How Wines Are Kept Before Purchase

[hotwine]

Red, I think you'll find that most reputable wineshops are chilled. They might not be 55-57F, which is ideal for storage and ageing, because that would probably be uncomfortable for most shoppers who want to browse the racks; but their temps WILL be in the low 60's, as a compromise with comfort. And their lighting will be low and indirect, rather than bright and focused directly on the shelves. But it's rare to see ideal conditions in supermarket wine sections. There, management depends on turnover to keep the wines fresh, figuring that less than ideal conditons can be tolerated long enough to move inventory out the door. I rarely buy wines in supermarkets because it's impossible to know how long a bottle has stood on a shelf under those less-than-optimum conditions. I much prefer to patronize real, no-kidding wineshops, where the shopkeepers are demonstrating that they're trying to be good stewards of the little treasures that have been entrusted to their care.