Wine is a food. It is created through two naturally occurring living processes, the growth of grapes on the vine and the conversion of the sugar in those grapes to alcohol by yeast. Born out of life, wine is a complex, fragile balance of amino acids, phenols, carbohydrates and other components that are easily affected by physical or chemical changes.

For centuries, wine has been laid down to mature in cool damp cellars. It is only within the last century that we have begun to understand what transpires in the bottle during the aging process - why wine improves with age and what can effect wine negatively during the aging process.

Wine can be stored safely from 4 to 18C (40 to 65F). The storage temperature depends on the wine's age and how long you wish to store it. If you intend to drink your wine in a year or two, a warmer temperature 15 to 18C (60-65F) will speed the development of bottle bouquet. A 7C (18F) increase in temperature will double the rate of chemical reactions. Storage at elevated temperatures more than 21C (70F) causes undesirable changes as various reactions are accelerated, but at different rates. The result is a lack of balance in the aging process. Even fluctuations of more than 2 to 4C (5 to 10F) are undesirable. Our cellars are mechanically maintained at 12C (57F).

On the other hand, if you intend to keep wine for longer than a year or two, cooler temperatures are desired. Quality white wines are usually consumed sooner that red wines and can benefit by cooler storage. In this case the esters, or fruity character, disappear more rapidly at warmer temperatures.

Wine corks are made from the bark of oak trees. Corks tend to deteriorate after about 10 years, the rate of deterioration being affected by temperature and humidity. Warm and excessively humid environments cause growth of moulds, which attack both the cork and the label. Insufficient humidity may cause the cork to dry and crumble, in which case it should be replaced.

When wine is stored on its side, the cork remains wet. As long as it is wet, the transmission of air through the cork into the wine is minimal. If the wines are stored upright and the cork dries out, oxygen in the air will rapidly cause chemical changes in the wine, spoiling it. The cork may work loose due to pressure changes, causing leakage of wine or permitting exposure to air.

The wine aging process is also negatively affected by vibration. These formations of the complex molecular structures that give wine its depth.