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Wine Facts | Updated September 22, 2004
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Since the ideal temperature for storing red wine in a cellar is 55 degrees F, would it hurt the wine if it is 52 degrees F or even 50 degrees F?
No, not at all. While the ideal exact temperature for storage is generally considered to be 55 degrees Fahrenheit, a more realistic goal is a temperature range of 50 to 60 degrees, with 45 to 65 degrees considered acceptable. Your wine will simply mature somewhat more slowly at the lower temperatures. The only way this would be bad is if you are extremely impatient to enjoy those wines and savor the beneficial characteristics they may take on as they age.
To give you a very general idea of how much temperature affects aging, according to what is known as the Arrhenius equation, an increase of 18 degrees F will double the rate of the average chemical reaction. In reverse, the colder the temperature, the slower the rate of reaction. So a wine stored at 63 degrees should mature twice as quickly as one stored at 45 degrees -- though other factors affect aging as well.
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