The Auswine Forum

Guys,

Thought I'd mention I'm getting a friend to make me flat [non-slated] shelves for my wine fridges [one a multi-zone 'serving fridge'].

As is my preference, most of my wines are Stelvin-sealed. Storing such wines upright improves visibility of each bottle, gives far easier access, and is much more space efficient.

But do make sure the shelf material is adequately load bearing. In medium to large fridges it's easy to get to 42 Kg [30 bottles] to 60 Kg [42 bottles].

John

Is convection inside the bottle a factor in aging wine?

Tom,

They'd have to be a difference in distribution of temperatures between vertical and horizontally stored wines for convection to be related to any differential aging.

I guess there's more surface area for bottles laying down [wider area, shallower depth of air]. But for a wine fridge seldom opened, I would think the temperatures of liquid and gas would be very similar. But I freely admit my knowledge of physics and chemistry is weak.

My thought is convection related to the difference here in small surface areas exposed to gas is unlikely to be a major factor in aging compared to storage temperature, temperature fluctuations, and air exchange through seals (cork, Stelvin, etc).

John