Hot and Hotter

• Every bottle of wine is different, but in general, a wine will age more rapidly than what is intended when kept above the 70-degree mark. At approximately 82 F the cork loses its seal on the neck, which allows new oxygen into the bottle. At about 86 F the wine can be ruined within 18 hours. At extreme temperatures of more than 100 F, the wine will survive less than six hours.

Heat Indicators

• Fluctuations in temperature can cause the cork in a bottle of wine to expand and contract. This change can cause the cork to begin to push out of the neck of the bottle. There may also be wine seepage, either on the cork or on the outside of the bottle. However, the only surefire way to know if a wine is ruined is to open it up and taste it.

Taste Test

• The extent of maderization will depend on the severity of the wine’s exposure to heat. To varying degrees, the wine will become flat, its intended bouquet and flavors dulled, and the color may take on a brown tint. Oftentimes it will taste stewed or have the candied fruit flavors of a dessert wine. While it is not unsafe to drink a maderized wine, the bottle is essentially ruined.

Wine Likes it Cool

• Wine is sometimes exposed to high heat during transportation, whether sitting in the hull of a cargo ship or in an unrefrigerated truck. Wine fares best when it is kept in a cool, dark, consistent environment. Ideally, wine should be stored at 52 F; however, the range between 40 F and 65 F is fine as long as there is little variation.