From buying a wine to opening it or waiting for it to appreciate can take years, even decades. 

During that time, it must be kept somewhere. But not just anywhere. Wine needs very specific conditions to ensure it ages properly and remains in good condition. Fine wine should be kept somewhere cool, dark and humid. 

Temperatures need to be at a steady 10°-15°C with no wild fluctuations either way. Freezing cold and boiling hot are the mortal enemies of good wine.  

And it is in the prime and vital interest of any collector to ensure that their wine is kept in the best possible way.  

First and foremost, if you plan to drink the wine then you want it to be at its best. There is no greater waste of time and money than opening fine wine that has been ruined by bad storage. 

Should you plan to sell any wine then good, professional storage also plays to your advantage. Mouldy, peeling, scuffed labels, tattered, soggy boxes and low fill levels not only look unappealing, but they also indicate inadequate storage conditions. 

If you do not want to waste time and money on faulty, badly kept wines then it is a sure thing no one else does either. Fellow collectors and investors will steer well clear of wines that don’t look worth the risk. 

To steal a phrase, proving provenance prevents poor performance. Your ability to demonstrate where your wine has come from and where it has been while under your ownership is a big golden tick for potential buyers. 

With the demand for and value of certain wines rising enormously, buyers are rightly cautious and sceptical of wines that have seemingly been magicked out of thin air – because they may have been. 

Good storage over the years with a record of where it has been goes a long way toward easing fears over issues such as provenance.

And the simple outcome of wine in both good condition and with solid provenance is retention of value. Collectors or investors who are confident in both factors are far more likely to want to purchase your stock at the best possible price. 

It really is as simple as that. 

It is possible to store wine yourself, at home. Wine fridges and purpose-built cellars are all viable options, especially for wines you intend to drink. 

However, wine takes up a lot of space. Apart from a few truly rare and special bottles, investing in and collecting wine means buying cases. And a few dozen cases will start to get in the way if you intend to hold onto them for a decade or more.  

By far the best and easiest solution is to store your wines professionally. This does incur a cost but it’s probably far less than the electricity bill you’d have to pay if you were storing them yourself. 

Whisky Partners stores with London City Bond at its dedicated warehouse in Staffordshire. Not only is everything stored in optimal conditions, but it is also handled by professionals, and everything is insured. 

If you sign up to the Cellar Plan, storage, handling and insurance is rolled into one payment, levied at 1.5% of the value of the portfolio, however those on higher membership levels enjoy discounted rates. 

Getting your wine out of storage couldn’t be simpler. If you ask for it, the warehouse team will turn everything around quickly and deliver to your door – always bearing in mind the duty and VAT to be paid. 

And to re-emphasise what was said before. Professional storage keeps your wine in the best condition, leaves a paper trail that proves provenance and ensures the value of your wines is as good as it can be.
 

Whisky Partners offers several cellar plans with different monthly rates that allow you to build a cellar at your own pace and with a high degree of variety.  

Packages start at £250 per month and can include wines for short to long-term ageing and different occasions. The wines are sourced from classic regions such as Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont and Rioja, as well as the USA, Germany, Portugal and even Greece.