Is there anything I can do to fix heat-damaged wines?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
My wife and I came upon a wonderful little winery in Washington state and tasted some excellent wines. We had some shipped to us but were greatly disappointed with the wine that arrived. As we live in Florida, and the wine was shipped in a non-insulated horizontal shipping carton, we are concerned that the 100° F-plus temperatures during the week they were in transit changed the wine significantly. Is there anything we can do to help the taste of this wine?
—Jim W., Jacksonville, Fla.
Dear Jim,
Sadly, if your wines were damaged by heat, there's no way to fix them. On the bright side, some of the bottles may have fared better than others. But don't treat your wine cellar as a hospital; damaged wines don't get better with time. And next time, your best bets are to pay for next-day air freight or to insist that the winery hold off on shipping until the weather is cooler.
—Dr. Vinny
