Protecting your $$$$$ wines

[YLee]

Do you guys and gals do anything extra to protect those high end bottles in the cellars?
For example, Saran wrapping the bottle?

[Alex N]

I keep a handful of pricey bottles in the styro shippers. It paid off when 2 bottles of Pandora fell about 6 feet onto the concrete floor at my offsite storage and survived. Most of the others are in thick corrugated cardboard boxes that are taped shut and labeled.

[Scott G r u n e r]

No. Saran Wrap? Is that like a wine condom?

[J. Rock]

FirstBottleWines.com sends each bottle wrapped in plastic. I've left it on so far... but cut the top so air can get in (I'm not sure if that's necessary...?)

[GregT]

Why leave them wrapped at all?

[Chris Seiber]

Why leave them wrapped at all?

It protects the label from damage, wrinkling, mold, falling off. I don’t think it affects the wine for better or for worse.

[Peter Hirsch]

I've given the saran wrap idea a little bit of thought but decided against it. I think if any moisture gets wrapped in with the label, it will cause mold / mildew to grow faster as the moisture can't leave the surface of the label. Probably good for short term protection (shipping?) but not so great for long term storage?

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Yea the Saran Wrap thing is odd to me. I just had a case of Magdelaine shipped from UK pre-tariff, and all of the bottles came in a wood box and individually wrapped. They were actually wrapped in a Fort Knox level of protection, like not easy to remove at all. I removed two of the wrappings and then just stuck them all in my wine fridge. I will admit to liking how clean/pristine the labels are, but at the end of the day, the label doesn’t really matter all that much.

[LMD Ermitaño]

I get a lot of such Saran wrapped bottles from fine wine shops in HK & Singapore (most of whom I am sure are supplied from London). Always found that tacky - not unlike putting/keeping plastic covers on furniture. I was told that such is done as “trophy” bottles with pristine labels can command materially higher prices from certain buyers/collectors.

I used to always strip the wrapping off my bottles before putting the bottles in a cav; that is, until I got tired and decided to no longer bother.

[Howard Cooper]

I guess the label matters more if you hope to someday sell the wines than if you someday hope to drink the wine.

[Neal.Mollen]

I guess the label matters more if you hope to someday sell the wines than if you someday hope to drink the wine.

Yeah, if you aren't going to be selling them, it doesn't make any difference, does it? Protect them from what?

Anyway, to answer your question, when I get one in saran, I leave it that way. I have never taken any steps to "protect" any of them. Labels get scuffed and sometimes torn; I don't GAF (it's also worth saying that I have few if any "$$$$$" wines. A few $$$ bottles maybe)

[Markus S]

Protect like insurance?
What else do you need to 'protect' from? You don't drink labels, you drink the wine.

[Peter Hirsch]

I have a friend who will only buy pristine labels. Not because he wants to resell. But because when he shares the wine with friends / others, he wants the wine to show it's best and the bottles to look their best. I've tried to talk him out of this, no luck. I assume there are others out there with the same presentation desire?

[Victor Hong]

I have a friend who will only buy pristine labels. Not because he wants to resell. But because when he shares the wine with friends / others, he wants the wine to show it's best and the bottles to look their best. I've tried to talk him out of this, no luck. I assume there are others out there with the same presentation desire?

He should keep them in conditions antithetical to fungus---hence warm, dry, and well lit.

[Jay Miller]

I don't wrap my wines but I don't bother removing the wrapping if they come that way either.

Inertia triumphs over all.

[Sarah Kirschbaum]

Not with wine bottles, no. As others have said, we're not too worried about keeping pristine labels. If they come to us wrapped in plastic, we'll usually leave it on, though.

With old expensive whisky, however, we often wrap the top with parafin wrap to help slow down evaporation and protect against leaking if they have to travel. Stoppers that are made to come in and out are shorter and, like corks, deteriorate over time. We also do this after opening on expensive bottles we don't intend to drink right away, especially the kind in decanters which have very little seal.

[Andy Sc]

I guess the label matters more if you hope to someday sell the wines than if you someday hope to drink the wine.

It's not as easy as that. I'm now close to 4k bottles in my cellar and sometime ago I realized that I won't be able or willing to drink all bottles. So that's a first reason to protect more expensive bottles. A second reason is: taste changes. You might be a big fan of the bold Napa wines when you're 30. But will you still be a fan at 50 or 60? By protecting the label you can more easily sell your wines (and fetch higher prices) when your taste changes.

