🍷 Storage humidity
About 70% humidity, so the cork does not dry out.
Storage humidity is how damp the room is where wine bottles lie. For wine with a natural cork, about 70% humidity is suitable. At this humidity the cork does not dry out and stays tight.
Why is it needed? Dry air draws moisture out of the cork. It shrinks and lets air through, and oxygen enters the bottle with the air. The wine oxidises and loses taste. So for long storage not only temperature but also humidity matters.
Too high humidity is also bad. It causes mould on labels and cardboard boxes. The bottle itself is not harmed, but it looks untidy. So cellars try to keep moderate humidity, roughly 60 to 80%.
Storage humidity belongs to the conditions of a wine cellar and is linked to the natural cork. For wines in screw-cap bottles it matters less. If wine is kept at home for a short time, humidity can be ignored.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Storage humidity → kind of → 🍷 Wine cellar → stores → 🍷 Wine
Links
- What it affects
- 🍷 Natural cork
- Part of
- 🍷 Wine cellar
Frequently asked questions
What humidity is needed to store wine?
About 70%, so that the natural cork does not dry out.
What happens if the air is too dry?
The cork shrinks, air gets into the bottle and the wine oxidises.
Is very high humidity harmful?
Yes, it causes mould on labels and boxes, although the wine itself is usually not spoiled.
Similar
🍷 Horizontal bottle storage · 🍷 Cricova · 🍷 Mileștii Mici · 🍷 Cellar mould (Zasmidium cellare) · 🍷 Storage temperature · 🍷 Marani