If you’re concerned about breakage during wine transportation you may have forgotten a critical factor. The temperature during transit is just as important as careful handling and shipping.
Why Is Temperature Important?
Every wine should be at the right temperature during transportation and for long-term wine storage. Exposure to too much heat can prematurely age a wine creating a burnt fruit flavor. This can also lead to a lighter color in the wine.
Packing ice or ice packs into your car, truck, or a non-refrigerated vehicle isn’t the solution either. Too low temperatures have a negative effect as well. Using this tactic will reduce the acidity and cause it to lose its zest.
If you don’t take care of your wine during transportation you may have a surprise in the future. Imagine, you’re opening a long-awaited bottle. Immediately, you can tell the wine tastes off. It crosses your mind, “Was this from the day I moved wine in 80-degree heat?”
So What’s the Ideal Temperature for Wine?
Depending on who you talk to, you’ll get a few different answers. I recommend 55-57 degrees for long-term wine storage and 51-59 degrees for wine transportation. Most importantly, avoid major spikes in temperature. For example, a wine collection sitting at 50 degrees and getting thrown in the back of a truck with the sun beating down on it for a few hours will not do well.
The Solution
Regular moving or shipping companies do not move wine and do not have dedicated equipment for climate-controlled wine transportation. If you trust one of those companies to move your collection you are rolling the dice. Instead, if you’re doing a short move and willing to take the risk you can load up your car and pump the AC to the coldest setting. Just make sure to bring your mittens, a beanie, and some warm socks. If you are moving a large quantity of wine or moving a long distance I’d recommend a professional wine transportation company like Chateau 55. They handle moves in the Bay Area, Southern California, and can coordinate logistics for cross-country trips.
Temperature: Not Just a Wine Transportation Problem
Finally, transportation isn’t the only time to worry about the temperature. Choosing the right wine storage facility to keep your wines at 55-57 degrees, at the right humidity, and in a secure setting is key. If you are interested in wine storage in the Bay Area contact Wine Storage Partners. The only facility in Marin dedicated exclusively to wine storage. If you are looking in San Diego, contact Chateau 55. If you’re anywhere else, give us a holler anyway and we can recommend a facility in whatever city you are moving to.
Wine Storage Partners is centrally located and serves Marin County, San Francisco, and the Bay Area with wine storage and transportation solutions. Service areas include but are not limited to:
- Sausalito
- Mill Valley
- Larkspur
- Corte Madera
- Tiburon
- Belvedere
- Greenbrae
- Fairfax
- San Rafael
- Novato
- San Francisco
- East Bay
[…] to age better as well. This feature levels out major temperature swings in the wine’s environment which helps the wine age better. However, if the bottleneck is too big, building the cork for the seal may be […]