I have written about these wine storage and serving issues before, but I figured I’d re-print this short article written by a favorite wine writer of mine – Laurie Daniel.
Article from San Jose Mercury News…
“Don’t Cook Your Wine” – Laurie Daniel, for the Mercury News 07/16/2008
Don’t cook your wine When you expose a bottle of wine to excessive heat, the liquid inside expands and can leak out or even push the cork out of the bottle, which allows oxygen to get into the bottle. The heat will also start changing the aromas and flavors.
IN YOUR CAR: Put it in a cooler or other insulated container. You never seem to be able to find a shady parking space when you need it, and that seems to be especially true when you’re visiting winery tasting rooms.
IN YOUR HOUSE: Keep wine in the coolest place possible. Unless you have temperature-controlled storage, your best bet is the floor of an interior, downstairs closet. Ever seen those wine racks built into a kitchen cabinet near the stove? That’s about the worst place you can store wine.
ON YOUR TABLE: Finally, be sure to serve wine at the proper temperature. For white wines, it’s not a bad idea to have a bucket of ice handy. Even red wines will often benefit from brief chilling. When red wine is served too warm, the tannins and alcohol become even more obvious.
– Laurie Daniel
Good to know about the quick chill for red!