The ideal temperature to store wines is between 55ºF and 58ºF (13ºC-15ºC).
However, any temperature between 40º-65ºF (5º-18ºC) will suffice as long as it
remains constant.
The degree and the speed of the temperature change are critical. A gradual change
of a few degrees between summer and winter won't matter. The same change each
day will harm your wines by ageing them too rapidly.
Wine
The most important rule when storing wine is to avoid large temperature changes or
fluctuations. You'll notice damage of this nature straight away from the sticky
deposit that often forms around the capsule. Over time the continual expansion and
contraction of the wine will damage the 'integrity' of the cork. It's like having the
cork pulled in and out again every day. When this happens, minute quantities of
wine may be pushed out along the edge of the cork (between the cork and the
bottle neck) allowing air to seep back in. Once the air is in contact with your wine
the irreversible process of oxidation begins and your wine is ruined.
At 55º to 58ºF the wine will age properly, enabling it to fully develop. Higher
temperatures will age wine more rapidly and cooler temperatures will slow down the
ageing process. Irreversible damage will be done if your wine is kept at a
temperature above 82ºF for even a month.
At 55°F wines will age slowly and develop great complexity and you will never have
to worry about them.
Every wine you buy should be placed in your cellar. Even if you are planning on
opening the wine shortly after purchase it will benefit from resting to recover from
the shock of traveling.
Before any bottle makes it into your cellar you need to consider the treatment it
received before you acquired it.
Every wine lover knows that heat damages wine but how many of us take care to
protect our wine at every stage? For example, you buy wine at a shop or winery, but
leave it in your hot car all afternoon. You get it home to your temperature-
controlled cellar, but by then you may have already cooked it. Remember that high
temperatures can result in undesirable chemical reactions that would not normally
take place.
Chris Miley is the author the popular ebook "How To Build A Wine Cellar" and also maintains the Wine Cellar Secrets blog where he reviews wines from his own wine cellar.