Shipping Fine Wine Internationally: Protecting Your

Shipping fine wine internationally requires meticulous attention to environmental conditions to safeguard your investment and the wine's quality. Temperature fluctuations, light exposure, and improper humidity can significantly impact a bottle's sensory properties and marketability. Each can lead to rapid deterioration. For instance, Robert Parker (2008) suggests that exposure to extreme heat has damaged somewhere between 10% and 25% of wines sold in the USA. Understanding the specific risks and implementing protective measures is paramount. That holds whether you are acquiring a rare Bordeaux or moving your cherished collection. Careful planning runs from selecting the right shipping terms to monitoring transit conditions. It ensures your wine arrives in the pristine state you expect, preserving its value and future enjoyment.

What are the primary risks to fine wine during international shipping?

When you are shipping fine wine internationally, several environmental factors pose significant risks to its quality and condition. The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) highlights the storage and transport question. Those conditions can have a major impact on a wine's sensory properties once it reaches the consumer. The three factors with the most direct impact on a wine's condition are light, humidity, and temperature. Additionally, anecdotal information suggests vibration may contribute to accelerated aging with adverse effects. This remains a research area with relatively little data. Protecting your bottles from these elements is crucial for maintaining their integrity and value. That matters most for wines intended for long-term aging.

How does temperature affect bottled wine in transit?

Temperature is a critical factor for wine quality, as wine is very susceptible to changes in temperature. Excessive storage temperatures will have a marked effect on the shelf life of bottled wine. They can also see rapid ageing and significant deterioration of the product, according to the AWRI. Marais (1986) observed the development of faulty flavours and decreasing overall quality after 12 months’ storage of wine at 30°C. Ough (1986) found that temperatures in excess of 40°C will induce visual and sensory changes to a wine. That can happen in only a matter of days. Ough (1992) states the general limits. Any storage place where the temperature exceeds 25°C for long periods and 40°C for short periods can affect wine quality.

Hirlam (2019a,b) recommends avoiding thermal cycling, where the temperature varies significantly between day and night. Such exposure can result in leakage of wine and/or movement of cork stoppers due to thermal expansion of wine. This physical damage does not necessarily imply that the quality of the wine has also been affected. It will obviously affect the appearance, and therefore the marketability, of the wine, according to the AWRI. Conversely, if wine is exposed to temperatures that are too cold, it can freeze and expand. That can push the cork out or crack the bottle, which allows more oxygen exposure.

Chanut et al. (2023) studied microagglomerated cork stoppers in model wine. They found that oxygen diffusion through the cork alone was stable. Higher storage temperatures, however, significantly impacted total oxygen transfer at the glass-cork interface. At 35°C, barrier properties remained stable for up to 9 months. A sharp increase in total oxygen diffusion was observed at 12 months. At 50°C, a tremendous oxygen transfer occurred at the glass-cork interface from 3 months. It reached a value approaching the diffusion coefficient of oxygen in the air by 6 months, indicating leakage. This leakage could be attributed to a change in the mechanical properties of the stopper or a partial melting of the surface treatment. That treatment was estimated to have a liquid:solid ratio of 19% at 35°C and 41% at 50°C, compared to 6% at 20°C, Chanut et al. (2023) report.

For long-term storage, most experts recommend keeping wine at constant temperatures between 10°C and 15°C (50°F and 59°F). Jancis Robinson is one of them. Tom Stevenson speculates that 11°C (52°F) may be the most ideal temperature for storage and aging. Karen MacNeil recommends keeping wine intended for aging in a cool area with a constant temperature around 13°C (55°F). Professor Cornelius Ough of the University of California, Davis, takes a different view. He believes that wine can be exposed to temperatures as high as 49°C (120°F) for a few hours and not be damaged.

What role does light exposure play in wine damage?

Light exposure can significantly impact wine quality, the AWRI states. It affects taste through the production of volatile sulfur compounds, known as ‘lightstruck’ flavour. Maujean and Seguin (1983) demonstrated that this flavour is due to the formation of volatile sulfur compounds, derived from methionine and cysteine. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) activates those compounds when exposed to light at wavelengths of 370 nm and 440 nm.

