GOOD WINE STORAGE BUILDS FLAVOR LAYERS.(AT HOME)

Byline: MARTHA STEWART

A good wine improves with age. Resting in a bottle over time, it takes on new layers of flavor and texture. But this doesn't happen under just any circumstances. A wine must be stored properly in order to mature gracefully.

The ancient Romans mastered the art of aging wine. They kept their wine in terra-cotta urns at cool temperatures and out of sunlight. While wine containers have changed since then, the basic storage methods remain the same. The goal is to prevent the wine from being exposed to light and heat, which can spoil it.

Fortunately, it's fairly easy to find an appropriate spot in your home to store wine. The ideal storage temperature is 55 Fahrenheit; this will encourage the slow chemical reactions that bring out a wine's flavor. But even in the 60 to 65 range -- the average temperature of a basement or an unheated closet -- these reactions will take place.

Whether you've purchased a fine vintage wine to save for a future milestone anniversary or you've picked up a case of your favorite table wine for an upcoming celebration, be sure to store it properly.

Short-term storage

Anything you plan to drink in the next year should be stored following these guidelines.

Avoid the warmer parts of your home, such as the kitchen, windowsills, the top of the refrigerator and cupboards near the stove. A cool basement is the ideal spot. If that is not an option, an interior closet or cupboard, preferably not in the kitchen, is also suitable.

Of course, you can display your wine in a wine rack in your dining room -- as long as it's away from direct sunlight and the room temperature never rises above 80.

It's always a good idea to store wine bottles on their sides. This keeps the cork moist, which prevents it from shrinking and the bottle from leaking.

Long-term storage When storing wine for longer than a year, you'll need to supply the right conditions to help the wine age with grace.

It's best to keep wines as close to the optimal storage temperature (55) as possible. If you are able to store the bottles in a basement, use a thermometer to determine the coolest spot -- most likely as far as possible from the water heater and furnace.

Humidity in the cellar should be maintained at a high level. You may need to install a humidifier if you live in a very dry climate.

Since wine bottles are heavy (about two pounds each), they should be stored on their sides in sturdy boxes or racks. You can use wooden crates that are available from wine shops for free or for a nominal fee. Or stack terra-cotta pipes that are at least a foot in length (available at home-improvement and masonry stores). Each pipe will hold one bottle of wine.

If you don't have a basement, check with your local wine shop for storage options. Many offer temperature-controlled storage for as little as $1 per month per case.

Or you may purchase a free-standing wine cellar -- a refrigerator with temperature and humidity controls. Available in sizes that hold from 20 to 600 bottles, these units tend to range in price from about $300 to $4,000.

Be sure to keep track of your collection. It's easy to forget when and where you bought the wine, or even where you put it, so jot down that information in a notebook as soon as you store the bottle.

Selecting wines Every wine is different when it comes to storage. The finest wines -- often the costliest -- are the best candidates for the type of long-term storage called cellaring. Table wines and less-expensive wines generally should be enjoyed within a year of purchase.

Consult your wine merchant about how to store a particular wine and for additional guidelines about the best wines for storing. A comprehensive reference book, such as ``The Oxford Companion to Wine'' (Oxford University Press, 1999), can also be an invaluable source of information.

Here are some basic guidelines:

Only a few white wines mature well. Examples include the best German Rieslings and Alsatian whites, premier and grand cru Burgundies, and dessert wines such as Sauternes and some of the sweet whites of the Loire Valley in France.

The reds that benefit from aging are the more tannic, or biting, varieties.

European reds suited to aging are Bordeaux; some Rhones; Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino from Italy; and vintage ports.

In general, non-European wines tend to be more fruity and better to drink in their first years. Some California cabernet sauvignons and Australian shiraz, however, will improve with age.

Don't think you have to invest a huge amount of money into aging wines. Several affordable wines mature quite well. Consider age-able reds such as reserva and gran reserva Riojas from Spain.

Among whites, Australian Hunter Valley semillons or cuvees from Savennieres in France are often of good value.

Martha Stewart's column appears on Sundays. Send questions to Martha Stewart, The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10168. Her e-mail address is: mstewart@marthastewart.com.

CAPTION(S):

LUIS BRUNO WINE that will be kept for more than a year can be stored in wooden crates. These are available from wine shops for a nominal fee.