Can I age at 70 degrees?

[Gekko4321]

I live in southern California with no basement. The coldest closet hangs around 70 degrees. I keep reading that I need to age under 60. Will I be okay at 70? What are possible problems? And does bottle vs. bulk aging change anything? Thx!

 

[RickC]

Some of the real experts will comment soon but I have the same problem you have. No cellar so using an internal closet that isin the upper 60's during the winter and mid to upper 70's in the summer. If I were cellaring wines for 10 years I would be concerned but since most of my wines will be gone in less than 3 or 4 years max,I don't believe it is a problem. Frequient temperature fluctuation is another problem and by using an internal closet the fluctuations are limited to the seasonal changes. I believe you will be OK for your kit wines.

 

[Rocky]

Seventy would be very much on the high side. I would suggest that you might consider finding an area in your home where you could construct a thermostatically controlled enclosure and then get a small A/C unit to keep it at 55 degrees F. If it is well insulated, ventilatedand not too large, the cost of operation would be minimal.

 

[PeterZ]

Many of us are stuck storing wine at room temp. It is not ideal, but you have to work with what you have.

 

[vcasey]

My wines are stored at room temperature which we keep around 70-75 in the summer and 65-70 in our short winter. If you can keep the wine at a fairly constant temp with no extreme fluctuations it'll be fine.

 

[Wade E]

Keep the win e out of sunlight and also vibration free. Stable temps are more important then the temp itself.

 

[Gekko4321]

Thanks guys. Beats trying to insulate and cool a closet.

 

[Rocky]

It all depends on how you define success in your winemaking. If you want something that is "drinkable," it probably would last, that is not spoil, for a year or two at 70 degrees or slightly more. I agree with Wade, that protection from light and vibration are important, but I respectfully disagree with the statement that "stable temperatures are more important than the temp itself."


Both are very important and for different reasons. Temperature fluctuations cause the wine to expand and contract in the bottle forcinggasses out and pulling air into the bottle. Higher temperatures "cook" the wine to an extent but more importantly do not allow it to develop as it would under more a ideal temperature, i.e. 55 degree F.


The up side of this is that not allowing the wine to develop, you will never know that it could have been better. This is also the down side.

 

[vcasey]

Ideal Rocky but not necessary. Recently opened a bottle of my oldest wine a 2006 Blueberry stored at 75 all this time and it was better then the last time I opened a bottle. We also had an Amarone a kit wine (Mosti Renascence Series) made in May of 2007 and it is still exceptional.
Yes your wine may age a bit faster, guess you may need to drink more......
Work with in your budget and relax with a glass of homemade wine.

 

[ArdenS]

There's also the issue of money. I'm barely able to afford to buy only 2-3 kits / year (and they aren't high-end ones either). It's reading posts about all the money people throw at their wine making that just about convinced me not to start. I'm happy with the wine I make; I'm not trying to win any blue ribbons; I'm enjoying the process (until I read that I should be turning one of my rooms in HOT Texas into a walk-in cooler). Ain't happening!

 

[grapeman]

If we all needed to store our wines in a temperature controlled cave at 55 degrees and 71% humidity, I don't think there would be an amateeur wine making or small winery in existence. If someone can afford one, fine, otherwise we all need to work with what we have. We don't need to put others down saying it HAS to be done a certain way to be good.

 

[PeterZ]

Not one home winemaker in a hundred has the wherewithall to take a room or closet, insulate it walls floor and ceiling to R-50, and install an AC unit to cool it. That should not discourage us from making wine.


I have yet to be in a wine shop that is kept at 55 to 58F.


My wines are stored in an inside hallway that is a fairly stable 72F. That's the best I can do, and I make no appologies for it. I wish I had a basement, but I don't and I will just live with it. I do not intend to stop making wine, and I will continue to age it as long as I can, bearing in mind that I also like to drink it. <g>

 

[Gekko4321]

Seems to me there is good points to take out of this all around. I can appreciate Rocky's desire to strive for perfection which is why I think most of us are on this forum to begin with. I also appreciate hearing many of you are in the same boat as me and still make great wine. Whereas I prefer the perfectionist route, I must attempt to regain control over my spending in this hobby! I started out with meager purchase intentions and I soon found myself getting more and more toys (and carboys). I am sure my wine will be fine and I will try to apply the old adage, "What I don't know can't hurt me." Thx for the continuing advice!

 

[ArdenS]

Good point about "regain[ing] control" of spending, Gekko4321. I have found that this is a hobby that can very easily become an obsession that sucks up more resources than I have disposable income. I found it necessary to work wine making into my budget and stick to my budget in this area as religiously as I do other areas. The debates on this forum about which high-end kit is best are meaningless to this humble wannabe wine maker because I know I'll never be able to buy any of them. That said, I enjoy making the wines that I can. Have found that country
wines are generally less expensive than many of the kits. There are those of us who will just have to dream about what it would be like to be wealthy enough to buy all the cool toys.

 

[Scott]

The debates on this forum about which high-end kit is best are meaningless to this humble wannabe wine maker because I know I'll never be able to buy any of them.

One thing that works forme is splitting a bigger kit with my Step Dad, half the cost. Still only $5 or so a bottle to make and when I drink mine I can go visit him