How Hot is Too Hot for Wine?

Whenever discussions of wine come up, people usually talk about what to drink, how to drink it, when to drink, and what to pair wine with. But, when it comes to wine heat damage, there’s not a lot of information on this. It’ll surprise you that this concern is more serious than you know.

Storing wine at a hot temperature will kill your wine, but the question here is, how hot is too hot for wine? And, if you’re storing wine in hotter climates, what can you do to protect your wine from turning into something else?

The Effect of Hot Temperature on Wine

There’s a lot of change in taste when you have wine at a hot temperature. The same way anything changes when you put it over a fire, keeping your wine bottles at an unfavorable temperature      will also make it change.

When you’re storing wine in hotter climates, the tannins in the wine become more noticeable. This will give it a tangy and rough taste on your tongue, rather than feeling smooth. Secondly, the fruit flavors in wine will be affected by acidity, giving it an unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Apart from the taste of the wine, even the wine bottle as a whole can be affected by the heat. The corks covering the wine bottle can shrink, leading to leaking bottles. This is especially the case with wine bottles that are sealed with natural corks and not synthetic corks.

Also, older wines are more affected than young wines. Since older wines are more delicate, there’s a higher chance of them spoiling in the heat. If you notice that your wine bottles are leaky or the taste is wrong, then that’s a sign that the heat has cooked your wine.

What Temperature is Ideal to Store Wine

Wine is meant to be stored at cellar temperature, which means that the temperature must be maintained between 55- and 65-degrees Fahrenheit when serving. But, if you only want the wine to age, you shouldn’t let it go past 57 degrees.

If the temperature of your wine cellar goes past 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re past the danger zone. This would mean that the heat has done irreparable damage to your wine. It also depends on how long the wine stays in the hot temperature.

The wine will age too quickly instead of gracefully. If you leave it for too long, there would be wine heat damage and it can even get spoilt.

Custom Wine Packaging Solutionsstyrofoam shipper box open

Transporting and storing wine in hotter climates requires the right kind of packaging. If you need ideal packaging for your wine bottles that will protect them from the hot temperature, you should turn to Custom Wine Packaging.

Custom Wine Packaging has a wide range of solutions that allow you to ship, transport, and store wine at the appropriate temperature, including cold pack shippers. With this packaging, you can be sure that your wine is kept at the ideal temperature and protected from premature aging.