How cold is too cold?

[Glass_A_Day]

I have outgrown my two mini cellars as everyone told me I would and have come up with an idea for cheap additional storage. My home has a workshop off of the cellar. The way it was build is it is under the front porch which is a cement slab. Therefore all sides, top, and bottom are all cement. Ceiling walls and floor. There is a window in it so I could use that for a vent if I wanted to add active cooling, but I don't think that is necessary. I am actually worried that opposite is the case. Right now it is 50 degrees outside and the ground hasn't even frozen, yet the temp in that room is only 52. I am afraid that it will get colder in there as winter comes into full swing although I just started monitoring the temp and am not really sure. So, what is too cold for wine storage?

[hotwine]

GAD, 52F would work well, but any colder and your wines' maturation process will be slowed; at some point in the temp decline, maturation stops altogether. If I were you, I'd monitor the temp changes in your cellar over the next 6-8 months (to get you through the winter and into the summer months) and document the daily extremes. You can buy a widget from Radio Shack to help you do that - a little battery-powered instument for measuring min and max temperature and relative humidity. Called the "Radio Shack Digital Thermo-Hygro model 63-1013", it works like a champ. I've got three of 'em, for which I paid about $25 each a few years ago.<P>If the cellar stays in the 50's year-round, you're in good shape. But if it falls into the 40's for long periods, I'd consider insulating the cellar before making any more extensive mods.

[Thomas]

I agree with Hotwine in his assessment that the lower the temperature, the slower the wine matures. But unless the wine is frozen to a solid, low temperatures don't hurt it. Wide temperature swings, however, can be a problem but really only if the swings are from cold to hot--not from cold to quite cool.<P>I maintain a natural stone cellar--it is properly humid and it never gets warm or hot. But in winter the temperature does drop to 40 or so from a high of about 50 in summer. No wine that i can tell has been spoiled by the swing--but they do age a little slower.

[Glass_A_Day]

Thanks HW. I must have read your mind, because I just bought an indoor outdoor thermometer. I will monitor extremes like you said and hope for the best.

[Glass_A_Day]

Thanks foodie. I feel a little better knowing the worst is only slower ageing.

[Innkeeper]

To answer your basic question, How cold is too cold? The answer is around 29 degrees F, depending on how much alcohol is in the wine. Freezing can be a problem if the corks push out, or the bottle breaks. Duh!

[tw]

what about the other direction? Is like a low to mid 60 bad?

[hotwine]

"Bad" relative to the generally-accepted ideal storage temperature range of 55-57F, yes. All that means is that wines stored in a low-60's range will mature more quickly, and predicted drinking windows from so-called "experts" (Parker, Laube, etc.) won't do you much good, because they assume their readers are using the ideal temp range for storage. If you're planning to drink through your inventory within a year or so of purchase, it probably makes no difference.

[Kcwhippet]

I read of something called the Arrhenius equation (or principle, or something) that states that the rate of a chemical reaction (as in a wine aging) will double with each 18 degree F increase. So, if the optimum temp to age wine is 55 F, then it will age twice as fast at 73 F. Not sure what that's worth, but there it is.

[tw]

I think i have my basement at about 57.5 now is that something i should worry about or not. I do have some bordeaux and cabs that I plan on keeping for the long run.

[hotwine]

If you can keep it at 57.5F you'll be happy with the result. Mine stays at 57 even year-round, but if you'll look back in this thread for 3-4 years you'll see what it took to get it there.