It is sad to see how a lot of sites perpetuate myths about wine storage just to convince customers that only the most costly wine coolers/cellars/fridges can prevent fine wines from turning to vinegar overnight. Unfortunately, 1413 guess paper is far significantly less motivating. Below we go over the fundamentals of typical wine storage – i.e., wine held for private consumption rather than speculation – and to enable clear up some of the rampant confusion so new enthusiasts can make sensible, expense-helpful shopping for choices.

Terminology – Wine Coolers, Fridges, Cellars, Etc.

Wine Cooler vs. Wine Cellar – What’s the Difference? We see lots of blogs and other web sites that attempt to define and separately categorize wine coolers, wine cellars, and wine refrigerators – as if they can be systematically differentiated. In most instances, even so, you will notice that in spite of saying and assuming that they are distinct, the author can not basically articulate any meaningful way to distinguish them. And when the do, most sites attempt to categorize wine “cellars” primarily based on vague notions of value class, by calling them “high-finish” wine coolers. That defines practically nothing, due to the fact rates vary along a continuum.

In other instances, the attempted distinction is much more concrete but just as arbitrary – e.g., some say wine cellars have to have humidity control. But this is also not beneficial, considering the fact that even the most basic wine fridges can come with, or be fitted with, some form of humidity control system, such as a simple tray of water. Lastly, a third so-referred to as definition that we normally see is that wine cellars are supposedly made for a lot more “lengthy term” storage. But this too is impossibly vague and unhelpful, given that most wine coolers/fridges are made to keep right lengthy term storage temperatures. So as extended as the fridge or cooler holds up over the extended term, then it can function for long term storage. There is no fundamental difference as to how they go about sustaining temperatures, because cheaper wine fridges and costly “cellars” alike all use the same sorts of cooling machinery (compressors or thermoelectric systems).

Just place, wine coolers, wine fridges, wine cellars or any other temperature-controlled boxes/cabinets are all developed to do the same point: maintain wine at optimal storage temperatures, commonly around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Some can also chill whites to their right service temperature (but that has absolutely nothing to do with storage). Of course, these units might differ drastically in their reliability and good quality, but this normally has nothing to do with no matter whether they are marketed as wine cellars versus wine coolers.

Please note that when we speak about long term storage, for most buyers, this commonly indicates up to five years, ordinarily much significantly less. So if your fridge/cooler/cellar can function properly and reliably during this period, it can by this definition retailer wine “long term.” If you strategy on storing wine longer than this, and your cooler/cellar has been running nicely so far, go for it. Even so, if you are storing fine wine as an investment, or are keeping ultra-costly wine that you are passionate about, overlook about storing your personal wine altogether – put your best wine in a expert storage facility and only preserve in your cooler the wine you intend to consume!

Retain Suitable Wine Storage Temperature

There is no question that temperature is the most critical storage consideration of them all. But the selection as to which temperature is ideal could not be simpler, and we are stunned by all of the misinformation that exists.

Retailer All of Your Wine at Around 55 Degrees Fahrenheit

The consensus among the most respected wine organizations is that the best storage temperature – for each red and white wines – is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That is it! And no you never have to preserve this temperature precisely, a couple of degrees above or under this is fine. Don’t make the rookie error of confusing storage temperature with service temperature, which does differ among reds and whites!

General Advised Wine Service Temperatures:

F Wine Variety

64 Red (Complete-Bodied)

59 Red (Medium-Bodied)

55 Red (Light-Bodied)

54 White (Full-Bodied)

52 White (Medium-Bodied)

50 White (Light-Bodied)

48 Sparkling

Precision is Not Needed

In addition, there is no harm in storing wine colder than this, all this does is slow down maturation. So why 55F? Pretty considerably all of the credible sources agree that at around 55F fine wine (i.e., these wines that are worth aging and can advantage from aging) can slowly and progressively mature (oxidize) at a price that improves and deepens the wine’s taste and aroma. Substantially under 55F, the chemical reactions accountable for this process (like all chemical reactions) slow down or halt, as a result lengthening the time needed for the wine to attain its “peak.” So a wine that may demand five years of aging at 55F to taste/smell its ideal may nevertheless not be ripe following 10 years in cooler storage. On the other hand, if wine is kept slightly warmer than 55F, it will mature more swiftly. For example, a wine that could peak at 8 years could peak at five if kept closer to 60F. Certainly, this is not a problem for most persons – and many individuals could possibly prefer speeding up maturation to some degree – which is why we are normally shocked at how a great deal paranoia exists with respect to temperature.

Temperature Stability is Most Essential

While storing wine anyplace within a handful of degrees of 55F is best, the larger concern is maintaining steady temperatures about the selected set point. Why? Very first off, a substantial, prolonged spike in temperature is damaging simply due to the fact it swiftly promotes oxidation in a way that is not controlled and that can set off other, undesirable reactions, which can then impact the aroma and taste of the wine. However, much significantly less dramatic but periodic temperature swings can be equally or a lot more deleterious.

Wine, and especially the ullage (airspace/unfilled space in the bottle), expands when temperatures rise and contracts when temperatures drop. And mainly because corks are porous, this essentially causes the bottle to “exhale” by way of the cork when temperatures push upwards and “inhale” as they come back down. In other words, some gas from the ullage is pushed out and fresh air is pulled back into the bottle in the course of substantial temperature swings. This fresh air, unlike the original gas composition of the ullage, has a fresh supply of oxygen – and much more oxygen signifies greater prices of oxidation. As a result, a continuous cycle of excessive “breathing” can quickly degrade wine by more than-maturation just as certainly as continuous storage in elevated temperatures can. Once again, you never want to panic more than a swing of a couple of degrees on the other hand, the more stable you can maintain your wines about the set temperature, the far better. Attempt maintaining your wine cooler full – a bigger volume of wine in the cabinet final results in greater thermal inertia, which aids reduce temperature swings due to fluctuating external temperatures.

Retain Suitable Humidity Levels

Humidity levels are important for wine stored for longer periods, for a couple motives. First, low humidity can cause corks to shrink, which sacrifices their sealing capacity and can allow outside air to infiltrate and/or wine to be pushed previous the cork. And sealing failures can expose the wine to higher levels of oxygen, which can more than-mature the wine or spoil it based on the magnitude of the breach. Second, higher humidity can foster the growth of molds and mildew, which is not so significantly a challenge for the wine as it is for the wine’s labels, which can be permanently discolored and reduce the bottle’s potential resale value.

Most wine storage specialists recommend keeping your collection at about 70-75 percent humidity to ensure superior cork sealing without having advertising mold development. Even so, as with most figures, precision is not vital, and anything from 50 – 80 percent is almost certainly just fine. Once again, maintain factors inside reason. If your wines are beneficial adequate to be concerned about label harm and resale worth, they should be sitting in a expert storage facility anyway.

Protection From UV Light

The harm to a wine’s taste/aroma that can occur from exposure to UV light is nicely documented. UV (ultraviolet) light is a form of high-energy invisible electromagnetic radiation present in natural sunlight and artificial light sources to varying degrees. Most people today recognize the effects of UV exposure in the type of suntans and sunburns.

As far as wine is concerned, even so, it really is believed that UV radiation reacts with sulphur compounds that naturally take place in wine, causing a “light strike” reaction – a method whereby these compounds are then broken down into to smaller sized, undesirable metabolites that go on to form unpleasant volatile compounds, which even an average palate can notice at trace levels. Indeed, the regrettable flavors/aromas associated with such compounds, such as dimethyldisulphide and hydrogen sulfide, have been characterized by test subjects as “wet dog” and “cooked cabbage.” See the trouble?