I have a friend who will only buy pristine labels. Not because he wants to resell. But because when he shares the wine with friends / others, he wants the wine to show it's best and the bottles to look their best. I've tried to talk him out of this, no luck. I assume there are others out there with the same presentation desire?

He should keep them in conditions antithetical to fungus---hence warm, dry, and well lit.

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

[David Glasser]

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

A pristine label is not a universally reliable indicator and gives no clue as to whether a wine was stored at 55 degrees or 75 degrees. A moldy label may also be a sign of better storage in a high humidity environment.

[A. So]

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

A pristine label is not a universally reliable indicator and gives no clue as to whether a wine was stored at 55 degrees or 75 degrees. A moldy label may also be a sign of better storage in a high humidity environment.

Moldy labels don't look good on Instagram.

[David Glasser]

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

A pristine label is not a universally reliable indicator and gives no clue as to whether a wine was stored at 55 degrees or 75 degrees. A moldy label may also be a sign of better storage in a high humidity environment.

Moldy labels don't look good on Instagram.

I can't tell the difference between moldy and pristine labels in a blind screen-licking/sniffing comparison.

[Andy Sc]

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

A pristine label is not a universally reliable indicator and gives no clue as to whether a wine was stored at 55 degrees or 75 degrees. A moldy label may also be a sign of better storage in a high humidity environment.

Sure, I've never said otherwise. As I wrote: it's another hint about the quality inside but fill level capsule are more important. To be more precise, the label tells you something about who owned the wine before. Was it somebody who cared a lot about its wines or not... having the same fill level and capsule in two bottles, I would always buy the one with the good label. I don't know about you guys but when buying expensive old wines (say HB 1989), I tend to be super paranoid, comparing all the offers on the market in terms of fill level, capsule condition, provenance and... label.

People can make fun of that (see Instagram comment above) as much as they want but that doesn't make them right.

[T. Williams]

I usually protect my wines with a Remington 870, cheap and highly effective.

I neither add nor remove additional wrapping. I’m lucky if my wines make it out of the shipping box at this point. Inertia is a hell of a drug.

TW

[David Glasser]

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

A pristine label is not a universally reliable indicator and gives no clue as to whether a wine was stored at 55 degrees or 75 degrees. A moldy label may also be a sign of better storage in a high humidity environment.

Sure, I've never said otherwise. As I wrote: it's another hint about the quality inside but fill level capsule are more important. To be more precise, the label tells you something about who owned the wine before. Was it somebody who cared a lot about its wines or not... having the same fill level and capsule in two bottles, I would always buy the one with the good label. I don't know about you guys but when buying expensive old wines (say HB 1989), I tend to be super paranoid, comparing all the offers on the market in terms of fill level, capsule condition, provenance and... label.

People can make fun of that (see Instagram comment above) as much as they want but that doesn't make them right.

Apologies for the snark. It wasn’t directed at you or anyone posting here but at the stereotypical trophy collector more interested in showing off than drinking.

I see your point about taking care. If I were buying old bottles, I would be most interested in provenance (often hard to verify), fill levels, and signs of leakage. If there were no red flags there, I wouldn’t shy away from moldy labels. They suggest humid storage, making the external portion of the cork less likely to be brittle and friable on extraction.

Scratches or tears would not be too worrisome, especially on larger bottles that may he a tight fit in racking, but I’d avoid stained labels.

If buying or bidding on expensive bottles, labels that look too good for their age and described provenance would also raise questions of authenticity.

[Andy Sc]

Agree on that. I do buy wine with bad labels if the rest is ok.

[Howard Cooper]

I guess the label matters more if you hope to someday sell the wines than if you someday hope to drink the wine.

It's not as easy as that. I'm now close to 4k bottles in my cellar and sometime ago I realized that I won't be able or willing to drink all bottles. So that's a first reason to protect more expensive bottles. A second reason is: taste changes. You might be a big fan of the bold Napa wines when you're 30. But will you still be a fan at 50 or 60? By protecting the label you can more easily sell your wines (and fetch higher prices) when your taste changes.

In other words, as I said above, the label matters if you are going to sell the wine. I do not understand what is so difficult about this concept or what makes it complicated. This isn't a moral question (what were your motivations when you bought it or why did you change) but an economic one. I do not see how your having 4k bottles in your cellar alters the conclusion that the label matters more if you sell the wine than if you drink it.

[Andy Sc]

I guess the label matters more if you hope to someday sell the wines than if you someday hope to drink the wine.

