It’s winter in the Midwest, and along with the obvious disadvantages (i.e. the icicle that formed underneath my nose this morning), wine shipments are hurting a bit too! So how does winter weather affect your wine?
Winter weather can have a few negative effects on wine. When exposed to freezing temperatures, the water in wine begins to freeze, causing it to expand. This changes the volume and pressure in the bottle and can push the cork out. (This information only validates my fear of losing an eye to a wayward wine cork btw.) The expanding also can cause the bottle to crack, damaging the bottle altogether. If this happens, Bright Cellars WILL of course replace the bottle, or it’s a good excuse to drink your wine faster!
Cold weather can can also cause physical changes to wine, like initiating the formation of tartrate crystals (those tiny “wine diamonds” that can form on the cork). The good news is, tartrate crystals are totally natural, won’t affect the flavor, and are actually pretty cool to see!
More good news: unlike extremely hot weather which can permanently damage wine by “cooking” it, extreme cold will not usually affect the flavor as long as the seal and cork are still intact.
