To store wine in summer you need three things: a temperature below 20 °C, no direct light and no sudden changes. Heat is the main enemy: above 25–28 °C wine ages faster than it should, and above 35 °C a few hours are enough to ruin it. Here's how to protect your bottles at home, in the car and in the fridge — and the extra care that wines with no added sulphites need.
Why does heat ruin wine?
Heat speeds up the chemical reactions inside the bottle. The result is a wine that tastes "cooked": jammy fruit, dull aromas, lost freshness. Heat also makes the liquid expand: the pressure pushes on the cork, which can seep or lift. And where wine can get out, air can get in — which means oxidation.
What temperature should wine be kept at in summer?
- Ideal: a constant 12–16 °C, like a cellar.
- Acceptable: up to 20–22 °C, if the temperature is stable and the bottle is kept in the dark.
- Risk zone: above 25–28 °C for weeks.
- Rapid damage: above 35 °C, a few hours can be enough.
If you don't have a cellar, use the coolest, darkest spot in the house: a cupboard away from the kitchen, windows and south-facing walls, as close to the floor as possible. For our Brennas Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, unfiltered and with no added sulphites, we recommend storing it upright in a cool, dark place.
Wine in the car: how risky is it?
Very. A car parked in the August sun goes above 50 °C inside, and the boot gets even hotter. One afternoon like that can spoil a bottle. If you buy wine on holiday — perhaps after a vineyard tasting — keep it in the air-conditioned cabin, use a cool bag for stops and never leave it in a car park all day. If the journey is long, consider having it shipped home.
Is the home fridge OK for storing wine?
For days or a few weeks, yes; for months, no. At 4–5 °C the cork tends to dry out, the motor's vibrations disturb the wine and food smells can get in. That said: between a fridge and a 30 °C kitchen, the fridge wins. For whites and sparkling wines, a few days in the fridge before drinking is actually the right choice.
Wines with no added sulphites: why do they need more care?
Sulphites protect wine from oxidation. A wine with none added — like Brennas — has fewer defences, and heat marks it sooner. The same goes for skin-contact wines like our C'Alma, an orange wine made from Vermentino and Nuragus grapes with 20–25 days of skin maceration. And a Pet Nat refermented in the bottle, like Zankitai, also has internal pressure, which heat increases: it should always be kept cool. If you want to understand how skin-contact wines are made, read what an orange wine is.
Opened bottle: how do you keep it in summer?
Cork it and put it in the fridge, even if it's red. At summer room temperature an open bottle oxidises within hours. For Brennas we recommend drinking it within 24–48 hours of opening. A red from the fridge just needs bringing back to temperature: take it out 20–30 minutes before and serve it at 16–18 °C.
In summer in Villasimius the thermometer is unforgiving: our bottles stay in the cellar and come out only at the last moment. Do the same with yours.
Salude e trigu — Colline del Vento
