Don't leave your wine in the car when it's hot outside
One of the perks of living in the great area of Central Texas is having the Hill Country wineries a short drive away. Perfect for a romantic weekend getaway or a day trip with out-of-town friends/relatives, the vineyards that surround Austin are beautiful and fun. What’s not so much fun is leaving in the car the bottle of wine you just bought while you go check out another winery.
Wine is not very fond of the heat. When wine warms up to 80-85 degrees the fruit flavors begin to suffer, and acids become more pronounced. If the wine’s temperature reaches over 100 degrees, and you might as well forget it, as it will begin to cook. In fact, once a bottle of wine hits 100 degrees, there is no way to stop the progression and your wine is pretty much ruined.
Consider this – on an 80 degree day, the temperature inside a car will reach 100 degrees. If it’s really hot out – say 100 degrees – the temperature inside a vehicle will reach 140 degrees. That’s more than enough to take your wine from fine to funky.
A good rule when traveling with a bottle of wine is to treat it just as if it were a cold beverage that needs to be preserved. Many of the same rules apply, as the wine will go bad on you if left in the heat. And no one wants to show up to the party with a spoiled bottle of wine.
Tags: Central Texas, Hill Country, Wineries
