.
TIP: If you want to check out the best refrigerator for wine storage, I recommend trying out the Avation (18 bottles) compressor refrigerator with Wi-fi smart app control cooling system. You can find this refrigerator by clicking here (Amazon link).
How to Store Opened Sauvignon Blanc
The very best way to store opened Sauvignon Blanc is in the refrigerator. Once your Sauvignon Blanc has been opened, it can last for three to four days in the refrigerator. You must use a special stopper other than the cork for it to last this long.
Recommendation box: Everything you need to enjoy your wine as much as possible. All recommended products are personally tested and regularly used by experts from this website (Amazon links):
> Ivation Wine Cooler – Energy-efficient wine cooler for 18 bottles with Wi-fi smart app control cooling system.
> Wine Rack – Beautiful, elegant wood rack for up to 7 bottles and the choice of vertical or horizontal storage.
> Durand Wine Opener – Classic vintage wine opener (we like all these classic staff).
> YouYah Iceberg Wine Decanter – The most beautiful and handy wine decanter we personally use.
> Bormioli Rocco Wine Glasses – A set of eight elegant and traditional wine glasses made in Italy.
> Vintorio Wine Aerator – Simple but really useful wine aerator for a reasonable price.
> The Original Vacu Vin Wine Saver – The best wine saver on the market in a package with two vacuum stoppers and two wine servers.
And if you want to become a true connoisseur of wine, we recommend reading the book Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine (Amazon link), where you will find all the information you need about winemaking, wine varieties, flavors, and much more.
Does Sauvignon Blanc need to be refrigerated? (After Opening)
Sauvignon Blanc needs to be refrigerated after opening. It can be stored in a kitchen refrigerator or a wine refrigerator. Wine refrigerators are specifically designed to create an optimal environment for wine – including a beneficial temperature and the right humidity for the cork to stay moist.
A kitchen refrigerator is the opposite. It’s always colder than a wine refrigerator and is designed to have zero humidity. In this environment, a cork dries out, begins to shrink, and allows more air to seep into the wine.
TIP: What are the crucial differences between a refrigerator and a wine cooler? This article explains. This guide explains 19 wines that should be served cold and why it matters!
The optimum humidity needed for proper wine storage is around 57% and is controlled perfectly in a dedicated wine refrigerator.
Sauvignon Blanc should never be kept in a kitchen refrigerator for more than a month in most cases. A kitchen refrigerator isn’t designed to keep a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc at the optimal temperature.
If a kitchen refrigerator is all you have (like many people), putting your Sauvignon Blanc in it is fine if you follow a few simple guidelines.
The maximum amount of time for your Sauvignon Blanc to be kept in the refrigerator is one month. Since the wine is going to oxidize gradually over time, any wine with a natural cork will dry out because of a lack of moisture. Once the cork dries out, the oxidation process will begin to move faster.
Keeping a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge long-term (longer than the month mentioned above) is ok as long as the bottle is equipped with a screw cap or a synthetic cork.
Sauvignon Blanc Storage Temperature
The ideal storing temperature for Sauvignon Blanc is 55 – 59 degrees, preferably in a wine cellar, a dark room, or a cabinet. Avoiding any extreme temperature swings is just as important as maintaining the correct temperature when dealing with Sauvignon Blanc.
Overall, temperature is extremely important in storing Sauvignon Blanc. The expansion and contraction of the liquid inside the bottle that is bound to happen without proper temperature control is a bad thing for the wine. Aiming for consistency is better than worrying about minor temperature fluctuations. Consistency also means not re-storing the wine.
How long can you keep Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge?
Sauvignon Blanc can last three to four days in the fridge if opened. If the Sauvignon Blanc is unopened you can keep it in the refrigerator for weeks or months with no significant loss of quality. You must keep the bottle on its side in the refrigerator so that the cork stays moist.
How to Store Unopened Sauvignon Blanc
Unopened Sauvignon Blanc should be stored in a dark room, cellar, or closet. It should be stored on its side in order to keep the cork moist, and should be stored away from sunlight, (so not near a window). Sauvignon Blanc should be stored at the ideal humidity of 50 and 70 percent.
Humidity is very important. What you will most often hear and read is that Sauvignon Blanc should be stored at an ideal humidity level of 70 percent. This theory alleges that dry air will dry out the cork, letting air into the bottle and spoiling the wine.
While this does happen, it really only happens if you live in very desert-like hot or very cold conditions. Anything between 50 percent and 80 percent humidity is considered safe. Placing a pan of water in your storage area can definitely improve the conditions.
However, extremely damp conditions can promote mold in your wine. Mold won’t affect a wine if it’s sealed properly, but it will damage the label. If the label is important to you, a dehumidifier can fix this problem.
Bottle Orientation is important when storing Sauvignon Blanc. If you’re planning on drinking your Sauvignon Blanc in the near future or if the bottles have alternative closures such as screw caps, glass, or plastic closures then it’s not necessary to store the wine bottle on its side.
Traditionally bottles have been stored on their sides, in order to keep the liquid up against the cork, keeping the cork from drying out.
Either way, horizontal storage (also called racking the wines) won’t hurt the Sauvignon Blanc. Also, horizontal racking is definitely a space saver when storing your wine.
