Not everyone has their own wine cellar at home. Wine coolers as well as wine climate control cabinets are becoming increasingly popular for this reason. Compared to normal refrigerators, wine coolers have a range of advantages. Passionate wine connoisseurs use them to store their favourite vintages for serving or for maturing and ageing over the longer term in optimal humidity conditions.
For a wine to release its full flavour, a range of factors have to come together. We have summarised the five most important points for you:
Temperature
Optimal wine storage requires a constant temperature. Wine is best stored at around 12 degrees Celsius. Minor temperature fluctuations between 10 and 14 degrees are no problem. It is important to bear in mind that storage temperature is not the same as the serving temperature. If you intend to store wine over several years, you could consider a wine climate control cabinet. But if the wine is to be consumed within 12 to 18 months, a wine cooler is the right choice for you.
Vibrations
Shocks and vibrations have an adverse effect on wine and should be avoided. When buying a wine cooler, it is therefore a good idea to ensure the appliance has wooden shelves as these absorb vibrations better than those made from metal. Also make sure that the compressor in the wine cooler is equipped with anti-vibration dampening or is declared as “vibration-free”.
Light
Wine is sensitive to light and is best at home in the dark. Daylight as well as artificial light adversely accelerates the maturing process. Protect your bottles from unnecessary UV radiation and check that the wine cooler is fitted with a glass door with UV protection. If you would like to showcase your wine with lighting, choose an appliance with LED illumination. Unlike other sources of light, LEDs do not harm the wine.
Odours
Corks deteriorate over time and become permeable to air. For this reason, it is essential to keep your wine cooler clean and odour-free and to ensure good air circulation.
Humidity
If air permeates into wine bottles, it negatively affects the wine’s bouquet. Storing your wines in humidity above 50% is therefore extremely important. High humidity helps prevent corks from drying out and becoming permeable to air.
Which is the right wine cooler for me?
Careful handling is key when it comes to ensuring that wine is stored in the ideal conditions and can also release its full flavour potential. Only when you store the wine in the optimal conditions and at the right temperature will you be able to enjoy it properly. Wine climate control and temperature control cabinets fulfil these important requirements. Think about the following points before buying a wine cooler:
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Appearance and design
Wine coolers are available in many different sizes, colours and designs. Our efficient models come in three different sizes, feature a timeless, elegant design and can be placed flexibly. Either free-standing wherever you wish or built-in as part of your kitchen or integrated into a home wall. The choice of location influences how necessary pleasing aesthetics and lighting are for your appliance.
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Storage capacity
How many bottles would you like to store in your wine cooler? This number determines the appliance size or capacity. It is also important to consider that different bottle sizes may require more space. Wine temperature control and climate control cabinets are often particularly limited in the storage of large-sized bottles.
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Number of temperature zones
Should your appliance contain one temperature zone or would you prefer a model with two zones? The ideal drinking temperature for red wine is between 15 and 18 degrees. In other words, red wine is consumed cool and not at room temperature. In the case of white wine, the drinking temperature is between eight and 13 degrees — not, as many assume, at fridge temperature. It is worth bearing in mind that, once served, wine will warm up with room temperature. The bottles should therefore be kept slightly cooler in the wine temperature control cabinet.
Single-zone wine coolers are best suited to the long-term storage and maturing of high-quality wines and only have a constant temperature zone. This zone can be configured freely between five and 20 degrees. Naturally, only white wine or red wine can be cooled at the right temperature. This way, your favourite vintages are kept at the perfect serving temperature.
Dual-zone wine coolers cool or store your different varieties of wine at the ideal drinking temperature independently of each other in two zones. This means that red wine and white white are stored at their preferred temperatures in the same wine cooler and are always ready to hand.
