Wine storage: How does light, vibration and odour effect a wines ageing process?

So far this week we have examined the effects of temperature and humidity on wine storage and looked at the optimal conditions in which to store wine to limit their damaging effects.

Today we’re going to examine some of the lesser understood issues that can affect stored wines.
Like temperature and humidity, light, vibrations and odours can all have negative effects on wines that are being stored for a long period of time for various reasons.

Vibration 

It is only recently that the detrimental effect of excessive vibrations on the ageing process of wine has been scientifically proven.

A study by Chung et al (2008) published in the Journal of Food and Composition Analysis found that vibrations increase the speed at which wine undergoes the chemical reactions required in ageing.
This accelerated ageing process was found to result in a decreased quality of wine, meaning that the more vibrations your wine is exposed to in its ageing process the poorer the quality of the end product.

If is for this reason that we ensure the wine storage facilities at Cube Self Storage are insulated to help reduce any vibration to the wine.

Light

Exposure to the UV rays given off by sunlight, or strong incandescent light, will deteriorate the complex organic molecules inside wine disrupting its ageing process and creating potential wine faults.

To negate this our wine storage areas have no exposure to direct sunlight and use minimal natural lighting.

Odour

Even with slight variations in temperature wine will ‘breathe’ during which air is pulled inside the bottle. If wine is stored in an area that is contaminated with odour, this will infiltrate the wine affecting the taste.

For this reason at Cube Self Storage we endeavour to ensure that our storage spaces are free from strong odours.


Unlike temperature, humidity and orientation; the effect of light, vibrations and odours on wine is universal without any exceptions to the rules so which ever wine you wish to store, it would be prudent to pay attention to these factors.

To find out more about our wine storage facility or to enquire about other storage options contact us.