Many individuals love to collect, and the possibilities areendless: stamps, snowglobes, baseball cards and so on. One of themore common collections you might find in a home is a winecollection.

The point of a wine collection is to store it for years to come,but there are many factors that can negatively affect it. Cosmeticdamages to the bottle may diminish its value, the bottle could bedamaged as it's being shipped to a collector, or it can simply slipand break on the floor.

As National Wine Day approaches, Nationwide sharedinformation on the common issues that can affect wine collectioninvestments and ways to protect your wine collection goingforward.

Related: Do you have insurance coverage for spilled rarewine, broken glasses?

Bottled up value

Even those who aren't wine aficionados know that there'smore to determining the bottle's worth than age alone. So whatdoes?

“Generally, there is a consumption value in wine that is highlydependent on how the quality improves after bottling. Experts mayconsider many aspects to determine quality, such as grape variety,grape location, age of wine at release, label designation and grapevintage,” says Paul VanDenBosch, president of Nationwide PrivateClient. “For collectible wine, an important aspect to consider maybe provenance; meaning it's source, life cycle and storage.”

According to Nationwide Private Client, below are commonissues that can affect wine collection investments that aretypically not covered by a homeowners' insurance policy:

• Breakage – damage caused by dropping a bottle or duringshipment from the vineyard
• Mechanical breakdown – spoilage of wine due to climate controlsystem failure
• Breakup of drain or sewer – wine collections are often storedin cellars and basements, making them susceptible to damage due todrain or sewer failure
• Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes andweather-related occurrences
• Diminished value due to cosmetic damage to the bottle or waterdamage to the label

Related: Do you collect wine? Here are some tips for keepingyour bottles safe

Ways to protect your wine collection

Accidents will always happen, but there are a number ofways to protect your wine collection.

Document your investment

• Keep all original documents including purchase receipts,auction catalog or private seller information
• Keep photos and detailed descriptions of wine bottles includingthose with unique marks and vintage year
• Maintain an updated inventory list including descriptions,accurate count of bottles and storage locations.
• Get routine, professional appraisals of your collection andkeep a running record of appraied values.

Optimal storage

• The best place for storage is in a cellar or electric winecooler with fiberglass insulation to regulate temperature andprotect against damage to the label.
• Keep wine away from areas that could generate temperaturechanges such as kitchens or laundry rooms. The ideal temperaturerange for wine storage is between 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoidarid environments that can dry out corks. Area with 50-80% humidityare adequate for storage.
• Store bottles on their side to prevent the cork from dryingout.
• Keep stored bottles away from light. Sunlight can damage wineby aging it prematurely and household lightbulbs can fadelabels.

Insure your collection

Protect your valuable collection a personal collectionsinsurance policy. Many policies cover accidental breakage, theftand water-related damage.

“The cost of insuring wine separately under a CollectiblesPolicy may be more than the rate for similar dollar value coverageunder a homeowners policy, but the Collectibles Policy may providemore extensive coverage in the event of a covered loss,” addsVanDenBosch.

Whether you're new to collecting wine or have been for manyyears, keep your valuable liquids safe and insured this NationalWine Day with insights from Nationwide Private Client. Don't forgetto enjoy a glass before the day is over!

Related: Collector spent $18M on counterfeit vintage wine —insurance policy didn't cover the fraud