Labo VinKeeping the wine
The cellar must be black, the light spoil the wine.
The cellar temperature will determine the keeping time of the wine. A high temperature will let the wine age rapidly (or decay if it is not suitable for keeping). A low temperature will extend its preservative time.
A 15° C is a fine main temperature for most wines. A wine for long term aging suffers 20° C, but cider, more delicate, prefers a cool place (10° C).
It is generally admitted that temperature changes would be adverse, but there is no real evidence.
The cellar humidity has no real importance for storage in bottles, except for the labels and corks that can be spoiled be an excessive humidity.
The time a wine can be kept depends on several factors. These factors will favour the keeping time:
- a high alcohol rate;
- a high acidity;
- a high tannin loading;
- the presence of preservative agents (SO2, sorbic acid).