Light-bodied white wines run the greatest risk from light exposure. For that reason, they are often packaged in tinted wine bottles that offer some protection from light. Dozon and Noble (1989) exposed still and sparkling white wines in green glass to fluorescent lamps. They found a statistically significant lightstruck flavour after 31.1 hours and 18 hours, respectively. The same wines stored in clear glass developed a statistically significant level of the off-flavour after only 3.3 hours and 3.4 hours, respectively. Sensory assessment indicated a decrease in ‘citrus’ aromas and an increase in ‘cooked cabbage’, ‘corn’, ‘wet wool/wet dog’, and ‘soy/marmite’ aromas.

Direct sunlight provides 4286 times the amount of UV-A radiation as fluorescent lamps, according to Gordon Watson (pers. comm. cited by AWRI TN09). That makes direct sunlight exposure more deleterious to wine quality than electric lighting systems. Beyond flavour, light exposure can also exacerbate copper instability in susceptible white wines, leading to haze, the AWRI notes. The Institute recommends protection from light if a white wine contains a copper concentration greater than approximately 0.5 mg/L. To minimize light damage, Rankine (1989) indicates that amber glass is most effective in excluding wavelengths below about 450 nm. In a cellar, wines are often stored in corrugated boxes or wooden crates to protect them from direct light.

Is humidity a concern for fine wine during transport and storage?

Humidity plays an important role in preserving wine, particularly for bottles sealed with natural corks. Some degree of humidity is required to keep cork enclosures from drying out. If the air is too dry, wines under natural closures can dry out and leakage can occur, according to the AWRI. Should the cork begin to dry out, it can allow oxygen to enter the bottle. That oxygen fills the ullage space and can cause the wine to spoil or oxidize.

However, excessive humidity can also pose risks, such as damaging wine labels. Damaged labels may hinder identification or hurt potential resale value. Jancis Robinson notes that 75% humidity is often cited as ideal. However, there is very little significant research to definitively establish an optimal range. Tom Stevenson recommends that wine should not be kept in a refrigerator. The refrigeration process often includes dehumidifying, which can quickly dry out corks.

The Comité Champagne recommends storing Champagne bottles at a high and constant humidity, between 60% and 80%. For general storage, Climate Controlled Wine Storage maintains moderate humidity levels (55%-75%). That range avoids problems from conditions that are too dry or too moist. Matt Kramer cites a French study on this point. It claims that the relative humidity within a bottle is maintained at 100%, regardless of the closure used or the orientation of the bottle. Alexis Lichine contends that low humidity can still be detrimental to premium wine quality. The risk is the cork drying out.

Does bottle orientation matter for shipping and long-term storage?

The orientation of a bottle during transport and storage is a factor to consider for bottled wine, according to the AWRI. Most wine racks are designed to allow a wine to be stored on its side. The idea is that the cork is more likely to stay moist and not dry out. Constant contact with the wine keeps it that way.

However, research on this topic presents varied findings. Mas et al. (2002) investigated the impacts of different alignments on bottles sealed with six different closures for a white and red wine. They found that, as a general rule, wines stored upright had higher yellow/brown colour after 24 months. The differences were not significant. The study showed that oxidation was higher for upright samples sealed with agglomerated cork stoppers. Elevated acetaldehyde levels appeared in white wine samples from the 3-month timepoint onwards. In another study, Skouroumounis et al. (2005) tested a wooded Chardonnay and Riesling wine across a 60-month period. They found that bottle orientation (horizontal or upright) had little effect on the chemical composition and sensory properties.

More recently, Chanut et al. (2023) conducted a systematic study on microagglomerated cork stoppers with model wine over 24 months. They tested two storage positions: vertical (cork in contact with the vapor phase) and horizontal (cork in contact with the liquid phase). They found that position did not influence the oxygen transfer, neither through the cork itself nor at the glass-cork interface. This observation prevailed for all durations measured (3 to 24 months) at 20°C. This aligns with other studies by Lopes et al. and Hirlam et al., as cited by Chanut et al. (2023). Those studies also reported no significant effect of storage position on oxygen transfer, or similar oxygen transmission rates for microagglomerated stoppers.

For Champagne and other sparkling wines, the advice differs. Champagne is often recommended to be stored upright rather than lying on its side. The internal pressure caused by the trapped carbonic gas provides enough humidity and protection from oxygen. Caterer Magazine claims that the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) found side-stored Champagne aged more quickly. Oxygen seeped in after corks lost elasticity. However, the Comité Champagne itself still recommends storing Champagne on its side in a cool (around 10°C/50°F), dark, draft-free place with generous humidity. It also advises no direct exposure to sunlight, noise, or excessive vibration.

How does ownership and liability transfer during international wine shipments?

