On storing wine: Keep the temperature constant. For proper aging of wine, refrigeration is a MUST in most parts of the world; even a below-ground cellar is not cool enough!
Please do not store your wine in a "wine jail", on your counter or in any room that reaches over 70°F as the wine begins to oxidize. An ideal temperature for storing a ALL wine collection is 55°F (12.2°C). Letting the temperature drop below 55°F won't hurt the wine; it'll only slow down the aging process. (e.g. keeping it in the refrigerator is preferred if you don't have a wine cooler or cellar).
Rises in temperature force wine through the cork; temperature drops cause air to be sucked back in. (Why I'm a fan of the new screw tops!)
Temperature in a wine storage area should be as CONSTANT as possible. All changes should occur slowly. The greater the changes in temperature a wine suffers, the greater the premature aging of the wine from over breathing. The temperature should NEVER fluctuate more than 3°F (1.6°C) a day and 5°F (2.7°C) a year, especially with red wines, which will suffer more temperature-related problems than white wines. I personally lost some valuable & delicious wine when my stand alone wine cooler's temperature regulator went bad. Below is a fairly inexpensive way to preserve your wine!
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