It's not as easy as that. I'm now close to 4k bottles in my cellar and sometime ago I realized that I won't be able or willing to drink all bottles. So that's a first reason to protect more expensive bottles. A second reason is: taste changes. You might be a big fan of the bold Napa wines when you're 30. But will you still be a fan at 50 or 60? By protecting the label you can more easily sell your wines (and fetch higher prices) when your taste changes.

In other words, as I said above, the label matters if you are going to sell the wine. I do not understand what is so difficult about this concept or what makes it complicated. This isn't a moral question (what were your motivations when you bought it or why did you change) but an economic one. I do not see how your having 4k bottles in your cellar alters the conclusion that the label matters more if you sell the wine than if you drink it.

True, true, it matters when you sell the wine and only then. I just wanted to add to your initial statement that even when you buy wine with the intention to drink it and not to sell it, it would be smart to still protect the label as you might realize only 10 or 20 years later that you have to indeed sell the wine and not drink it (because you have too many bottles or your taste changed). Probably, that I wasn't clear enough in my statement, sorry for that.

[YLee]

I get what Andy is saying. I agree with him. Also, I just like having my things neat and well taken care of especially if a bottle costs in the 4 and 5 digits.

[Victor Hong]

I get what Andy is saying. I agree with him. Also, I just like having my things neat and well taken care of especially if a bottle costs in the 4 and 5 digits.

With or without the cents denomination?

[Mark Mason]

I wrap all my bottles in saran style wrapping. Without it, my bottle labels would be moldy within a year. I have one bottle that I left unwrapped in my cellar for 12 years and I cannot read the label at all.

[YLee]

I get what Andy is saying. I agree with him. Also, I just like having my things neat and well taken care of especially if a bottle costs in the 4 and 5 digits.

With or without the cents denomination?

[Richard Albert]

Unless they changed the formula of Saran wrap, it is not an archival tool. There are archival plastic wraps for your multi decade bottles which I learned from a gent preserving family heirlooms of paper and photos. He was also a Mouton collector starting with the 1928

The treasured bottles in Bord and Burg producer cellars with high humidity, are frequently unlabeled and covered in unappetizing natural growths = humidity trumps labels. I have no objection to old moldy, wrinkled labels. Its the cork, ullage and non-moisture capsule corrosion with old bottles I consider. Old labels with less sheen and those which did have a primitive sheen(thinking of Mouton) are less durable and less moisture resistant than today's.

It is easier for a counterfeiter to producer a new looking label.

Today's label perfection craze was fueled by the Asian markets' demand for perfect labels.

[YLee]

Today's label perfection craze was fueled by the Asian markets' demand for perfect labels.

Where are you getting this information from?
So nonasians dont care? Such a strange comment.

[Victor Hong]

Today's label perfection craze was fueled by the Asian markets' demand for perfect labels.

Where are you getting this information from?
So nonasians dont care? Such a strange comment.

I, being a born 'merican, also care. Oh, wait,...

[Alex N]

It's not as easy as that. By buying pristine labels only you increase the probability that the bottle is good because only wine freaks which bought and stored wine with the intention to sell it one day, are protecting the labels (and store the wines properly). So the wine label gives you another hint about the quality of the juice insight (but of course fill level, capsule are more important).

A pristine label is not a universally reliable indicator and gives no clue as to whether a wine was stored at 55 degrees or 75 degrees. A moldy label may also be a sign of better storage in a high humidity environment.

I agree with this after an experience of my own. I have a bottle of 70something Latour. I transported it in a shipper (bottle inside shipper inside cardboard), inside a cooler with a bit of ice at the bottom. The bottle got cold enough that after it was transferred to my storage and came to storage temp the condensation on the outside of the bottle soiled about 1/4 of the label. The bottle itself has been stored in a cellar since it was purchased by the case at release, and immediately transferred to my storage after it was given to me. Not so good label, A grade stored wine.

[Howard Cooper]

Frankly, if I were deciding whether to buy a bottle of older wine, seeing some mold on the label would be a positive, assuming I was buying it for consuming and not for future resale. By itself, it would not mean that much, but in combination with other things, it would indicate proper storage. Wine stains on a label I would take as a negative because it could indicate seepage.

[MBerto]

I store them safely in my tummy

[dsimmons]

I rack em like they arrive. I don't hold them long enough for the labels to degrade.

