Wine Cooling Primer
The intention of a wine cooler is to keep your wine at the correct temperature to ensure long life and prime taste. Problems can develop when you make use of other means to store your wine.
Problems can arise with the use of a regular refrigerator to store your wines. Fluctuating temperatures from constant opening and closing of the refrigerator door can also be an issue. Plus it is often set colder than recommended.
Storing wine in a closet, garage, etc. is an issue as the temperatures may be warmer than recommended.
Both methods can lead to deterioration via chemical reactions which can shorten the wine’s life and negatively affect the taste.
diverse varieties and types of wine call for different storage temperatures. Light bodied sweet dessert wines and white sparkling wines require the lowest temperatures (41-50 degrees F); light bodied aromatic white and full bodied dessert wines require 46-54 degrees F; red sparkling, medium body whites and light bodied reds need 50-54 degrees F; full bodied white wines about 54-61 degrees F; medium bodied red wines require 57-63 degrees F; and full bodied red wines need 59-64 degrees F.
A 2 Zone wine cooler is better because of the differences in temperature storage requirements of the various wines.
Another benefit to consider is that wine chillers can control the humidity, another detriment to wine storage. The cooler will also help protect your wine from the different odors that exist in normal refrigerators, like food and other beverages.
It also is a good idea to store wine on its side so the cork can remain moist.
When choosing a wine cooler weigh the reputation of the company as well as the integrity of the model. Look at how it cools (thermoelectric helps reduce unecessary vibration and does not use ozone-depleting chemicals like CFC’s or HCFC’s, which is better for the environment), whether ts has at least 2 zones (to give more flexibility in storing different varieties of wines), and if it is backed by a complete satisfaction guarantee.
A good Wine Refrigerator is a great investment if you value your wine and your tasting experience.
Tags: thermoelectric wine cooler, vinotemp dual temperature wine cooler, wine chillers and coolers
This entry was posted on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 9:22 am and is filed under food and wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.