The Auswine Forum

What method is recommended for storing champagne & sparkling shiraz, horizontally or vertically? THX in advance.

Horizontal so that the cork does not dry out.

P.S. You godda get up early in the morning to say ahead of Brian these days.

Don't think so - stand sparkling wines up. (Sorry to disagree TORB!)

Bick wrote:Don't think so - stand sparkling wines up. (Sorry to disagree TORB!)

No need to apologise for having a different opinion; but why is up better?

My understanding is that if you store the bottles upright, the gas maintains an incredible pressure on the cork and keeps it really firm. This prevents any air getting in, even if if it does dry out a bit.

With non-bubbly wine, the cork drying out is a much bigger problem, because there is no gas pressure seal and the straight cork shape means that air gets in and oxidises the wine. The solution is that we store our still wine horizontal to keep the cork damp and therefore a better seal. The downside is that you get corked wine occasionally.

If you don't have to store horizontal, as with bubbly, you avoid the downside of potentially getting corked wine.

So: bubby upright, but still wine on its side (and hope it doesn't go off!)

Bick wrote:My understanding is that if you store the bottles upright, the gas maintains an incredible pressure on the cork and keeps it really firm. This prevents any air getting in, even if if it does dry out a bit.

It's a very long time since I studied/taught physics of gases and liquids, but whether the bottle is upright or on it's side I think the pressure on the cork should be pretty much the same.

If you store a bubbly with a natural cork upright the lack of moisture may still cause the cork to shrink a little.

Bottles with Crown seals can obviously be stored upright, not sure about diam seals, their composite structure is probably less porous than natural cork and may resist shrinkage more in the short term at least.

Whatever the answer, I suspect there won't be too much difference unless you intend cellaring the wine for more than a couple of years and I stick to the horizontal for those.

None of these rules of course apply to Rockford Black Shiraz, a proportion of those seem to leak no matter what you do.

Yes, well, one reason for this posting was due to Rockford Blacks. I was doing some rearrangements in my cellar especially in relation to my Rockford Blacks. I found a couple 6 pack boxes containing 6 bottles of dis. 2000 & 6 bottles of dis. 1999. Just about every bottle has leaked significantly and all levels are below the bottom of foil wrap (all bottles have been well cellared). And for what ever reason, none of my Seppelt Sparklings (original or show) have leaked. I've had Rockfords weepers before, however this seems a bit ridiculous especially when the levels are down. No doubt some of the Rockfords will be flat!

paulsa wrote:Yes, well, one reason for this posting was due to Rockford Blacks. I found a couple 6 pack boxes containing 6 bottles of dis. 2000 & 6 bottles of dis. 1999. Just about every bottle has leaked significantly and all levels are below the bottom of foil wrap (all bottles have been well cellared).

This will help explain it. ‘Twas a Black Day

And this is a follow up. Rockford - An Embarrassing Rag

If you don't have to store horizontal, as with bubbly, you avoid the downside of potentially getting corked wine.

Bik,

If there is TCA on the outside of the bottom of the cork, the wine only has to touch it once and the TCA has done its job.

EDIT: P.S. Only eight to go!

paulsa wrote:Yes, well, one reason for this posting was due to Rockford Blacks. I was doing some rearrangements in my cellar especially in relation to my Rockford Blacks. I found a couple 6 pack boxes containing 6 bottles of dis. 2000 & 6 bottles of dis. 1999. Just about every bottle has leaked significantly and all levels are below the bottom of foil wrap (all bottles have been well cellared). And for what ever reason, none of my Seppelt Sparklings (original or show) have leaked. I've had Rockfords weepers before, however this seems a bit ridiculous especially when the levels are down. No doubt some of the Rockfords will be flat!

Storing vertically might be the solution for Rockford Black, they won't visibly leak the contents, the level will not drop, I wonder if they will still go flat? At last they won't get rejected if you want to send them to auction at a later stage.

Not sure if it was anything to do with the storage position, but I had a rather lively bottle of Billecart-Salmon the other night. I'd just untwisted the wire on the cage when the cork rocketed skyward, taking the cage with it. A second later I was drenched in (rather nice) champagne.

My cellar was shipped from the UK to NZ a couple of months ago (sea freight) so I suppose that has shaken things up somewhat. Still, the bottle had been laid in my wine storage until for the couple of months since arrival, so I would have hoped it would have calmed down, but it would seem not!

Cheers,

Martin