The Effects of Sound on Wine Storage
Everybody knows that a fine wine can improve over the years. This is why many collectors "lay bottles down" to change their character. Today, old world wines from the 1950s and even earlier are being sold to collectors to sample how time has altered them -- and often fetch huge sums in auction. There are a few key factors, however, that are important in storing wine over both the long and the short term. One of them is sound. Many people think sound is just that -- noise -- and has no effect on the character or quality of wine; but the truth is very different. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Sound is Vibration
-
Sound is actually a vibration -- movement on a molecular scale. While most sound is simply noise, it actually has the power to affect things on a far more significant scale than just making an audible impression. Ultra high-pitched sound, for example, can shatter glass or boil liquid. More normal sound levels can also cause reactions in objects nearby. For example, somebody playing a bass guitar can do so at a pitch which will make the glass in their windows vibrate. It's the movement from sound that affects wine in storage.
How Sound Affects Wine
-
Just because wine is in storage does not mean it's not undergoing a journey. Wine is an evolving product; changing character the longer it is left in the bottle. Sound can actually affect that process dramatically -- as even almost imperceptible sound and vibration can cause sediment to swill, interfere with the fermentation process or loosen the seal in the cork. This is why it's important to store wine where it won't be subjected to vibration or noise.
-
History of Sound and Wine
-
Wine makers have known about the effect sound has on wine for many hundreds of years. In fact, it was as early as 1635 that the mayor of Logrono, a wine making town in La Rioja, Spain, banned carts from traveling over the cobblestones because of the effect the resulting noise and vibration would have on the barrels undergoing oak barrel aging nearby.
Storage Locations
-
Today's wine enthusiasts should be similarly aware of the effects of sound and vibration on their stored vintages. Those who enjoy white wine, for example, should make sure their refrigerators are running smoothly and silently even if their wines are only being stored there for a few days or hours. Vibration and "rattle" from fridges is a common problem and can dislodge sediment in older bottles of wine; compromising both their taste and clarity. Those storing wines in cellars or caves should be similarly aware of rattling air conditioners or proximity to highways which cause ambient vibration. Both run the risk of affecting your stored wine.
Silence is Golden
-
Just as wine enthusiasts would never think of storing their wine at the incorrect temperature long-term, neither should they consider exposing their stored vintages to vibration, sound or other interference while being laid down for aging. It can compromise the taste and quality of your wines, and ruin a significant investment of both money (the cost of buying a wine) and time (the length of time the wine was left to age.)
-
References
- Photo Credit Andy Sotiriou/Photodisc/Getty Images
