How Humidity Can Spoil the Wine

29 Jan How Humidity Can Spoil the Wine

Humidity is often considered one of the most important aspects of wine storage. Most experts recommend that if you want your wines to remain in the best possible condition, you need to store it in the ideal conditions. There are three major factors that influence the condition of the wines.

One is the temperature and the fluctuations in it, the other is the vibrations, and the last thing is humidity. At Signature Cellars, we believe that the ideal humidity for wine storage would help your precious wines last for a long time.

Why is Humidity Important?

Most people don’t understand why humidity is so important. The answer to the question lies in the cork. The cork forms and air-tight seal on the mouth of the wine bottle. That help keeps the oxygen out of the bottles. Oxygen will oxidize the wine and turn it into something unpleasant. The cork helps stop that.

The cork is made from natural material and will shrink when it’s dry. If you maintain the right amount of humidity and keep the wine bottles in the slanted position, the cork would never become dry. The lower section of the cork would be kept moist because of contact with wine while the upper, exposed section would be moist because of the humidity. This is vital. If the cork shrinks, the wine bottle won’t be as securely sealed and that could spoil the wine.

What is the Ideal Humidity Level?

This isn’t an exact science. No one really knows what the exact level of humidity required is. However, experts can give you an approximate number. They agree that about 70% to 75% humidity levels are enough to keep the cork supple and the wine in good condition. There are several wine storage options that will create the ideal environment for the wines. As long as humidity levels are maintained at 70%-75%, your wines would be fine.

The Side Effects of Too much Humidity

The humidity levels need to be ideal for wine storage. However, there are some people who believe that higher humidity levels would be a great idea. Well, if you want to consume the wine within a shorter period of time, and not age it, high humidity might not do much harm to the wine. Humidity also tends to damage the logos and labels on the wine bottle to some extent.

Some people won’t like that. However, a solid wine collector would even prefer the moisture stained or peeling labels. But then, not every wine buyer is the same. Some people prefer that the wine bottle be in pristine condition, with labels that look like they just came off the press. So, if you’re planning to sell the wines later, you might damage their value by storing them in high humidity.

Moreover, you might know that water can get anywhere. Excess humidity might also start damaging the cork and encourage germs in it. There’s always a change that the water vapour from the humid environment would seep into the wine bottle and start damaging the wines.

That’s why you should try to keep the humidity levels reasonable. About 75% is a good humidity level for your wine bottles. This won’t damage the cork and will keep the wine in good condition as well. It won’t even damage the labels and the look and condition of the bottles in case you want to sell them after aging.

For more information about spiral cellars and other wine storage solutions, you can call Signature Cellars on 02 9340 7515 or use this contact form to get in touch with us. We’ll be pleased to assist you.

Thanks for reading,
Neil Smallman
Signature Cellars
02 9340 7515