Understanding who is responsible for your wine during transport is crucial. Wine can be damaged in transit to the customer, the AWRI emphasizes. Ownership and responsibility for the wine depend on the quote: FOB (Free on Board) or CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight).

Under an FOB contract, the exporter must deliver the consignment to the ship at the port of shipment. The exporter also bears all costs incurred in doing so. Delivery is completed when goods are placed on board. Liability ceases for the exporter when goods pass the ship’s rail. The buyer then covers the cost of freight, insurance, and all charges thereafter, according to the AWRI. That runs until the goods arrive at the buyer’s warehouse.

Under a CIF contract, the exporter’s responsibility includes all the costs applying in the FOB contract. It adds the cost of the ocean freight and insurance. Liability ceases when the goods pass the rail at destination. The buyer then covers all costs beyond that point, the AWRI explains. Given these complexities, the AWRI recommends that wine producers obtain independent advice on legal contracts. That advice should cover where liability sits during the transport and storage of wine, prior to and after packaging. This is a vital step in protecting your investment, especially when you consider the costs involved. You can estimate those costs using our landed-cost calculator.

How can you assess potential damage from extreme temperatures?

Identifying and demonstrating that a wine has been damaged by exposure to temperature extremes during storage and/or transport can be difficult. Results will depend mostly on the degree of damage and the age of the wine, the AWRI states. The chance of understanding and demonstrating the extent and nature of the damage is much greater with a comparison. That means comparing the wine alleged to have been damaged against samples of the same wine that have not been exposed to extreme conditions. The AWRI therefore recommends that exporters retain hold-back samples and store them under known conditions. Those samples then provide a comparison in the case of a problem.

Current methods for assessing whether a wine has experienced heat damage include a combination of chemical, physical, and sensory tests.

Assessment Type	Details for White Wines	Details for Red Wines	General Observations
Visual	Look for signs of leakage, closure damage, wine travel or seepage on corks, increased ullage, and label damage.	Look for signs of leakage, closure damage, wine travel or seepage on corks, increased ullage, and label damage.	Physical damage may affect appearance and marketability, not necessarily quality (AWRI).
Chemical	Colour development (yellow/brown colour measured by OD420) and free and total SO2 levels. SO2 levels are compared to levels at bottling and losses are compared to closure trial data.	Spectral measurements for colour and phenolics, as well as free and total SO2 levels.	SO2 levels are compared to levels at bottling and losses are compared to closure trial data (AWRI).
Sensory	Assessment of two dozen of the damaged stock compared to two dozen of the same wine not exposed to extreme conditions.	Assessment of two dozen of the damaged stock compared to two dozen of the same wine not exposed to extreme conditions.	Wines exposed to extreme temperatures tend to lose their fresh fruity characters and show more developed fruit characters. At extreme levels, oxidised and cooked characteristics can be observed (AWRI).

This comprehensive approach helps to establish the extent of damage. It also informs decisions on whether to hold, drink, or sell the wine. You can learn more about assessing bottle condition, including wine ullage levels explained, in our guides.

What are the ideal storage conditions for bottled wine?

While shipping exposes wine to unique risks, understanding ideal long-term storage conditions provides a benchmark for minimizing damage in transit. The AWRI recommends storing bottled wine with the cork in contact with the wine, as Amon and Simpson (1986) suggested. The location should be cool (15-20°C) and dry. The Comité Champagne advises storing bottles in a cool place, at a constant temperature of between 10°C and 15°C.

For humidity, the Comité Champagne recommends a high and constant level, between 60% and 80%. Climate-controlled wine storage maintains moderate humidity levels (55%-75%). That range prevents cork shrinkage from dryness or mould from excessive moisture.

Protection from light is also crucial. The bottle must be protected from light, vibrations, and odours. The storage place must also be well ventilated, according to the Comité Champagne. We advise storing wines in corrugated boxes or wooden crates to protect them from direct light. Direct sunlight or incandescent light can adversely react with phenolic compounds and create "wine faults."

Overall, the AWRI recommends storing wine under insulated and/or temperature-controlled conditions. Those conditions minimize fluctuations in both temperature and humidity. Miniature temperature logging devices are suggested as a means for monitoring temperature fluctuations during storage and transport. Our guide on how to store wine details these principles further. They are equally vital when planning for the safe international shipment of your fine wine.

Plan your next acquisition or portfolio move with confidence. Use our landed-cost calculator to accurately estimate all-in costs for international wine shipments. It helps you protect your investment from unforeseen expenses and risks.