假設你買了一些葡萄酒,，但并不打算立刻喝,，怎么辦？

First off, it’s useful to remember that only a small percentage of fine wines on the market benefit from long-term aging. Most wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release. If you’re looking to buy wines to mature, you should really consider investing in professional-grade storage—a totally different ballgame

首先你應該知道,，市場上只有很小一部分優(yōu)質(zhì)葡萄酒適于長期保存,。多數(shù)葡萄酒最好在上市后幾年內(nèi)喝掉,。如果你買葡萄酒的目的是想讓它慢慢成熟，那么你應該考慮投資購買一套專業(yè)級的貯藏設備——那可是完全不同級別的游戲了,。

For everyone else, however, following a few simple guidelines should keep your wines safe until you’re ready to drink them.

對于大多數(shù)人來說,，只要遵守幾條簡單的規(guī)則，就能保證你的葡萄酒可以安全存放到你想喝的時候,。

1. Keep It Cool

1,、保持低溫

Heat is enemy number one for wine. Temperatures higher than 70° F will age a wine more quickly than is usually desirable. And if it gets too much hotter, your wine may get “cooked,” resulting in flat aromas and flavors. The ideal temperature range is between 45° F and 65° F (and 55° F is often cited as close to perfect), though this isn’t an exact science. Don’t fret too much if your storage runs a couple degrees warmer, as long as you’re opening the bottles within a few years from their release.

高溫是葡萄酒的大敵。如果溫度超過70° F（21.1° C）,，葡萄酒就會過快地熟化,。如果溫度再高些，你的葡萄酒可能就徹底“熟了”,，香氣和口味都會變得平淡無奇,。最理想的溫度介于45° F（7.2° C）和 65° F（18.3° C）之間（很多人說，55° F,，即12.7° C,，是最接近理想的溫度）。當然,，這并不是精密科學,，如果你的貯藏溫度高個一度半度的也沒太大關系，只要你是在上市后幾年內(nèi)開瓶就沒問題,。

2. But Not Too Cool

2,、但是溫度也不能太低

Keeping wines in your household refrigerator is fine for up to a couple months, but it’s not a good bet for the longer term. The average fridge temp falls well below 45° F to safely store perishable foods, and the lack of moisture could eventually dry out corks, which might allow air to seep into the bottles and damage the wine. Also, don’t keep your wine somewhere it could freeze (an unheated garage in winter, forgotten for hours in the freezer). If the liquid starts turning to ice, it could expand enough to push the cork out.

把葡萄酒存在家用冰箱里一兩個月沒關系，但是要長期貯藏就不行了,。為了安全儲存易腐食品,，冰箱冷藏室的平均溫度一般都低于45° F（7.2° C），里面濕氣缺乏的結(jié)果,，會使葡萄酒軟木塞變干,，從而導致空氣滲入瓶中，破壞酒質(zhì),。另外,，不要把葡萄酒放在會結(jié)冰的地方（比如冬天放在沒有暖氣的車庫里，或者遺忘在冰箱冷凍室里幾個小時）,。如果葡萄酒開始結(jié)冰,，體積就會膨脹，最終把軟木塞擠開,。

3. Steady as She Goes

3,、恒溫更重要

More important than worrying about achieving a perfect 55°F is avoiding the landmines of rapid, extreme or frequent temperature swings. On top of cooked flavors, the expansion and contraction of the liquid inside the bottle might push the cork out or cause seepage. Aim for consistency, but don’t get paranoid about minor temperature fluctuations; wines may see worse in transit from the winery to the store. (Even if heat has caused wine to seep out past the cork, that doesn’t always mean the wine is ruined. There’s no way to know until you open it—it could still be delicious.)

比達到完美的55° F（12.7° C）更重要的是，要避免貯藏溫度出現(xiàn)急劇,、極端或頻繁的變化,。葡萄酒體積在瓶內(nèi)的膨脹或收縮,，除了會使葡萄酒的口味過熟外，還可能把軟木塞擠出,，造成空氣滲入,。盡量保持貯藏溫度恒定，不過如果有微小的波動也不必太過緊張,。由于上面所說的原因,，葡萄酒在從釀酒廠運到商店的過程中，酒質(zhì)有可能變差,。（即使葡萄酒因為過熱而從軟木塞中滲漏出來,，也不一定意味著這瓶葡萄酒就已經(jīng)毀了。不開瓶是無法確定的——這瓶葡萄酒可能依舊可口,。）

4. Turn the Lights Off

4,、避光

Light, especially sunlight, can pose a potential problem for long-term storage. The sun’s UV rays can degrade and prematurely age wine. One of the reasons why vintners use colored glass bottles? They’re like sunglasses for wine. Light from household bulbs probably won’t damage the wine itself, but can fade your labels in the long run. Incandescent bulbs may be a bit safer than fluorescent bulbs, which do emit very small amounts of ultraviolet light.

