Will LED lights in a cellar harm my wine bottles?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Will LED lights in a cellar harm my wine bottles?
—Vicki, Phoenix
Dear Vicki,
I’m glad you’re thinking about ideal wine storage conditions. It’s always a shame to see a passionate collector’s precious bottles ruined by heat, drying out, or—you guessed it—exposure to the wrong type of light.
Traditional advice for storing wine says to avoid light sources that cause heat, which can ‘cook’ your wines, as well as ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can cause a type of premature aging often called ‘light strike.’ Sunlight is the source of heat and UV rays you should worry about most, but there’s evidence that artificial lighting, including fluorescent lights, could damage wine also.
Researchers are still trying to understand just what’s going on when light strike occurs and how long it takes to happen. But generally, light strike mutes pleasant fruit aromas and produces a range of unpleasant off-odors. White and sparkling wines, especially those packaged in clear glass bottles, are particularly susceptible to light strike.
Is it safe to expose wine to any light for a significant amount of time? Here’s where LED lights come to the rescue. They give off minimal heat and very little UV radiation. That makes them an ideal (and eye-catching!) lighting choice, whether in a large walk-in cellar or a small wine fridge.
—Dr. Vinny
