Q&A: Wine & Food Questions
Storage Temperature
Do fluctuations of temperature in a wine cooler create long-term effects on wine? My cooler averages 55 degrees, but will range from 53 to 57 throughout the day as the cooling system turns on and off. Will this negatively affect the wines as versus a constant temperature of 55 degrees?
Answer From Expert Roger C. Bohmrich, MW
There is a lack of precise scientific evidence about the long-term effects - over decades, for example - of storage temperature. Light and humidity also figure into the equation, as do, by the way, the type of wine and the closure. It is nonetheless widely agreed that "cool" and stable temperatures facilitate the development of wines; conversely, warm, fluctuating temperatures are seen as detrimental. Moreover, the 55 degree F rule is itself unproven, and may possibly have originated with underground wine cellars in Europe (which are in fact not all the same, however). That said, anecdotal evidence suggests that maintaining a temperature in the 50's F is probably desirable; the lower the temperature, the slower the wine's evolution. The range of fluctuation you cite will not have any negative effect on the outcome.
About The Expert
Roger has enjoyed a lengthy career in the wine trade as an importer and retailer, and at present he is an educator, speaker and consultant. He set up and managed Millesima USA, a New York merchant affiliated with Europe's leader in direct sales of fine wines to consumers. Previously, he served as senior executive of Frederick Wildman & Sons, traveling regularly around the world to visit wineries and taste the new vintage from barrel. Roger became one of America's first Masters of Wine in 1993.
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