“Wine Is A Living Thing”…Don’t Call It A Thing!?
Someone once said, “Wine isn’t a matter of life and death, it is much more important than that.”
I frequently receive a rather nice newsletter from K & L Wine Merchants. (Digressing. I get NOTHING for mentioning a company and have never met anyone from K&L Wine Merchants.) Anyway, Leah Greenstein has a nice piece on wine storage in the latest newsletter. Again, I don’t know her, but the article serves as a good reminder about storage issues.
Back to the quote and title of my diatribe. If wine is a living thing and is important to many of us then it should go without saying; protect this precious commodity.
Ms. Greenstein reminds us, and correctly so, that there are 4 major issues, when not properly addressed, can kill or at least accelerate the life span of a nice wine; Light, Humidity, Oxygen and Temperature. But the real nemesis it temperature.
Best temperature for storage is 55 degrees F; cooler won’t hurt. “Maintaining a consistent temperature is paramount. Fluctuations in temperature cause wine to expand and contract, jeopardizing the seal around the cork,” writes Leah. Hence, oxidation and evaporation.
Light, fluorescent bulbs and sun UV rays, can damage the organic compounds that make up the smell and taste characteristics so inviting about a living thing like wine.
Humidity, or the lack thereof, will impact the seal of the cork. Not to worry if your storing screwtops or synthetic closures. The recommended humidity for long-term storage is 70%. Keep the cork moist by laying the bottle on its side. Duh!
Oxygen is a concern for 2 reasons: Evaporation and Oxidation. Decanting to infuse air is great when you are ready to drink the wine. But, it is a bad thing over time.
Living in a climate where summer temperatures are routinely above 90 degrees day-after-day, I am cautious about how a winery, wine club or on-line store ships the wine. Check it out when order wine to be delivered during the summer.
Trust 2011 will be a great year for all of us!