光線，尤其是陽光,，對于葡萄酒的長期貯藏是個潛在的威脅,。陽光中的紫外線可以分解葡萄酒，讓葡萄酒提前熟化,。知道釀酒商為什么用有色玻璃瓶裝酒嗎,？這就好象為葡萄酒戴上墨鏡。家居用的照明燈光大約不會對葡萄酒本身造成任何危害,，但是時間久了會讓酒瓶上的標簽褪色,。白熾燈泡可能比熒光燈泡安全些，因為后者會發(fā)出少量的紫外線,。

5. Don’t Sweat the Humidity

5、不要過于擔心濕度

Conventional wisdom says that wines should be stored at an ideal humidity level of 70 percent. The theory goes that dry air will dry out the corks, which would let air into the bottle and spoil the wine. Yes, this does happen, but unless you live in a desert or in arctic conditions, it probably won’t happen to you. (Or if you’re laying down bottles for 10 or more years, but then we’re back to the matter of professional storage.) Anywhere between 50 percent and 80 percent humidity is considered safe, and placing a pan of water in your storage area can improve conditions. Conversely, extremely damp conditions can promote mold. This won’t affect a properly sealed wine, but can damage the labels. A dehumidifier can fix that.

傳統(tǒng)的貯藏方法宣稱,，葡萄酒應該存放在70%的理想濕度環(huán)境里,，理由是如果空氣干燥，葡萄酒軟木塞會變干,，空氣就會滲進瓶里,，破壞葡萄酒的品質(zhì)。的確,，這樣的情況是會發(fā)生,，不過除非你住在沙漠或者極地，不然多半你不會遇到這種情形,。（或者你要把葡萄酒存放10年甚至更久,，但那又回到專業(yè)貯藏的話題了。）濕度只要在50%到80%之間就沒問題,，在貯藏間放盤水可以改善濕度條件,。反過來說,，過度潮濕的環(huán)境容易發(fā)霉。當然,，如果葡萄酒密封良好并不會受影響,，不過瓶上的標簽會受損。這時加個除濕器就可以解決問題,。

6. See Things Sideways

6,、平放酒瓶

Traditionally, bottles have been stored on their sides in order to keep the liquid up against the cork, which theoretically should keep the cork from drying out. If you’re planning on drinking these bottles in the near- to mid-term, or if the bottles have alternative closures (screw caps, glass or plastic corks), this is not necessary. We will say this, however: Horizontal racking is a space-efficient way to store your bottles, and it definitely can’t harm your wines.

傳統(tǒng)的貯藏方法總是將葡萄酒瓶平放，這樣酒液可以接觸到軟木塞,，理論上就可以防止軟木塞變干,。如果你計劃近期或中期就喝這些酒，或者這些酒瓶用的不是軟木塞（螺旋塞,、玻璃塞或塑料塞等）,，你就不需要把酒瓶平放。不過我們要說的是：用水平架子儲存葡萄酒在空間利用上非常節(jié)省,，而且對葡萄酒來說肯定無害,。

7. Not a Whole Lot of Shaking

7、切忌過多震動

There are theories that vibration could damage wine in the long term by speeding up the chemical reactions in the liquid. Some serious collectors fret about even the subtle vibrations caused by electronic appliances, though there’s little evidence documenting the impacts of this. Significant vibrations could possibly disturb the sediment in older wines and keep them from settling, potentially making them unpleasantly gritty. Unless you live above a train station or are hosting rock concerts, is this likely to be a problem for your short-term storage? No. (But don’t go shaking your wines like a Super Bowl MVP about to spray a bottle of Champagne around the locker room.)

有一種理論說,，震動會加速葡萄酒液中的化學反應,，因此不利于葡萄酒的長期貯藏。有些收藏迷對于電子產(chǎn)品所造成的極其輕微的震動也會緊張不已,，盡管并沒有任何關于此類影響的證明資料,。劇烈的震動可以攪起陳年葡萄酒底下的沉淀，使其無法沉降,，造成口感粗糙,。不過，除非你住在火車站頂上,，或者正在舉辦搖滾音樂會,，不然對于你短期貯藏的葡萄酒來說，震動真的會成為問題嗎,？不會的,。（當然，千萬不要象超級杯最有價值球員在更衣室里開香檳那樣,，大搖特搖你的葡萄酒喲,。）

So Where Should I Keep My Bottles?

那么，我應該把葡萄酒放在哪兒呢,？

If you haven’t been blessed with a cool, not-too-damp basement that can double as a cellar, you can improvise with some simple racks in a safe place. Rule out your kitchen, laundry room or boiler room, where hot temperatures could affect your wines, and look for a location not directly in line with light pouring in from a window. You could also buy a small wine cooler and follow the same guidelines: If you keep your wine fridge in a cool place, it won’t have to work so hard, keeping your energy bill down.

如果你沒有一個又涼爽又不太潮濕的地下室可以兼作酒窖的話,，你可以找個安全的地方，做幾個簡單的架子。不要把葡萄酒放在廚房,、洗衣間或鍋爐房,，那里的高溫會影響葡萄酒的品質(zhì)。存酒的地方也不能直接暴露于窗前的陽光下,。你也可以買個小型葡萄酒冷酒器,，放置地點同樣應該遵循上面所說的原則：如果你把葡萄酒冷酒器放在一個涼爽的地方，它就不需要大馬力地拼命工作,，你的電費也就不會太高,。

Perhaps there is a little-used closet or other vacant storage area that could be repurposed for storing wine? If you have a suitable dark, stable space that’s not too damp or dry, but it is too warm, you might consider investing in a standalone cooling unit specifically designed for wine. There are some inexpensive systems for small spaces, but in most cases, this is getting into professional wine storage.

