World Meteorological Organization
After a wonderfully moderate and chilling-on-the-patio afternoons last weekend, the entire east coast is now in the midst of a heat wave this week. Afternoon temperatures have been constantly in the 90′s, with some places pegging 100F. If you’ve purchased wine from a winery during the summer months or are club members of any wineries then you know that shipping during this time of the year ceases until cooler temperatures return near the Fall season. Heat is not a friend to wine, so make sure you are storing your wine appropriately, especially those that you plan to hold for several years.
The optimal long-term storage temperatures for wine is 50-59F, which practically mimics the temperature of those underground caves many wineries use to store barrels and bottles. If you dial it down a little lower, maturation of your aging wines will develop more slowly and, conversely, the higher the temperature the more rapid the aging process. So, wine cellar’d at 86F should technically age twice as fast as wine stored at 68F, however, these higher temperatures will often “cook” the wine resulting in cooked, jammy aromas overwhelming the more desirable phenolics. Wine stored in UPS or FedEx warehouses over night or travelling around town in those hot-boxes on wheels until they get to your house, which is always the last house of the day in my case, will have a much higher chance of getting cooked. Furthermore, wine stored in closets, above the refrigerator, or in kitchen cabinet racks are susceptible to higher than optimal temperatures, especially in these hot summer months down here in the South. I would recommend a wine fridge or cabinet of some sort that you can find online, in catalogs or even at your local hardware superstores these days.
But what if you have more than just a case or two of wine that needs a constant and controllable environment? That’s where facilities like Buckead Wine Storage can help and they are currently offering a FREE wine locker that can hold up to 9 cases for one year, thanks to the assistance of Tower Beer, Wine and Spirits. How can you take advantage of this deal? Just answer a few easy questions in this survey — click HERE.
Pssst! Go HERE for a few hints to make the survey even easier! ; ) and pass this along to your friends… maybe you and a friend can even share the space if you don’t have 9 cases of wines yourself.
Cheers!
FYI, i think you entered the wrong URL. I clicked on the survey link, just to take a look, at it claims i’ve already taken the survey.
I haven’t.
Chadd, thanks for the heads up… I reviewed it again and updated it directly from the Tower site vs. cut-n-paste from my browser which may have contained a code based on my access to the survey (which I am not eligible to win)… Please try again!
Man, I now wish I was in Atlanta. I’ve gotta find a place for my wine since I’ve expanded beyond the 40 bottle fridge we have now. Missed out on a great deal for a eurocave on craigslist because I was too busy at work to get over and check it out.
Sounds like you need some storage, Mike. South Florida is no place for good wine without it… you know, CA needs lawyers too…
Excuse my English but, This post makes my mind spin at the speed of dark.