Friday, October 16, 2009

Store Your Fine Wines Perfectly With a Wine Refrigerator

By Beth Stoner

If your enjoyment of wine is a serious hobby- or you simply enjoy a daily glass of wine with dinner - investing in a wine refrigerator will pay off! Everyone who drinks wine understands that all wine tastes best when chilled at its perfect temperature. However, using a regular kitchen refrigerator for storing and chilling wine is not a good plan since a regular refrigerator does not properly control humidity and temperature. You also cannot store wine in a food pantry or cabinet since temperature is not always constant which may cause spoilage of the wine and deterioration in the quality. Also consider the fact that wine bottles should be stored horizontally so that the cork doesn't dry out, and this way of storing bottles is possible only with a specific wine bottle refrigerator with trays to accommodate vertical bottles.

If you are new to wines and seeking to purchase your first refrigerator, let's talk a minute about ideal storage temperatures. The optimal temperature for storing wines is 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Serving temperatures do vary and as a rule-of-thumb: champagne and sparkling wines 53-57 degrees F; light red 54-57 degrees F; rich red and full-bodied wines 59-68 degrees F; light red 54-57 degrees F. When choosing your refrigerator, you will need to consider these optimal storage conditions and your wine preferences so that you can choose a model that best suits your needs.

We must also consider humidity when selecting a wine fridge. For maintaining the best taste for wine, humidity levels of approximately 70% RH are optimal. When stored at this humidity level, the cork will stay moist and oxygen is unlikely to seep into the bottle which can result in spoilage. Wine refrigerators are able to maintain a consistent humidity level which will properly store your wine collection.

The last point to discuss which must be factored into choosing your wine refrigerator is the amount you can spend. A smaller budget will allow you to purchase a small wine cooler (for example - a 12-bottle wine fridge) which will meet your needs if your wine collection is just getting started. Many refrigerators are available in this size range which will meet your wine storage needs for a small collection. However, if you have a bigger budget allowance and a more extensive wine collection, you should select a larger capacity fridge.

Buying a wine refrigerator to preserve your fine wines and champagnes is a wise investment. Everyone from the beginner wine enthusiast to the seasoned wine taster will benefit from ideal wine storage.

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