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Much has been written about ideal storage and handling conditions for wine. It is apparent to me after years of dealing with various cellars around the world, and having been privileged to taste a multitude of great wines from such cellars, that there is still an awful lot of guff and misinformed understanding surrounding the subject.
Correct storage and handling is the most important aspect of dealing with mature and maturing wine. The key aspects, which cause deterioration, are light, temperature, fluctuation of temperature and humidity. {mosgoogle}
LIGHT
Sunlight, and especially neon light, can be extremely damaging, sunlight from the heat as well as the radiation, and neon light for the radiation waves, but both cause premature oxidation. Normally oxidation in white wine is combined with a darkening of colour. Oxidation caused by neon light is particularly insidious, as the colour remains normal, but the oxidation on the nose and palate is pronounced. This is often termed “goût de lumière” by French professionals.
The best protection is coloured glass, with many of new protective dark/green/brown coloured bottles helping. Secondly, I prefer the extra protection from both heat and especially light provided by a coloured tissue, as used by Château Lafite – a dark purple colour. And of course the cases or cartons provide protection. But the ideal cellar should be dark, with well-protected diffused lighting – certainly not neon.
TEMPERATURE
Firstly dramatic temperature swings should be avoided, as this causes movement of the cork and seepage. Secondly excess heat (25ºC/77ºF) will damage wine, particularly if held at this level for any period, the wine will taste ‘flat’ or cooked. Fortified and sweet wines are less vulnerable, dry whites most, but high temperatures should be avoided at all costs – particularly during transportation or delivery when they are most vulnerable.
Wine develops best when it ages slowly. The cooler the cellar the slower the development. Common recommendations talk of 55ºF or 12ºC, which is fine. Any warmer the wine will age/develop slightly faster, and cooler slower.
I prefer a very cool cellar of 10ºC or 50ºF, similar to the best cellars in Scottish country houses. The wines develop beautifully over many years. Cooler than this is OK, but will cause precipitation of tartrates, (not a thing to be concerned about, just small crystals in the bottom of the bottle that are harmless), but be careful not to risk the danger of freezing, which will damage the wine irreparably, and cause seepage.
HUMIDITY
This is where people are most misinformed. The greatest cellars are often the most damp, providing moisture to the cork from the outside, as well as from the horizontally lain bottle, from the inside. Some ventilation is important to avoid excessive mould rotting the corks. Over 80% humidity is preferable with circulation of air.
The problem is that the elegant packaging and labeling is inevitably destroyed by humidity. The greatest cellars of old wines in wineries often do not ‘dress’ and label bottles for this very reason, until they are ready for sale – Champagne is the best example.
Wooden cases are more protective, and proper bin labeling and records are required if the wines are for very long cellaring.
In the Far East, there is considerable resistance to damp stained labels, as they are used to pristine looking bottles. For old bottles, I prefer the indication that they have been in a good humid cellar, and spend hours persuading people that a damp stained label is a good sign.
I have many examples of where the least ullaged and the best preserved corks are from a cellar so damp that the packaging is all but destroyed. Again, Scotland is where this happens most often, although there are some good dark railway arches in London which are ideal.
I am always more suspicious of pristine packaging of old bottles, unless recently relabelled by the makers. I would almost go so far as to say that I discourage wine makers ‘reconditioning’ old bottles, as this makes detection of fraudulent bottles harder, and any really well stored bottle shouldn’t need ‘reconditioning’. I have drunk many bottles of over one hundred years old or near that age, with their original corks, the ones stored in cold damp cellars are superb.
Finally, here are some other thoughts. Waxing corks is a good thing, with bees wax covered by sealing wax the best, providing a really protective seal. I have recently taken part in some trials of the Stelven Cap, and I am really impressed with the slow maturation of wines under this very protective seal. They also avoid cork-taint (2.4.6. trichloroarisole) and should be taken very seriously by producers and consumers of fine wine. Unnecessary movement and disturbance is also not good for great wine, it stirs up sediment, which might take a year or two more to settle.
I hope this helps – if in any doubt call me.
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