If you are going to store wine for longer period, you need to be careful. Poorly stored wine can quickly become damaged. The classic place for a wine cellar is a Scottish castle, with a cool, dark and damp cellar. Fortunately, good alternatives exist today.
The temperature should be between 10 and 15 C, with 12-13 C as the optimum for most wines. It is very important that the temperature is stable, no wide swings in temperature. The warmer the temperature, the faster the wine ages. Red wines generally survive higher temperatures better than most white wines and sparkling wines. Still all red wines that are stored for medium or long term should be stored below 15 C.
The storage area should have a humidity of around 70 to 90 percent. The humidity prevents the corks from drying out. By storing the bottles horizontally this problem can be solved as well. If the humidity goes beyond 95 percent, you will most likely get problems with mold.
The storage area should be dark. Light, especially sun light, damages wine. Vibrations damage wine, so avoid storing wine next to washing machines. Many wine experts insist on that smells can enter through the cork and contaminate the wine. So good ventilation is required.
Most homes are too warm and not humid enough for long-term storage of wine. Trying to accelerate the aging by storing the wine in warmer temperature may sound like a good idea. After all, you want to drink as soon as possible. But many wine experts are convinced that fast aging makes the wines lose much of their character.