Willem Schouten

Without temperature control, analysis would be unreliable and inconsistent. This environment allows for precision in identifying faults, understanding structure, and documenting development.

Why Wine Should Be Analysed Throughout Transport and Storage

A bottle might leave a winery in perfect condition, but its journey isn’t always smooth. Transport and storage environments vary wildly. From cargo containers to shop shelves, wines encounter heat, cold, vibration, and light. Each of these variables can influence flavour, aroma, texture, and ageing potential.

We have seen it happen: a wine that passed initial testing at the winery can taste very different after a long-haul shipment or poor storage conditions. That’s why it is smart to analyse wine at different points: before release, after transport, mid-storage, and pre-consumption. These stages reveal how the wine holds up in real-world conditions.

Wine Analysis Journey

Best Timing for Wine Analysis at Meron

The timing depends on your role in the wine’s journey as a producer, distributor or retailer.

• Pre-release: Understand how the wine is evolving in bottle.
• After shipping: Check for heat damage or cold stress.
• During storage: Monitor consistency across different batches.
• If something tastes off: Confirm whether changes in profile are due to environmental factors.

Our fully certified lab and independent testing can help identify what happened, how it happened, and whether it’s reversible or if it’s time to rethink storage or shipping protocols.

Does Temperature Define Wine Quality?

Temperature is not the only factor affecting a wine’s performance, but it is one of the most unforgiving. It can’t fix a wine’s flaws, but it can highlight or mask them. And once heat damage sets in, there’s no way back.

Handled well, temperature can bring out a wine’s complexity and balance. Mishandled, it flattens, distorts, and disappoints. Whether you’re sipping by the pool or sending a new vintage across the globe, a few degrees can change everything.

Before you raise your next glass, take a moment to check the temperature. It might just be the detail that lets the wine speak for itself.

How do you serve your wine? Here is how Anna Niepoort and other industry leaders see it: 

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