Bottle Storage - Wine.

[Stomach]

Hi!

My first foray into wine making!

I have just bottled a muntons merlot and corked the bottles. I was going to store them upright to mature but I was wondering if they should be stored on their sides?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

[Horden Hillbilly]

Stand them upright for at least 3 days to let the corks "swell", then lay them down on their sides for maturing.

[Stomach]

Cheers mate!

Thats superb.

[fatbloke]

Then google for local supplies of "bottling wax", make a small double boiler out of a couple of tin cans, melt the wax and dip the bottle tops in. The bottles will last a long time then......

[oldbloke]

Stand them upright for at least 3 days to let the corks "swell", then lay them down on their sides for maturing.

?
How do they swell if they're not in contact with a liquid?
My stuff goes in a lie-on-their-side winerack as soon as they're corked.

[6470zzy]

They are expanding again after being compacted at bottling by the corker.

Cheers

[Belter]

I think that's pretty good advise above about leaving them uprigt for a while but I have always just laid mine down straight away.

[Horden Hillbilly]

I used to get "weeping" from my wine bottles when I used to lay them down straight after corking. Since I've stood them upright & left them at least 3 days before laying them down, not one drop has leaked from my bottles.