Why Storing Wine at the Correct Temperature is Crucial

Temperature is the one thing when storing wine that you cannot fudge on. If you store your wine at the wrong temperature it can affect everything, the quality, taste, and longevity, and it is not pretty what happens to a wine that is not stored at the correct temperature. While position also plays a part when it comes to storing wine, temperature is the one thing that cannot be played around with. If you want your wine to have optimal quality, most wines to be truly great need to be stored for long periods of time.

In the past before refrigeration wines were stored in underground cellars and in some cases even caves. In order for a wine to have optimal quality it must always be stored between 50 and 65 degrees F. These days with modern refrigeration it is very easy to follow these guidelines, much easier in fact than it has been in the past where even a slight variation in the temperature could ruin wine stores. As long as you store your wine between 50 and 65 degrees F, you will always have wine that is of optimal quality.

In recent years science has come to play an important role in the wine making industry. Because of modern science we now know that the aging of wine is actually a series of chemical reactions that take place and cause the optimal quality or the ruination of the wines we love. We know now that temperature determines whether or not a wine is good or bad, and as mentioned before even a slight variation one way or the other in temperature can cause a bad chemical reaction that can ruin a bottle or batch of wine. When it comes to the chemical reactions that occur to make a good wine, unique energy factors must be met in order for the good reactions to occur making the wine we love. Put simply the wrong temperature can even prevent these reactions from occurring in the wine at all.

Wine stored in an area that is hot, or in direct sunlight is guaranteed to be ruined. The increase in temperature can cause a reaction that wrecks both the flavor and the quality of the wine. In fact if you take a look at wine that has been stored in direct sunlight or heat you will notice that it will turn brown because of a chemical reaction called oxidation. When this occurs the flavor and the quality of the wine are destroyed, and it makes the wine virtually undrinkable, and it will also not be able to be sold.

However, it is believed that cooler temperatures slow the aging process and chemical reactions that take place in wine. Keep in mind though that temperatures that are too cold can stop the aging process altogether which is just as bad as if the wine were stored in sunlight or heat. While it is believed that lower temperatures will not affect the taste nor the quality of the wine, these are not recommended when it comes to storing wine. The truth is that all unopened wine bottles should be stored at a temperature that is above 50 degrees F prior to being opened. This will ensure that proper chemical reactions take place to make wine that has a wonderful taste and quality. This means that you cannot store unopened bottles of wine in the refrigerator because at an average temperature of 41 degrees F this is too cold. Once a bottle of wine is opened, then you can store it in the refrigerator.

As long as these tips for storing wine at the correct temperature are followed, the wine will have a wonderful taste, as well as a higher value.