TIP: Having quality storage racks for your wine is not only practical but can also serve as a nice design accessory for your home. We loved these (Amazon links):
- Ferfil Wine Rack (10 Bottles): Concertina/scissor fold wooden wine rack made of solid, eco-friendly wood.
- Gusto Nostro Wood Wine Rack: Beautiful, elegant design, the possibility of storing up to 7 bottles, and the choice of vertical or horizontal storage.
Light is important when storing Sauvignon Blanc. Light, and especially sunlight, pose a problem for long-term wine storage. The UV rays of the sun degrade and prematurely age wine. Most wine bottles are colored to help this problem, but keep your Sauvignon Blanc away from the sunlight.
Direct sunlight is harmful to the wine because ultraviolet light results in rapid oxidation in wine. The best wine stores will not display wine in windows. You may see bottles in the windows that are “dummy’ bottles, but that are not meant to be sold.
TIP: For a complete review of when to store wine bottles horizontally and vertically, please check out this helpful article I wrote. Should wine be stored in the dark, or does light have any effect? Read on to find out.
How long does Sauvignon Blanc last Unopened?
Unopened Sauvignon Blanc can last for multiple months if the following top three rules are adhered to: The top three things that matter when storing Sauvignon Blanc are a cool environment, no direct sunlight, and not leaving the bottle standing upright.
If a bottle is kept on its side, the cork can stay moist with wine, staying swollen against the neck of the bottle.
Don’t have a wine cellar or dedicated space to store the wine? Some simple wine racks in a safe place will be sufficient. The kitchen, laundry room and boiler room are not good ideas for wine storage. The hot temperatures can affect your wine.
TIP: To see the wine storage checklist I have created, check out this article. To discover the 8 proven steps of long-term wine storage, read this article.
Does Sauvignon Blanc Go Bad (Expire)?
Sauvignon Blanc will eventually go bad and expire. Sauvignon Blanc will only last one to two years past the “best by” date because of oxygen. Oxygen getting to your Sauvignon Blanc must be avoided, but over time it is going to happen – this is also known as oxidation.
Sauvignon Blanc can also go bad due to “cork taint”. This only happens with wines that are sealed with natural cork. Most cork taint happens because of a chemical compound called TCA that eats away at the cork. The result is a ruined bottle that gives off an almost musty smell similar to that of a musty basement, wet dog, or moldy space.
TIP: To find out when and why unopened wine goes bad, read this article – there really is a simple explanation! To learn if the wine should be stored at room temperature, check out this comprehensive article.
Buying wine with closures such as screw caps and synthetic corks are great in avoiding cork taint. Over 90% of Sauvignon Blanc wine produced today is meant to be drunk young and not aged, so natural corks are not necessarily needed.
Wine experts will tell you that someday the synthetic cork will be able to mimic the breathing and aging process you get from a natural cork.
But for now, if you have the chance to buy a Sauvignon Blanc with a synthetic cork, screw cap, or even a glass closure, you will lessen your chances of corked wine, and you will not have the need to store it horizontally.
TIP: Are you interested in buying a wine stopper? We’ve personally tried and recommend buying one of these wine stoppers (Amazon links):
- The Original Vacu Vin Wine Saver: Our top choice. Very easy-to-use wine stopper/saver. You can enjoy a glass of fresh wine whenever you want without worrying about wasting any.
- EZBASICS Wine Saver: Great alternative to Original Vacu Vin Saver. This wine stopper keeps the flavor of wine for up to one week.
- Champagne Stopper by MiTBA: Wine stoppers for sparkling wines are different. This wine stopper seals your bottle and increases the pressure so your beverage’s bubbles won’t go to waste.
Want your wine to last longer? Use Wine Preservation Openers. Greg Lambrecht, a medical device inventor with a passion for wine and technology, created a product that allowed him to enjoy glasses of wine without committing to the whole bottle.
In order to pour wine without removing the cork, a tiny surgical–grade needle is driven through the cork and pulls out the wine. Argon gas, which is safe and tasteless, is pumped into the bottle, ensuring that no oxygen enters.
The cork reseals itself when the needle is removed, and the bottle can be placed back onto the rack. Touted as a game- changer in the wine world, the contraption called a Coravin allows wine lovers to taste their wines without opening them or allowing any air into the bottle.
TIP: Most wines go bad once you pop the cork within a day or so. But a Coravin Wine Preservation system (available for a great price on Amazon) can extend the life of your opened wine for weeks or even months. It is awesome. You should check it out to see if it fits your lifestyle.
Conclusion
You may have noticed that storing Sauvignon Blanc, both opened and unopened, have several common themes. These include proper temperature and humidity, storing the bottle horizontally, avoiding temperature fluctuations, and keeping the bottles away from sunlight.
It is also interesting to note that Sauvignon Blanc is not a particularly age-able wine, so go ahead and drink your Sauvignon Blanc and have a great drinking experience!
TIP: Check out this page for a complete list of wine products and accessories I love. You’ll find my recommendations for wine refrigerators, decanters, and aerators and the best place to buy wine online. Click here to see the complete listing.
Sources:
www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-properly-store-wine-at-home