bulk storage, of wine is important in the production and blending of everyday commercial wines. Large storage tanks are usually made of stainless steel and may hold as much as 800,000 l/176,000 gal. oxidation is always a risk and, if the tank is not completely filled with wine, the head space must be filled with an inert gas. Many commercial blends are bottled throughout the year from such tanks, which are kept at relatively low temperatures. The ideal storage temperature is 12–18 °C (54–64 °F). Extremes of heat or cold are likely to have a negative effect on quality. If consumers were to become more demanding of individuality in their wines, these large storage containers would become rarer and the wineries of the future might have only small and medium-sized storage containers.
