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+--- Thread: Shipping in Summer (/thread-15942.html)
- John Moore - 08-24-2007
I have a very simple question for you wine lovers that has puzzled me for a very long time. I also ask that ALL of you that have been on this board for a while now to please at least give some thought to this query and please chime in as I would like as many possible explanations as possible.
Why in the world has someone not been able to come up with a solution to the unsolved problem of trying to ship wine during periods of excessively hot weather?
I am almost positive that there has to be a Scientist, Inventor or Engineer or anyone else with enough smarts to solve this problem plaquing the wine industry. I mean if they invented that heat-shield material to put on the Space Shuttle then I am certain that they can create a viable, cost-effective product to help the wine shippers so that they can give wine lovers what they want delivered to them safe-and-sound in excessively hot weather so that they can enjoy what they want year round. Not to mention that the wine purveyors and others in the supply side of the biz can have good biz year round also as a result.
I hope you all agree that the person or entity that has a solution to this will be the new love of the wine biz and get very wealthy in a short period of time.
[This message has been edited by John Moore (edited 08-24-2007).]
- Thomas - 08-24-2007
I think the solution exists: temperature controlled storage and refrigerated trucks. That's the way the industry handles wine movement.
The problem is, of course, in order for the solution to work for the consumer, consumer shipping companies have to invest in the warehousing and the trucking.
I'll ask you a question: how do you think it affects the imported wines that are pulled out by customs and allowed to sit at the docks for days without temperature control? Happens all the time.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 08-24-2007).]
- John Moore - 08-24-2007
Foodie,
Thanks for the very quik reply!!!
I have heard of the situation you speak of with customs and that makes me wonder what the importers and wholesealers do to try and alleviate this situation which I must imagine is disasterous financially for them. How do they cope with this particular situation if the wine goes bad due to heat?
Foodie, I also understand the shipment of wine in refridgerated trucks but I was thinking more of this when I posted the question which is...what if someone could invent a shipping box or packaging that could also help sheild the wine the customer buys to have shipped to them from a wine shop /purveyor that might need to go across state lines which can take a few days by ground?
- winophite - 08-24-2007
While a mere novice I may be, here's my thoughts. The containers I've recieved have indeed been insulted with an expanded bead styro inner liner. I'm sure it helps with sudden temp changes although eventually the abient temp has to be achieved by the wine. The majority of these wines however are destined to remain in storage for several years, or minimally months so the shipping date becomes kind of moot for me, (granted I'm unable to afford the qnty I would like. The less pricey stuff I get from groceries, liquor and drug stores locally. They must utilize refridge trucks though since they get it year round.
I'm no chemist, but surely a bit of dry ice packed in with the wine carton leaving the wine wrapped with an inner insul to protect seems viable and inexpensive. Oh well, my simple thoughts from my simple mind [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] WP
- Thomas - 08-24-2007
Here's another thought: what did people do to protect wine from heat and cold 225 years ago, when Jefferson had wines shipped to him from Europe, etc.?
By Jefferson's notes, it seems the wines generally did not suffer from the ordeal.
In fact, just last week I opened a bottle of 1983 Bordeaux that belonged to my brother-in-law, who knows zip about wine. The wine was given to him as a gift. He promptly stuck it in his wine rack, which is located in the kitchen. That was in 1995.
For the next 12 years that wine sat in the rack, going through every temperature change that a kitchen can cause, but when I opened it, and despite a cork that disintegrated when touched by the corkscrew, the wine was absolutely marvelous.
It seems to take extreme conditions to kill a good wine.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 08-24-2007).]
- hotwine - 08-24-2007
Inquiring minds want to know: What was the '83 Bordeaux?
- Thomas - 08-24-2007
Petit-Figeac, St. Emilion. Beautiful expression of aged Merlot--brick-colored for its age, almost seaside aroma, and true bacon fat on the palate with a finish that lingered until bedtime...
- winoweenie - 08-24-2007
John as far as I know with all of the disasters in customs most of the reliable importers are shipping in refrigerated containers. Expanding on Foodies experience last summer I forgot some wine that I'd bought and left it in my truck overnight with the daytime at a sweet 108 and the nighttime low of 89. I put the wine away with trepidation but the bloomin stuff didn't seem to be affected at all. I bought two more bottles the nexr day that were my control and outside of the fact the scorched bottles seemed to age faster there were no other signs of abuse. Wine be hardier than we tink. WW
- hotwine - 08-25-2007
Thanks for the TN, Foodie.