Whether you’ve got 5 wine bottles or 500, you probably don’t want your wine to go bad or the taste to be compromised before you get a chance to drink it. Unfortunately, not all of us wine lovers have the luxury of a personal cellar, so it’s important to know how to keep your wine fresh until you’re ready to uncork and enjoy.
The easiest way to make sure you’re not doing a disservice to your stash is to follow these 5 Dos of wine storage:
1- Wine Coolers Keep Your Wine Cool
Wine is best stored at certain temperatures. If you store your wine at temperatures that are too high, then you risk your wine ageing poorly. High temperatures can also cause your wine to develop a cooked taste, which comes with unpleasant flavours and aromas.
However, if your wine is kept in conditions that are too cold, then your wine is at risk of freezing. If your wine freezes, it may lose its natural flavours. The cork could also freeze and push out of the bottle, exposing your wine to oxygen - which is a fast ruiner of wine.
Wine coolers store your wine at the right temperature. Wine is best stored at temperatures between 11ºC and 15ºC, and most coolers will have a wider range of around 3ºC to 16ºC, depending on the make.
The main function of a wine cooler is to keep your wine cool. Some wine coolers offer dual temperature zones, which enable you to store your red wine and white wine at different temperatures within the same unit. Dual-zone wine coolers also enable you to prepare wine for serving while keeping your wine undisturbed in the long term for ageing.
2- Wine Coolers Protect Your Wine From Sunlight
Sunlight - specifically the UV rays in sunlight - can be harmful to your wine collection, but the good news is that wine coolers can protect your wine from these rays. Sunlight can have a negative effect on the flavours, aromas, and appearance of your wine. When your wine is exposed to sunlight, it will age quicker due to chemical reactions within the body of the wine.
You may think that wine coolers with glass doors won’t do a good job of protecting the wine from sunlight, but this isn’t the case - as glass doors used in wine coolers are tinted or UV-treated to prevent any UV damage being done to the wine.
Wine coolers with solid doors also protect your wine from sunlight, as they block any sunlight from entering - unless you leave the fridge door open. Some wine coolers even have alarms that alert you when you leave the door open!
3- Wine Coolers Look Great In Your Home
One of the best things about wine coolers is that they are a great way to display your wine. Some wine coolers come with display shelves that allow you to proudly display your favourite, most expensive, or oldest wines. Many wine coolers come with glass doors (UV-treated, of course), so you can see your collection without even opening the door.
You can find a stylish wine cooler to match the interior of your home, no matter the colour scheme. You can find rustic-looking wine coolers, modern wine coolers, or even patterned wine coolers. Fully integrated wine coolers offer a seamless look in your kitchen, as they’re designed to be integrated into your kitchen cabinets.
Owning a wine cooler is a statement that you care about the quality of your wine. Whether you choose a freestanding wine cooler as a statement piece or a built-in cooler that matches the interior of your kitchen, a wine cooler is sure to add a splash of style to your home.
4- Wine Coolers Maintain Humidity Levels
Humidity is an important wine storage factor, which is why all quality wine coolers will regulate the interior humidity levels. Your wine should be kept at humidity levels between 55% and 75% in order to protect both the bottle and the wine itself, and wine coolers can provide the perfect conditions for your wine to thrive and age in the best way.
If you store your wine in an environment that is too humid, then the labels can peel off the bottle, decreasing the value. Humid environments are also a breeding ground for mould, so it’s best to store your wine in a wine fridge to regulate the humidity levels.
However, a little humidity is needed for your wine collection to ensure that the cork remains where it should. If the cork dries out, it may slip out of place and expose your wine to oxygen, which is any wine collector’s nightmare. Oxidation can cause the wine’s flavour profiles to deteriorate and flatten, leaving your wine tasting bland and generally unpleasant.
5- Wine Coolers Are Versatile
Did you know that you don’t have to just store wine in your wine cooler? If you have space in your wine cooler, you can store numerous things in there. From cheeses to tobacco, wine coolers can provide the perfect environment for many different things. Storing medication or skin care products in your regular fridge can result in them smelling like the items in your fridge - and nobody wants an onion-scented face mask.
Wine coolers are also versatile in the sense that you can place them pretty much anywhere. Freestanding wine coolers give you the most freedom in placement, as they stand freely. However, be sure to leave space around the unit and at least 12 inches above the unit to allow optimal airflow.
Built-in and fully integrated wine coolers are designed to be installed into kitchen spaces - cabinets or breakfast bars. They look great in any kitchen and offer a sleek and seamless look. You can find the perfect wine cooler for you and your wine collection - if you have a smaller collection or just want a wine cooler to serve your wine, then you can purchase a wine cooler that stores just a few bottles. However, if you have a larger wine cooler, then you easily find a wine cooler that stores over 150 bottles.
-- Wine Cooler Recomman
