Viking VUWC1541CRSS Wine Booklet - The Fine Art of Aging - Page 4

When temperatures increase, the wine will expand, pushing the wine and the cork past the opening of the bottle. The wine that escapes usually evaporates, thus leaving behind dried wine on the bottle capsule and damaging the label. Once the bottle cools again, the wine will contract causing a vacuum in the bottle that sucks air past the cork and implodes the cork slightly. Any air that enters the bottle will react chemically with the wine and, in turn, age the wine prematurely, giving the wine a brownish tinge and unintended, unpleasant off-flavors. This phenomenon is referred to as oxidation. Wine that experiences an accelerated maturing process, or that is exposed to excessive heat, will frequently produce off-flavors and will seldom reach its potential quality. In order to age wine properly, a fine wine must mature slowly over an appropriate period of time. This brings about flavors and nuances that can only evolve with proper maturation. Scientists say this happens when wine is stored at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with slightly lower temperatures for sparkling and white wines. In addition to high or fluctuating temperatures, low temperatures will also prove problematic when storing wine. Wines stored at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit cannot progress into a mature state, and temperatures below freezing should always be avoided. Exclusive TriTemp™ storage system in Viking wine cellars preserves different types of wine at optimal serving temperatures.