The ullage level of a wine bottle is also referred to as its fill level. Ullage or fill level describes the space between the wine and the bottom of the cork. During the bottling process, most wineries strive to have an initial ullage level of somewhere between 0.2-0.4 inches (5-10mm). Over time, however, some wine is lost through evaporation as wine corks do not provide a completely air tight sealant. As wine ages, the amount of ullage will increase unless a wine is opened, topped up and recorked. If wine is stored on its side, in contact with the cork, some wine will also be lost by absorption into the cork with longer corks having the potential to absorb more wine (and thus create more ullage) than shorter corks. However, counterbalancing this, keeping wine in contact with the cork will keep the cork moist and help prevent it from drying out and lessening its seal against the bottle neck.
Generally speaking, the greater the amount of ullage, the likelier it is that wine has been exposed to harmful levels of oxidation. This is why auction houses and retailers of mature wines evaluate ullage levels when determining the resale value of wine. The ullage level can also give insight as to the type of care and storage conditions that the wine was kept in. Wines that have been kept at ambient humidity levels and in temperatures between 50-59 °F (10-15 °C) will experience evaporation at a substantially slower rate than wine kept at warmer temperatures and thus have lower ullage levels.
A wine cooler or wine refrigerator is specifically designed to maintain constant wine appropriate temperature and humidity levels and provide an ideal environment for wine storage and wine aging. Wine coolers and wine refrigerators are excellent wine storage devices. A wine cooler can maintain a constant 55 degrees Fahrenheit temperature (which is the ideal long term storage temperature for wine) and provide a cool and dark environment. Lay wine bottles flat in a wine cooler or wine fridge and let the wine cooler do the rest.
Adapted from an article on Wikipedia
Published 8/31/2009 12:00:00 AM
Tags: Temperature, Wine Storage, Wine Aging