Wines and Temperature Thresholds, Moderate to Extreme
So what happens to wines when they are subjected to extreme temperatures?
What are the high and low temperature thresholds that cause wine to be "damaged"?
What are the high and low temperature thresholds that cause "changes in wine characteristics"?
What are the high and low temperature thresholds that cause wine to be "damaged"?
What are the high and low temperature thresholds that cause "changes in wine characteristics"?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on -
Hmmm left a pricey bottle in the Lexus?
Having left wine overnight in the van on occasion, I do wonder whether temperature extremes over the short term really have an effect.
I vaguely remember claims that excessive vibration also affects wine.
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Amanda / Administrator on -
"Excessive Vibration"?? Like a Shuttle launch??
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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Knowing you [kinda], Amanda, I 'spose the Shuttle is always an option.... For we ordinary mortals, vibration would take the form of transporting in a car or, for some, storing in an area that it subject to regular vibration. For example, many years ago we had an inexpensive
lovenestapartment on St Paul St in Baltimore that would literally vibrate every weekday morning with the rush hour traffic. Had to mount the turntable [ ! ] on the wall to play records to avoid skipping....
Andrew
From the web:
"The primary threats to your wine, after the neoprohibitionists and thirsty friends, are heat, vibration, and light. Heat will tend to cook your wines and make them age much more quickly. Wide fluctuations in temperature (+/- 10 to 15 degrees) can also rapidly ravage a wine. Vibration does basically the same thing since it also introduces energy into the wine. And light, being yet another form of energy, can initiate certain breakdown reactions in the wine that lead to undesirable consequences. Contrary to popular belief, the green glass does nothing to stop the most harmful rays."
http://www.wineloverspage.com/oxford/winerack.shtml
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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Other vibration examples, from the web:
"Many disturbances can deliver enough vibrations to alter a wine:
- subway / road
- washing / cleaning / drying machine / fridge
and in general any electric equipment that can generate vibration
- floor
specially when it is very conductive and the bottles lay on the floor."
http://www.terroir-france.com/theclub/cellar_vibration.htm
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Amanda / Administrator on
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The Links you provide are very informative - BUT - Humidity?? How can humidity affect a liquid that is in a sealed container?
Ok! Maybe the reference refers to an open glass of wine, it didn't specify or I didn't read the details well enough. Who lets an open glass of wine set long enough to be affected by humidity?
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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They're talking storage, which, in the case of wine, includes the "health" of the cork that traditionally seals the bottle. Too much/too little humidity over the long term ruins the cork, which, in turn, ruins the wine. As I recall, Nick broached these issues when discussing closures (vino video episode 12). A good reason to consider screw caps.....
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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BTW: I believe that, like the rest of the Federal Government, NASA does not officially sanction having alcoholic beverages on any of its vehicles, including the Shuttle. This apparently did not prevent Buzz Aldrin from sipping some wine on the moon on an Apollo flight….
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/drugs-alcohol/dn123...
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Amanda / Administrator on
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My reference to the Shuttle comes straight from NASA. When we listed the Journey Signed bottle of wine on VinoShipper.com, I asked my MIT friend how I might promote it (she promotes, while she is working on her PhD). She jokingly asked her MIT NASA friends if she could send up a bottle as a promotion? The answer back was serious - the bottle would not be able to withstand the vibration during launch. Hence my reference to "extreme vibration". 8-)
I wonder how Buzz did it?
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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As I recall, astronauts are allowed to bring along a modest number of personal items. Alan Shepard brought enough stuff to hit a golf shot on the moon; packing some wine in a baggie would not be difficult....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZLl3XwlAIE
Not at all surprised that you seriously considered the Shuttle--very little exceeds your grasp. The NASA answer you got may have been diplomatic;
a while back, NASA took a lot of flack for allegations that some of their guys flew while drunk and I doubt they would officially sanction at this point any alcoholic beverages in space. I've been a Fed for a long time and have often wondered if the US government is the only government in the world with an official alcohol ban. Prohibition has never ended for us.
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Steve Snyder on -
If wine is subjected to extreme high temperatures can "cook" a wine. Leaving a wine in the trunk of your car on a hot day can spoil it. Wines can taste like they've actually been cooked. Like baked fruit. I wouldn't want my wines to get above 80-90 degrees for a short period of time.
On the other side, most commercial wines are exposed to below freezing temperatures (around 28 F.) to "cold stabilize" them. This is mainly to drop out any tartrate crystals that may form in the bottle, especially on white wines because we routinely put them in the fridge. The extreme of this happens quite frequently when you stick a bottle in the freezer and forget about it. Usually the wine tastes OK, but when I have had this happen to me the wine just doesn't taste right after you freeze it down to 0 degrees.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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I presume when it comes to transport, you should not subject wine to anything that would be out of a person's comfort range, like a hot trunk or prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures in the passenger compartment.
Do people really stick wine regularly in the freezer? I suppose I'd do that if I was really pressed for time....
Andrew
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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from the AP: High-tech wine labels track travel temperatures
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_10445090?nclick_check=1
In the expensive world of designer chocolates, delivery temperature is really crucial. From Jacques Torres' website:
"If the destination city's temperature is more than 70 degrees and you are sending to someone other than yourself, we will upgrade the shipment to Federal Express Priority Overnight and charge the difference to your credit card."
http://www.jacquestorres.com/legal.aspx
Wine is obviously a lot less temperature sensitive than chocolate, but does anyone take similar precautions to ensure that the wine is not cooked in transit?
Andrew
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