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Refrigerating Wine - Clarification (unopened)

Thanks Roger C. Bohmrich, MW for answering my question. I should have been clearer. I would like to know if it is better to leave an UNOPENED bottle of white wine in the fridge if it isn\'t consumed (i.e. at a dinner party), or should it be put back into storage?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW

I guess that depends on several factors: is the bottle something "serious," what are your storage conditions, and how long do you intend to keep the bottle before serving it?

If the bottle in question is, for example, a top white Burgundy which truly should be kept in cellar conditons (cool, stable, dark), then by all means it would be best to return it to such storage if it is available, particularly if it might be kept for years.

This situation often arises in my own home, as I may pull out from my cellar two bottles each of several wines for a dinner party, but not open and serve all bottles. I always return the unopened wines, whether red or white, to the cellar unless I plan on consuming them immediately.

In any case, it probably is not the best approach to keep a bottle in the very cold temperatures of a refrigerator for weeks or months - especially if it is an expensive wine.


About Our 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 a leading European company. Previously, he served as senior executive of importers Frederick Wildman & Sons. In recent years, Roger has judged wine competitions in Argentina, Turkey, Portugal, China and the U.S. Roger is one of America's first Masters of Wine.

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