The El Dorado Hills climate is sunny and warm with perfect blue skies for over half the year.
This beautiful weather makes the region ideal for growing certain grape varieties. However, what's good for the grapes can pose a threat to the quality of the wine in the bottles you buy.
Before we look at the adverse effects of warm weather on wine, let's take a quick look at the local climate.
Weather in El Dorado Hills, CA
Here's the current local seven-day weather outlook.
As is much of California, El Dorado Hills is a semi-arid climate. This means the winters are typically cold and wet. The summers are hot and dry.
The hottest period of the year is from early June to late September. Daily highs during this time range from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties.
Cloud cover is also at a minimum during this time, which means the direct sunlight intensifies the heat.
The weather in El Dorado Hills begins cooling off in mid-to-late October. Cloudier skies become more regular as the weather cools off as well.
Because the region is semi-arid, humidity is not a factor throughout the year. The perceived humidity level in El Dorado Hills does not vary significantly during the year, staying at effectively zero percent the entire time.
In an area famous for its wide selection of wineries and vineyards, the bigger challenge, if you’re a wine enthusiast, is where to keep all the wine you’ve purchased safely away from the summer heat.
So, How Does A Climate Like This Affect Wine?
The wrong storage environment can ruin a bottle of wine.
While there are differing opinions as to the exact temperature at which wine should be stored, the generally accepted range is 55 - 60 degrees F. When wine is stored above this temperature range, it can lose antioxidants and color four times faster than wine stored in a climate-controlled environment.
The ideal humidity range for wine storage is 65 - 70%. There is a chance that storing wine in low (or zero) humidity environments over extended periods will dry out your corks. If this happens, air can leak through the cork and degrade your wine.
If you store your wine at room temperature – like in a kitchen cupboard or pantry closet –your wines are aging much faster than you realize.
Some people keep their wine in their garage. But unless your garage stays unusually cool during the summer, it is probably the worst place in your home to store wine.
There is some good news, however. While the serving temperature of wines varies (slightly chilled for reds, cooler for whites) the storage temperature for all your wine can be the same.
This means you don’t need separate storage environments for whites and reds.
Wine Storage Options
To ensure your wines don’t age too quickly because of warm weather, you have three general options for wine storage:
1. Buy a wine cooler
A wine cooler is a purpose-built standalone wine storage option. Pricing and sizes vary depending on how much wine you want to store.
The two drawbacks of purchasing a wine cooler are the amount of space it takes up and the noise it makes. A decent wine cooler that’s designed for aging will be a little loud because it requires a condenser and a fan.
2. Build a wine cellar
If you want to go all-out, and you have the resources, building your own wine cellar is an option. Keep in mind, however, that a wine cellar should be built in the coolest, most humid area of your home.
Building a cellar is a complex and expensive option. Because most homes in Northern California don’t have an underground level, finding adequate space may be difficult.
3. Use professional wine storage
Professional wine storage is a great option for serious wine collectors with limited space at home.
At GoldKey Storage, we provide individually locked and alarmed wine lockers that hold eight to twelve cases of your favorite vintages.
Our lockers maintain strict temperature control of 55 - 60 F at all times. We will also receive any winery or wine club shipment on your behalf and place it directly in your private storage.
Whichever wine storage method you decide on, the most important thing is not to let the El Dorado Hills climate get the best of your wine.
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