Temperature of storing wine help

[HeadWatersWine]

Please help. I have a "root cellar" in my basement located under my front porch. It is not currently being used. The temperature in there right now in the bitter cold of northern Pa is 41 degrees F. Is this too cool for wine to age? Too cool for wine to store? Thanks I am new to all this.

 

[Arne]

Sounds kinda like what I have. Think the wine is supposed to be around 55 degrees or so. Mine gets cold in the winter, warm in the summer. At least in the winter you don't have to worry about cooling it down to drink it. With the temp. swings I don't think it will last as long as that stored at a constant temp. But we have to live with what we have. I have had wine last 5 yrs. no problem. Most of mine doesn't make it that long anyway. Good luck with yours, Arne.

 

[JohnT]

For storage, you want steady temperatures. Wild temperature fluctuations are just as bad as heat and light for long term storage. Wine likes to be stored in as near "cave like" conditions as possible (dark, steady temps from 50-65 degrees, and a steady level of high humidity (70% or higher).

This is what you want for long term storage (3 years or more). The longer you plan on aging your wine, the more and more important the storage conditions become. For short term storage, you can be way more forgiving.

If you plan on saving your wine for just a couple of years, I would not worry so long as it does not freeze.

 

[jumby]

I have a 10 person sauna in my cellar that I coverted into a wine cellar. It stays at a constant 60-65 degrees year round without a cooling unit.