Very important "wine prep" question for a tasting tomorrow

WINE TALK
1

Okay, so I’ve been invited to a Pinot Noir tasting hosted by none other than Rich Trimpi (aka, the man who taught Bob Wood eveything he knows about Oregon Pinot). I know, it’s not like its a Todd French-hosted winetasting, but it’s about as lofty as we get here on the East coast, so I’m a little nervous and want to make sure everything is just exactly perfect [wink.gif] .

So here’s the question - it’s been about 20 degrees here, and I’m going to be heading over right from the office. If I put the wines in a styro shipper for insulation, I should be okay leaving them in my car trunk all day, right? No chance that they will freeze in styro, right?

2

In time the wine will freeze. I would not do that.

Have fun!

3

I wouldn’t do it either. I haven’t experimented with those shippers in freezing temperatures, but I wouldn’t want to risk it. Even if the wine didn’t freeze, I wouldn’t want to expose some nice wines to the extreme temperature variation from cellar/room temp down to almost freezing and then back up to serving temp in one day.

4

They’ll be fine for the day. A little cold when you open them so you may need to warm them up a bit.

5

You could also leave them in the back seat rather than the trunk. The bottles would be fine in a styro shipper. If you’re worried someone might try to steal the box if it’s seen, put it on the floor in the back and toss a blanket over it.

6

+1. Or better if they are in a shipper just bring them inside. 72 degrees for 8 hours won’t bother them in styro.

7

No way they would freeze, but they will be ice cold. So unless you’ll have time at the tasting to let them warm up, I wouldn’t leave them in the car in this weather.

If it’s just Oregon Pinot, you can just zap it in the microwave when you get there! [tease.gif]

8

The btls should be just fine…no worry of freezing, especially if they are in a styro.

9

FYI - I did that yesterday. Didn’t intend to but forgot. I’m in Michigan right now and it was snowing so I got home and shoveled the snow - completely futile exercise but it took an hour and made me forget about the wine. Then I went in and didn’t think about the wine until dinner time Over six hours in a paper bag - no styro. Pretty cold but it warmed up and was fine. But the temps were only in the low 30s. If they were much colder, who knows.

10

I agree with Jack - bring them inside. Esp if they start at cellar temp and you put them in styro, they’l be fine in an average 70-72F office. Otherwise you have a very cold bottle that you need to warm and it will take a long time to get a bottle from, say, 40F to ~62-65F where you want them to be to drink.

11

I decided to take Tom Gutting’s advice - in the car, in styro, tucked inside a blanket to keep them warm flirtysmile

When Trimpi posts the TNs, we will see how this “experiment” turns out.

12

bring the bottles inside, do not leave in the car. why chance damage?
I rec’d a frozen bottle in styro already this winter.

13

I will feel really bad is something bad happens! Good luck, Bob. Hope it’s a fun tasting. The notes always seem like you guys have a great deal of fun!

14

We’re ready for you Bob. The gun is calibrated. [grin.gif]

RT

15

A blanket won’t do anything. And I have no idea why you’re so paranoid about them being at 70F for 8 or 9 hours. You’ll compromise the tasting experience far more by having the wine at 45F than you will by bringing it in. Gl though.