Heat Wave Poses Risk to Fine Wine Collections

Heat Wave Poses Risk to Fine Wine Collections
Le Cache Contemporary 2400 Wine Cabinet
Le Cache Contemporary 2400 Wine Cabinet

Record temperatures baking the Northeast may cause serious damage to unprotected collections of fine wine, which need cool, constant temperatures to ensure proper development and aging.

When exposed to high temperatures, even for brief periods of time, expensive wine collections may become permanently impaired. Wine auction-goers and auction professionals agree that a wine’s provenance (where and how the wine has been stored) is the most critical consideration in determining the value of aged, rare wine.

The following conditions are considered to be critically important when storing and aging fine wine:

  • Constant temperature in the range of 55 – 60 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for the biochemical development that occurs as wine matures
  • Humidity in the range of 50 – 70% is required to keep corks from drying out without damaging bottle labels and allowing mold to grow
  • Protection from UV rays which can penetrate bottles and cause tannins to oxidize
  • Clean, odor-free air that won’t taint the flavor or bouquet of the wine
  • Minimal vibration which can disrupt the aging process

Wine collectors can protect their investments by storing valuable wine collections in refrigerated wine cellars.