Chill Out! Summer Wine Care

It appears that summer is here with a vengeance. One of the best witticisms I've seen regarding the recent heat wave is, "Satan called. He wants his weather back."

While there are a lot of things to consider when the temperatures are forecasted to be in the "lower hundreds" as I heard on the radio the other day, wine may not be at the forefront of your mind. Unless it's chilled and served in air conditioning.

When temperatures start climbing, give a little thought to how you transport and store wine, or you may be sorry.

1. Wine should always be kept in a cool, dark place--55 degrees is perfect. I have an ideal wine cellar, but people refer to it more colloquially as a basement. You might try a closet, which would offer protection from light and temperature fluctuations.

If you have your wine in a decorative wine rack, consider where you put it and make sure it's out of direct sunlight and away from other heat sources. The top of the refrigerator may seem like a good idea, but the motor produces heat and vibration that can damage your wine.

2. In the summer, the deadliest place for any living thing--and wine is a living thing--is in a car. If you know you will be buying wine, plan to make that your last stop. If you aren't going to be stopping, put the wine in the front of the car where it is air conditioned, rather than the trunk. If you're stopping with the windows rolled up for more than 15-20 minutes, the trunk actually stays cooler.

3. Pack a cooler. A few reusable ice packs in a cooler can make the difference between "mmm" and "blech." I keep a collapsible cooler under the seat in my car so I've always got it when I need it, whether for wine or ice cream.

Wine can stand heat up to 120 degrees for several hours without being noticeably affected (the temperature in a car can quickly reach 140 degrees and higher), but it's best to keep it cool.

So, when you grab a bottle of wine on a hot day and get distracted by the Farmer’s Market, a garage sale and the Little League car wash, there’s only one way to tell if your wine survived the trip home--taste it.

The heat speeds up the aging process, so the wine quickly begins to deteriorate. If you know it's been too warm, chill and drink it as soon as possible. A wine that's gotten too warm may taste "cooked," like stewed fruit, but won’t hurt you.

Keep in mind that most red wines should be served at about 55 degrees, MUCH cooler than the “room temperature” you may encounter in late July.

The single most important rule when dealing with wine is this: If it tastes good, drink it. If it tastes bad, don't.