Unchilling a Chilled Wine

[Randy Caparoso]

There was a big hullabaloo about this subject a few months back on this site. While many connoisseurs would cringe at the thought of a wine remaining in the refrigerator more than two or three days without being drunk, I also know many connoisseurs who think nothing of leaving a bottle of Champagne, or reds and whites, in refrigerators for months on end "just in case." In my own experience, I find that wines come out no worse for the wear and tear of short term refrigeration.

But keep this in mind: the theory is that wine is ideally stored (for optimal maturation) at around 55 to 65 degree F. temperatures, with average to high humidity, and free of vibration and fluctuations of any sort. Wine stored just above freezing (say, 45 to 55) more or less don't do anything -- sort of like suspended animation. The low humidity in fridges, however, could cause natural corks to shrink and thus cause oxidation (resulting in loss of flavor and freshness). But the fact is, it might even be smarter to store wine for short periods in refrigerators -- if (and only if) your normal room temperature exceeds 75 or even 85 degrees. Better too cold than too hot.

Therefore, I think this is the best way to look at it:

1. You should have nothing to fear if you store wine in the fridge for two, three, or even four months. Beyond that, you're taking a chance. You're better off finding a relatively cool, dark, sedate spot in the house, and pull as necessary.

2. If you're going to keep wine in the fridge, to minimize potential harm you should store the wine on its side to keep the corks wet and expansive. Of course, if your bottles have artificial corks, it won't matter -- right side up or upside down, low humidity won't affect them.

No worries!