也許你家有個沒什么用的壁櫥或其它閑置的貯藏間，可以改造用來貯藏葡萄酒,？如果你找到一個避光又平穩(wěn)的合適地方,，不太潮也不太干，但是有點兒熱,，你可以考慮投資購買一臺專門為葡萄酒設計的獨立冷卻器,。雖然有一些不太貴的系統(tǒng)可以用于小空間，不過多數(shù)情況下,，這類裝置都屬于專業(yè)葡萄酒貯藏設備的范疇,。

When is it time to upgrade your storage conditions? Ask yourself this: How much did you spend last year on your wine habit? If a $1,000 cooling unit represents less than 25 percent of your annual wine-buying budget, it’s time to think about it more carefully. Might as well protect your investment.

什么時候應該考慮升級你的貯藏條件？問問你自己：去年在葡萄酒這個嗜好上花了多少錢,？如果一臺一千美元的冷卻器跟你一年的葡萄酒采購預算相比不足25%,，你就應該好好想想了——也許應該更好地保護你的投資。

One other piece of advice from collectors: Whatever number you’re thinking of when it comes to bottle capacity, double it. Once you’ve started accumulating wines to drink later, it’s hard to stop.

還有一條來自收藏迷的建議：在規(guī)劃葡萄酒瓶容量時,，一定要把你計劃的數(shù)字乘二,。一旦踏上葡萄酒的收藏之路，你就停不下來了,。

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If I Want to Buy a Wine Cooler, What Should I Look For?

如果我想買臺葡萄酒冷酒器,，該如何選擇呢？

Wine coolers are, at their most basic, standalone units designed to maintain a consistent temperature—sometimes one suitable for serving rather than long-term storage—whereas a wine cellar is a cabinet or an entire room that stores wine in optimal conditions for long-term aging: a consistent temperature (about 55° F), with humidity control and some way to keep the wine away from light and vibration.

葡萄酒冷酒器,，簡單說就是一種能夠保持恒溫的獨立裝置,，與其說是為了長期貯藏葡萄酒，不如說是為了喝酒時更方便,。酒窖則是用于貯藏葡萄酒的櫥柜乃至整個房間，里面為葡萄酒的長期熟化提供各種最佳條件：恒溫（55° F 或12.7° C 左右）,，濕度控制,，避光以及防震設計。

Units vary in how much access you’ll have to your bottles, so consider both how well you’ll be able to see what’s inside, and how easy it will be to grab a bottle when you want it. Are the bottles stacked? Are there shelves that slide out? Consider the size and shape of the bottles you collect, and the way the bottles fit into the racks—are they very wide, tall or unusually shaped, if they’ll even fit at all?

不同的裝置在取酒的方便程度方面會有所不同,，所以你需要考慮你是否想要很清楚地看到里面存的是什么酒,，以及你希望多容易就能拿到酒。酒瓶是堆放在一起嗎,？有沒有可以滑出來的架子,？你還要考慮所收藏的酒瓶的大小和形狀,，如何把它們裝到架子里——這些瓶子會很粗、很長或者造型很特別嗎,，它們能裝進架子里嗎,？

The door itself is something to ponder. Is it more important for you to see the bottles or protect them from light? Is the glass clear, tempered, tinted, double-paned or UV-resistant? Make sure the door opens on the correct side for where you’re placing it—not every unit has reversible doors. Some models have locks or even alarms.

門也需要特別考量。對你來說,，是看清楚里面的酒瓶更重要,，還是避光更重要？玻璃要透明的,、鋼化的,、有色的、雙層的還是防紫外線的,？決定門的位置時,，一定要確保它的開關方向不會有問題——不是每種裝置的門都可以調(diào)整左右的。有些裝置還配有門鎖甚至警報器,。

More expensive units may have multiple temperature zones, which is a nice feature if you want to keep your reds at one temperature and your whites at a cooler, more ready-to-drink temperature. Humidity controls are also helpful. Do your best to find a unit that is quiet—you’d be surprised just how loud the things can get. The more you spend, the better the materials should be, such as aluminum shelves that will conduct cool temperatures better than plastic ones, or a rough interior that will be better for humidity than a smooth one.

昂貴的裝置可能分有多個不同的溫度區(qū),，如果你想把紅葡萄酒保存在一個溫度，把白葡萄酒保存在另一個稍低些,、隨時可以飲用的溫度,，這是個不錯的選擇。濕度控制也很有用,。盡可能買一臺安靜的裝置——你不知道這些設備有多吵,。你花的錢越多，裝置的材質(zhì)也越好,，比如鋁制的架子比塑料架子導低溫的能力更強,，粗糙的內(nèi)壁比光滑的內(nèi)壁更有利于濕度控制。