[J.Vizuete]

My home fridge has a pretty high humidity level. Some labels seem particularly affected by the humidity - the adhesive seems to weaken and I get crinkles on the labels. Obviously it doesn't matter for wine quality but some of these I do intend to keep for many years and may try wrapping them in siran. I recently purchased an offsite locker where the humidity is lower and have moved those long term bottles there. Thanks to the OP for starting the discussion. Any tips to regulate humidity inside a fridge?

[Victor Hong]

Do not worry about the humidity, if high. Just wipe off any mildew.

[J.Vizuete]

the labels are coming off.. no mildew to wipe.

[Benjamin H.]

I keep the wrapping until I drink it.

[YLee]

My home fridge has a pretty high humidity level. Some labels seem particularly affected by the humidity - the adhesive seems to weaken and I get crinkles on the labels. Obviously it doesn't matter for wine quality but some of these I do intend to keep for many years and may try wrapping them in siran. I recently purchased an offsite locker where the humidity is lower and have moved those long term bottles there. Thanks to the OP for starting the discussion. Any tips to regulate humidity inside a fridge?

What's causing the high humidity? Do you have water in a dish in the refrigerator?

[J.Vizuete]

My home fridge has a pretty high humidity level. Some labels seem particularly affected by the humidity - the adhesive seems to weaken and I get crinkles on the labels. Obviously it doesn't matter for wine quality but some of these I do intend to keep for many years and may try wrapping them in siran. I recently purchased an offsite locker where the humidity is lower and have moved those long term bottles there. Thanks to the OP for starting the discussion. Any tips to regulate humidity inside a fridge?

What's causing the high humidity? Do you have water in a dish in the refrigerator?

You know I’m honestly not sure. It is a standard 160 bottle fridge in a built-in with what I think is appropriate ventilation particularly in the front and back. No surreptitious water dishes…

[YLee]

My home fridge has a pretty high humidity level. Some labels seem particularly affected by the humidity - the adhesive seems to weaken and I get crinkles on the labels. Obviously it doesn't matter for wine quality but some of these I do intend to keep for many years and may try wrapping them in siran. I recently purchased an offsite locker where the humidity is lower and have moved those long term bottles there. Thanks to the OP for starting the discussion. Any tips to regulate humidity inside a fridge?

What's causing the high humidity? Do you have water in a dish in the refrigerator?

You know I’m honestly not sure. It is a standard 160 bottle fridge in a built-in with what I think is appropriate ventilation particularly in the front and back. No surreptitious water dishes…

Do you have a humidity monitor? Collect some data. I never tried this method and I am not sure if it's safe either but you can try those beads that absorbs moisture in the air.

[lleichtman]

I usually protect my wines with a Remington 870, cheap and highly effective.

I neither add nor remove additional wrapping. I’m lucky if my wines make it out of the shipping box at this point. Inertia is a hell of a drug.

TW

Are you expecting wine robbers?

[Howard Cooper]

I rack em like they arrive. I don't hold them long enough for the labels to degrade.

I wouldn’t be bragging about that

[dsimmons]

I rack em like they arrive. I don't hold them long enough for the labels to degrade.

I wouldn’t be bragging about that

Not sure labels would ever degrade in my passive cellar since the humidity is low. The oldest I have drunk were ~ 30 years old with no label degradation.

[julianseersmartin]

I've given the saran wrap idea a little bit of thought but decided against it. I think if any moisture gets wrapped in with the label, it will cause mold / mildew to grow faster as the moisture can't leave the surface of the label. Probably good for short term protection (shipping?) but not so great for long term storage?

This is why you wrap before they go into storage.

All of my better bottles in my passive cellar are wrapped, and it works. The stuff I don't care about loses labels within 5 years or so, as it's pretty damp down there. The wrapped bottles are fine.

[Richard Albert]

The "craze" I was referring to for perfect labels in the US, was not folks preferring perfect labels, it was referencing the demand by Asian buyers for perfection in label conditions. Exporters I dealt with refused to buy well stored bottles because of minor imperfections rendering them unsalable to their clientele which in my mind is a bit crazy. For example, wines from a natural cellar with an earthen floor which developed dust/dirt stains, or a wrinkled label due to humidity were rejected. Would you refuse to buy a bottle in otherwise excellent condition because of a minor label flaw?
Hope that is clear now.

[Mike Davila]

Just unpacked my 2016 Greer, they ship with a plastic covering over the label portion of the bottle. I take it off, but I also don’t plan on resale. Agree with those who have posted about avoiding bottles with label stains, although you still don’t know the source of the stain. I had a wine cooler where one bottle seeped and stained the ones below though it’s label was fine.