Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cellaring?

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Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cellaring? - 10/30/2015 11:10:51 AM

Vietty

Posts: 159
Joined: 4/6/2013
From: Southern California
Status: offline

Anyone else have problems with the wine label getting damp/damaged? My humidity runs around 60-70% and I try my best not to have the bottle touch the back/sides of the cellar but sometimes the label gets wet or scraped. For most of the wines I don't care but I would like to make sure my long term "special" bottles don't have any label damage. Any tips?

I did a google and forums search but didn't come up with much. I've seen some people saran wrap their bottles, just wondering if anyone here does that of if there are any better options.

Thanks,

V

< Message edited by Vietty -- 10/30/2015 11:13:12 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 10/30/2015 1:43:39 PM

mtpisgah

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Joined: 6/7/2012
From: South Carolina
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It seems a bit odd they are getting damp at that humidity. I would be more concerned about mold than the labels. Is the cellar sealed well enough?

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Paul

I read books to pass the time until the next bottle of wine.

(in reply to Vietty)

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RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 10/30/2015 6:51:58 PM

bmuir40

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Joined: 5/8/2015
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The most common method I have seen is tissue paper. However, a person much more
knowledgeable then me said to use saran wrap around the label, as it allows to you to see
the label.

(in reply to mtpisgah)

Post #: 3

RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 10/30/2015 7:23:33 PM

mclancy10006

Posts: 4508
Joined: 3/19/2007
From: Cape Cod, MA & Bellevue, WA
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I have seen lots of folks wrap in plastic wrap in private cellars. For wineries the approach with caves is just label it afterwards, but that doesn't help you or me.

-Mark

(in reply to bmuir40)

Post #: 4

RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 10/30/2015 11:56:48 PM

champagneinhand

Posts: 10282
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
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quote:

ORIGINAL: bmuir40

The most common method I have seen is tissue paper. However, a person much more
knowledgeable then me said to use saran wrap around the label, as it allows to you to see
the label.

I have a very damp cellar. Almost always 70% or higher. My one cedar rack does put a micro amount on back labels. It used for Tokaji and Riesling. Not the best stuff. I've inky had a couple of date labels that are place separate from the main label come lose. It runs 80% in Summers. A good Saran type cling wrap is just fine to put over the label areas. I don't do it personally but I try keeping tissue wrapped bottles on minus the crap UV plastic bags that come on Cristal. They get damaged in shipping anyhow. It's dark, cool and damp. Most bottles age very nicely. Many cellars underground in Europe are pretty damp. Again only 2 date labels in 10 years. One was a Louis Jadot red Burgundy the other a Guigal Hermitage but not ex voto. The regular mix and it came from a damp warehouse in CT so it was already compromised. I've drank both bottles with no troubles at all.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 10/31/2015 7:29:06 AM

River Rat

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Joined: 4/29/2010
From: Forestville, CA
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I have had labels lift and slide right off the bottle. Ever have a shiner party? They're lots of fun and believe it or not the wine tastes the same with or without the label on the bottle. Shocking, I know.

(in reply to champagneinhand)

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RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 11/16/2015 8:29:47 AM

Vietty

Posts: 159
Joined: 4/6/2013
From: Southern California
Status: offline

Thanks for the info guys. I'm pretty sure the wine fridge is sealed well. I'm glad to hear I'm no the only one with the occasional label issues. Its just the odd bottle here and there. It's probably a result of a bottle being shoved too far back that it touches the back wall of the cellar (which can collect condensation). Based on this info I'll Saran wrap the special bottles for long term storage just in case I bring it to a social gathering to share. I don't really care if it's at home with like minded friends.

I agree River Rat, logically speaking the label should not affect the taste... but I'm sure you're aware that most people are affected by it! =p Also, the shiner party sounds like fun. I've never had the chance to attend one (and didn't know that it was something that was done).

(in reply to River Rat)

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RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 11/20/2015 9:33:48 PM

SWHighlander

Posts: 29
Joined: 12/9/2012
From: Destin, Florida
Status: offline

I've had some problems with both mold and labels starting to come off or wrinkle. This has been mostly from moving them in and out a few times due to cellar fridge issues and moving a couple of times. (So then they get some condensation on them.) I haven't tried the Saran Wrap trick -- sounds good. I can tell you that I've some Tatiarra Shiraz bottles cellared for 10 years. They come wrapped in thin paper. I opened one of them up recently the label looked like it was added yesterday from the winery. The paper completely protected whereas I unfortunately have many (unwrapped) bottles with significant label damage that were laying right next to the Tatiarras.

< Message edited by SWHighlander -- 11/20/2015 9:34:19 PM >

(in reply to Vietty)

Post #: 8

RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 11/22/2015 4:07:37 AM

champagneinhand

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Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
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To prevent any mold it's nice to wipe down your racking and floors with a distilled water mixture with wine sulphur (PotMO) in Summers. It keeps a bit of that wine sulphur in the humidity. It kills almost everything but wine yeast. I have a squirt bottle handy just to be safe.

_____________________________

As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

(in reply to SWHighlander)

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RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 11/22/2015 5:12:48 AM

dbg

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Joined: 10/25/2008
From: Maryland
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The risk with leaving the thin paper wrap on is that if it does get wet the color from the paper will bleed through onto the label or the paper will stick to the label. Not recommended if your bottles are prone to condensation.

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RE: Tips to prevent wine label damage for long term cel... - 11/22/2015 11:47:03 AM

champagneinhand

Posts: 10282
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: dbg

The risk with leaving the thin paper wrap on is that if it does get wet the color from the paper will bleed through onto the label or the paper will stick to the label. Not recommended if your bottles are prone to condensation.

Especially with bright pink on bottles of L'Evangile or Crimson on some WA bottles. I've left the white on Otagnon Rioja. For having a very damp cellar it isn't prone to condensation. The worst happens with a cedar rack for thin bottles of Riesling it dessert splits where a microscopic amount of cedar oil comes up and hits the back labels. Over 5+ year that back label is a different color. Still completely readable but it's annoying. I will replace that half rack sooner than later and expand the capacity of the cellar by another 4 cases.

_____________________________

As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

(in reply to dbg)

Post #: 11