Comments on: Wine Storage Misconceptions: The Truth About Your Reds & Whites

By: John Murtaugh

John Murtaugh — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:41:04 +0000

I can understand how overly warm storage temperatures can harm wine.

Why would overly cool temperatures cause problems other than slowing up maturiry?

My cellar room used for storing wine gets down to about 6 degrees celsius in the cold part of winter here in Toronto and perhaps as high as 24 in August, although the average maybe around 18.

I am grateful for any advive regarding my “wine cellar”

By: mike

mike — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:12:41 +0000

Hi I just purchased a vinotemp 160 bottle dual zone wine fridge for my RED wine storage. If i keep it a the 55 degree mark my bottom shelf has very cold wines and my top shelf has wines in the 60-63 degree range.

Also I have had it now for three weeks and have noticed about 20% of my wine labels are starting to bubble at the edges.

Can somebody please help me and tell me what to do

thank you

wine novice

By: Erika S.

Erika S. — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:36:55 +0000

Hi Danielle– The transfer will not ruin the wine but it’s best to keep your wine in the wine fridge for as long as possible. Room temperature is too hot for long-term storage.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:17:41 +0000

Can transferring a bottle of wine (average, non vintage) from a wine fridge and storing in room temperature ruin the wine?

By: Erika S.

Erika S. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:16:54 +0000

@Kenny, thanks for the question. Actually pressure sealing it with a VacuVin or the like and putting it in the refrigerator is the perfect solution. The cool temperature will slow down the oxidation process.

By: Kenny

Kenny — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:12:30 +0000

IF a bottle of red is pressure sealed and stored in the refrigerator after drinking some, does it damage the wine? Would it be better to leave it at room temperature and chill it before serving?

By: Arnaud H

Arnaud H — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:02:54 +0000

I unfortunately don’t have a basement or garage with a constant temperature that would make it easy for me to store a lot of wine at home. I have a Eurotemp wine cellar that holds about 40-50 bottles between 53 and 57°F. The other bottles at home are “stored” at room temperature – mostly whites and rosés which will be drunk within a month or two. The rest of my wine is stored in a cellar space at a constant 55°F at a wine distrbutor’s facility that also rents storage space. I make frequent trips to that location for work, so the hassle is minimal.

By: Miguel Lecuona

Miguel Lecuona — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:46:59 +0000

Regarding the goal of maintaining a constant 55 degrees… It is reassuring to know that no less than Chateau Margaux stores wines in buildings with ambient temperatures that vary with the seasons, changing gradually from low 50s to mid 60s degrees from winter to Summer. Their website discusses this in detail. They have vintages well over 100+ years with no apparent degradation. And Robert Parker himself has written about his controlled cellars using strict temperature parameters, and his own passive cellars with seasonal variation. He has posted on his on site that he was unable to discern any differences in wines (other than label deterioration from hi-humidity passive cellar) from the same vintage when stored for 10+ years in either cellar.

Abrupt temperature spikes and swings from low to levels above 72 degrees for hours/ days/ weeks can cook wine in time. Living in Texas or anywhere in the South, a wine fridge or controlled cellar is required for extended storage or aging. You might consider adding a battery-backed UPS on fridges containing treasures to so that an extended power outage will not pose a threat — it does take a while for a fridge full of 55 degree wine to exceed a danger-level of temps. In the Northeast, passive cellars can work to great effect, too, but you have to be certain about your storage conditions. Always good to have options. And YES the bottom line is this sort of care and concern will pay dividends down the road when you open your treasures. Cheers.

By: Dino S.

Dino S. — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:25:17 +0000

Katie,
You are correct in the assumption that retail shops should have wines stored at the appropriate temperatures, I am the B2B Consultant at the Wine Enthusiast and many of my retail clients have specific areas of their retail floors that house a few of our wine cellars , with each one specifically set for the approprioate varietal. I just vistied a client while on vacation in Las Vegas, he had a very intresting set up. Upon entering I noticed that the rear 1/2 section of the location had 9 of our wine cellars housed inside his wall ( all vented properly to an exterior room) and in each cellar he diplayed varietals from all over the world.
The setup was in the shape of a tic-tac-toe board, which was both eye-cathing and easily accesible to the customers. This was also very cost effective on clients side and a great way to move his inventory quicker
As you can see Katie, creativity & functionallity works with proper wine storage in any retail setting.

By: Marshall (Wine Enthusiast Wine Storage Consultant)

Marshall (Wine Enthusiast Wine Storage Consultant) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:20:29 +0000

From my understanding, humidity will not play a role in storing wines with synthetic corks or screw tops. However, most of the wines that are really meant to be stored for longer periods of time are still using the original corks, especially French and Italian wines. The Europeans seem to be very reluctant to use any other option. There is a large movement being made towards screw caps, especially in New Zealand, but for the time being the good old fashioned corks still reign supreme.