How Wines Are Kept Before Purchase

[Kcwhippet]

Our shop is much as hotwine describes. We keep the temp at 65 year round in the shop, and the back room storage is kept at 60. The lighting in the shop is a bit subdued, and no wine is kept near the front by the window. The back room lights only go on when we need to drag more wine out front. Also, we have a fast enough turnover that most wines don't stay on the shelves more than two to three weeks anyway. The very high end wines are mostly kept in back except for a few display bottles. So, the owner is very much aware of what it takes to keep the wines happy and tries very hard to make sure they stay that way. That said, it sure is a pain when a customer comes back to the shop in the middle of the summer with bottles that are leaking and have the corks pushed up, accusing us of selling damaged goods. We know where the bottles have been, and try to educate our customers on how to treat them as they're leaving the shop, though too many don't seem to want to listen. We had one lady who came back this past summer with a case each of Miner Family and Signorello Chards she bought for her daughter's wedding, went to her hairdresser for a cut and perm, and then grocery shopping before taking the wine home. A very expensive lesson.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 12-13-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 12-13-2002).]