Hi wine enthusiast
I have a (rather) strange issue. The images attached is a DIY project using some modules from IKEA where I have been keeping (some of) my wine.
One day I opened a decent bottle but to my surprising it had a strange after taste. In a bad way. And maybe a bit of a strange smelling too. I thought it was just an unlucky bottle but the next one (of "the same" kind) was the same. Obviously my conclusion was it was the same wine box that was a bad delivery.
However, now I have found other wines kept here, some longer than others, which has the same issue.
It is not a horrible horrible taste or smell but it's like there's something in the back of the wine not supposed to be there.
Is it possible there's something with these closets that makes the wine become bad?
While it doesn't have the "optimal optimal" conditions, it should keep rather constant temperatures of 19-22 degrees ish. No direct sun.
Maybe the humidity is not very good? And maybe the wood type makes it worse?
by dansktoppen
12 Comments
Are you keeping the bottles stored on their sides or upright?
Temperature and humidity are key factors.. if the temperature changes significantly and or is too high and it is too dry you are going to have e a bad time
How long were they stored there? And where were they prior?
It’s almost assuredly a temperature issue.
I rent a NYC pre-war apartment. Temperature and humidity vary wildly throughout the year.
Invest in a solid wine fridge and you’ll be set
Most wholesalers keep the majority of their wine in warehouses that aren’t temperature controlled for several years. Yes even some Expensive Bordeaux wines. A good wine should be able to withstand room temperature for years without degradation. Ideally cellar temp and humidity are best. If the wine has a cork it could be cork taint which is a chemical TCA that tastes a bit like wet cardboard. It can affect up to 10% of bottles.
It’s worth investing in a eurocave if you want to cellar wine.
Dark, vibration-free, and cool temperatures that do not quickly fluctuate are all you need for simple wine storage. I’m curious about what could be causing the odd flavors. How long were the off-wines in this cabinet?
Buy a thermometer with a sensor that you can put in there and have the monitor somewhere you can look at it periodically. Temperature, like many others have noted, is a major factor that accelerate the aging of wine.
Brother, you’re storing them in your warm apartment that likely has lots of temperature and humidity changes, I’m not sure what you were expecting…
wine won’t go “bad” for a few months or a year pushing it without proper storage. anywhere you see storage like that in a shop or a restaurant it’s for wine they’re going to sell within days if not weeks.
for me it was helpful to not think of it as “will the wine go bad or not?” it was “what will let the wine show best when I open it, whether that’s next week next year or next decade?”
eventually I wanted to hold wine that I cared about and I bought my first wine fridge.
If you like wine, like I do, I would invest in a wine refrigerator—you can start slowly; my first one was a six bottle one, very inexpensive, that I placed inside a closet, similar to what you show in you images. As I started getting to know more about wine, I ‘upgraded’ to a twelve bottle refrigerator but placed it by itself, to ‘show it off’… to make a long story short, now I have a thirty six bottle, dual temperature wine refrigerator and I love it.
Just to the right of cabinet there is an old and closed chimney thorough the building.. Unused of course.
Could it have any affect?