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To preserve all its flavors, it's important to store wine at the right temperature, but that's not all. An environment that is too humid or excessively dry, as well as light, odors, and other factors, can irreparably affect the wine's aroma, taste, and color. Let's see how to store wine correctly with wine coolers.
Wine is a complex beverage, the result of chemical, physical, and biological reactions that determine its characteristic color, taste, and aroma. Each bottle has its own peculiarities, depending on many variables, including the type of grapes chosen, the climate during cultivation, post-harvest processing, and subsequent aging: all factors that shape the wine in its global organoleptic properties.
However, in order to express all of its aromas, it is essential that the wine be stored correctly and served at the right temperature. Proper storage indeed preserves the wine from oxidation processes that would compromise its color, smell, and of course, its taste. Furthermore, serving wine at too low a temperature prevents full appreciation of its aroma, while in a glass of wine that is too warm, the alcohol could overpower the flavor.
A correct and constant temperature is therefore essential both for the wine's preservation and for serving. What temperature should wine be served at? In general, wine should be served between 10°C and 12°C, but the suggested temperature varies according to the type of wine and is lower for white wines, rosé, and sparkling wines, and higher for red wines.
However, temperature is not the only factor affecting wine preservation. Other threats to wine include oxygen, UV rays, and odors.
Regarding oxygen, it is important that air does not come into contact with the wine to prevent oxidation reactions. To protect the wine from air, it is not enough for the beverage to be sealed in a bottle; the cork must also not shrink or dry out. This is why ambient humidity plays a very important role in proper wine storage.
The optimal humidity for maintaining the wine’s properties is between 50-70%, which is relatively high, as in cellars. This is because if the air is excessively dry, the cork tends to lose moisture to the environment, shrink, and allow air to enter the bottle. Additionally, if the temperature is too low, the volume of the wine contracts, allowing oxygen to enter. Conversely, at high temperatures and low humidity, the wine expands and overflows from the bottle, a phenomenon known as “spillage.”
Inadequate temperature, excessive or insufficient humidity, oxygen, and sunlight can all compromise wine preservation, a beverage that evolves over time and needs to be protected from potential threats.
In addition to the oxygen present in the air, oxidation of the wine can also be caused by UV rays. To protect the wine from photo-oxidation, dark glass bottles are often used. However, clear or white glass is also used to showcase the colors of whites, rosés, and sparkling wines. Despite this, wine remains sensitive to light and should always be kept away from UV rays.
Lastly, wine must also be protected from unpleasant odors that can seep into the cork and compromise the quality of the beverage. These odors can come from the room air, the furniture where the bottles are stored, or from food if the wine is kept in the refrigerator.
How and where should we store our wine bottles? Storing wine in a home cellar, if you have one, helps protect it from light and, in some cases, provides ideal conditions of humidity and temperature. However, not all cellars protect wine from unpleasant odors. For those without a cellar, storing bottles inside cabinets or in the refrigerator are common alternatives, but neither offers the ideal conditions for proper wine storage. The best solution for preserving wine over time and serving it at the ideal temperature is to choose a wine cooler, a refrigerated cabinet that combines technology and design.
Discover Nevada Wine Coolers.
Wine Coolers are furniture units equipped with a refrigeration system, designed in every detail for wine aging and serving.
A wine cooler allows you to age and taste wine at the correct temperature, while simultaneously protecting it from oxygen, light, heat, and other factors that could compromise its quality.
Depending on the model, some wine coolers feature a single temperature zone, while others offer two or more areas at different temperatures, allowing for the storage of various wine types.
Wine coolers with a single temperature zone, for example, typically allow you to set a temperature between 5°C and 20°C and store one type of wine, whether white, red, rosé, sparkling, or still. If you have a wine cooler with a single temperature zone but wish to store different wines—such as white and red—for long periods, it is generally recommended to set the temperature to around 12-13°C.
Wine coolers with multiple temperature zones, physically separated by barriers, allow you to set different temperatures in each section, making it possible to store more types of wine. For example, one zone can be set to 6°C for sparkling wines, while another can range between 15°C and 18°C for red or fortified wines.
In addition to controlling the storage and serving temperature, the wine cooler also keeps the wine safe from light, heat, and unpleasant odors. Wine coolers are designed with UV-protected glass doors and are illuminated with LED lights that do not emit heat.
To protect wine from the risk of exposure to oxygen and oxidation, wine coolers also allow for humidity control, maintaining it between 60% and 70%. This helps keep the cork moist, preventing air from entering the bottle.
The wine cooler is an essential refrigeration unit to protect wine and ensure optimal aging over time, preserving the organoleptic qualities that make each bottle in your collection unique.
As for odors that may be present in the air around the bottles, these are absorbed and eliminated by activated carbon filters installed in the wine cooler.
A high-quality wine cooler also protects the wine from vibrations, another factor that can damage the beverage's qualities, especially if bottles are stored in regular refrigerators.
Thus, the wine cooler is an appliance specifically designed for both the preservation and serving of wine, essential for wine enthusiasts.
Wine is a living product that evolves over time, and as such, it is crucial to preserve it properly during storage. Additionally, as we’ve seen, the full aroma of wine is best expressed when it is served at the correct temperature.
A wine cooler is an essential appliance for anyone who appreciates wine because it allows for proper, easy storage, helping to prolong the life of the wine and enhance its aroma, thereby improving the tasting experience during service.
This is why wine coolers are becoming increasingly popular not only in restaurants and wine shops but also in the homes of wine enthusiasts. If you are thinking of purchasing one, there are several factors to consider in order to choose the right wine cooler, one that best suits your needs.
Undoubtedly, one of the first aspects to evaluate is where to place the wine cooler: wine coolers can be installed in the kitchen, but also in dining areas, living rooms, or other spaces. You can choose from built-in models or freestanding units that can be placed in a niche, under the countertop, or even inside a kitchen island.
To choose the right wine cooler, it is important to consider the type of wine you typically consume, the space available, the flexibility of placement, and, of course, it is essential to opt for a high-quality wine cooler.
Based on the available space and the location where you plan to place the wine cooler, you can choose from models with different capacities. There are coolers that can hold anywhere from a dozen to hundreds of bottles, using the standard 750 ml Bordeaux bottle size as a reference.
Once you've decided where to place the cooler and assessed the available space, it's important to think about how you intend to use it: will the wine cooler be used only for storage, for serving, or for both? This aspect will help you choose between coolers with a single temperature zone or multiple zones, which, as we've seen, are suited to different uses.
These are the main factors to consider when choosing the most suitable model; afterward, you can evaluate the price, energy consumption, design, and the possibility to customize additional features to personalize your wine cooler.