Handle with Care
Every step in the journey of a bottle of wine, from the winery to your dining table, affects what ends up in your glass. The distance wine travels and how it’s stored before it’s enjoyed play a role in its quality and freshness.
What happens in transit
One of the riskiest phenomena that can occur during wine transport is temperature fluctuation. Rapid swings, from hot to cold to back again, can shorten a wine’s shelf life more than stable but extreme conditions.
Research from The Australian Wine Research Institute found that even small differences in storage temperature over time can measurably affect chemistry and shelf life. Temperature-damage can dull freshness, flatten acidity, and produce a “cooked” character: not what you want to notice on your first sip of a wine you’ve spent money on and were excited to drink.
In addition to unstable temperature conditions, sun exposure (also called light strike) can turn a bottle of delicious wine into something less-than-appetising. UV rays from the sun can incite a chemical reaction that releases a plethora of foul-smelling aromas into the wine.
As for any motion that may happen in transport, even recurring vibrations can cause damage. An OENO ONE 2021 research paper noted that “strong vibration has a negative impact on wine, with a decrease in organic acids and tannins and an acceleration in the browning process.”
One of the simplest ways to minimise unwanted changes in wine is to buy as close to the source as possible: the shorter the distance the bottle has to travel, the fewer chances heat, light, and vibration have to cause problems, and the greater chance it will still be delicious by the time you pour it.
Why Australian wine has the advantage
In Australia, where wine often travels long distances just to reach our shores (and then again across the country to stores), transport becomes an unavoidable part of the equation. Buying wine made in Australia reduces those distances and helps ensure bottles arrive in better condition.
Another practical advantage of Australian wine is the widespread use of screw caps. In addition to convenience, screw cap closure allows for consistent levels of oxygen ingress in wine, reducing undesirable early oxidation due to air exposure (not to mention eliminating the risk of cork taint).
Caring for it once it’s home
Once you’ve finally got that bottle (or case) of wine in your hands, it’s important to treat it with care before you open it. To avoid the aforementioned environmental damage, try to get it home to a cool, dark space as soon as possible.
The ideal storage temperature is around 15 degrees Celsius. Your fridge will be colder than that, so it’s better to stick unopened bottles in a pantry or cupboard, or, if you’re one of the lucky ones, in a temperature-controlled wine fridge or cellar.
In order to extend the shelf life once opened, both red and white wine should be stoppered and placed in the fridge. Screw the cap back on or use a stopper (I also have family members who swear by the spoon-stopper method for sparkling wine, but that hasn’t been scientifically studied). Just remember to remove it from the fridge and let it come up to temp before serving.
In the fridge, white wine typically lasts around three days after opening, while red wine can last five to six days due to its structure and tannins. All the more reason to call some friends over and enjoy a lovely bottle together right away.