Wine Storage Refrigeration

In the past few years there has been a huge interest in wine storage units.  Storing wine in a refrigerator may not be the best place to keep it, and storing it in a closet may be just as bad.  I will try to guide you through the dos and don’ts of wine storage and what we can do to help you preserve your wines for years to come.

Wine storage refrigerators have been on the market for many years.  They are marketed today under the names, U-Line, Marvel, Sub-Zero, General Electric Monogram, Kitchenaid, and the list goes on.  U-Line, Sub-Zero, and GE Monogram make (or source from other than mentioned here) their own, most all others have Marvel make them for their brand.  These wine storage units have specially designed shelves to hold wine in an optimum capacity.  Most have a capacity of 50 to 60 bottles and they are placed alternating back to front and front to back.  The wine lies horizontally to keep the corks moist.  Most have a lighted window on the front to view or show off your collection.  This is where most of the similarities of the wine units end and Sub-Zero begins.

Historically, the wine units we carry were designed to go under a counter and this is still true today.  The serious collector had to buy more than one unit to keep a moderate collection.  The serious collector may have had a refrigerated room built to store wine, but with the new Sub Zero units, this expensive undertaking may end.

In order for wine to age properly it must be kept in a semi dark, semi-humid environment with limited temperature fluctuation.  The optimum temperature to store wine is 55 degrees and 70% humidity.  If it is not it will spoil.  The humidity keeps the corks moist so they do not dry and crack and let in air which will destroy the wine and turn it to vinegar.  Sunlight will also destroy the wine.  Wine will age 7 to 20 times faster when not stored properly.

U-Line, Marvel, and GE Monogram are fine for the average wine drinker.  These units are typically called wine coolers.  They boast of 3 temperature zones which we have a hard time believing.  The units cool the wine from temperatures between 43 and 63 degrees F.  When the door is kept closed the temperatures will settle with the coldest, being heavier, on the bottom and warmer on the top.  I can guess that at best there will be a 5-10 degree between bottom and top.  When the door is opened then these zones are destroyed.  The average wine drinker wants to have the white wine chilled lower than these units go and the reds are too cold to consume directly from the units and must stand at room temperature before consumed.  They have no humidity control so long-term storage is not recommended.  These units are better than keeping them in a closet though and affordable (around $1000.00)  A good white wine should be consumed at approximately 60 degrees to allow the fruit to be noticed, refrigerated at 40 degrees will kill the flavor, which is fine if the wine is not that good.  Red wines are best consumed at about 60 degrees also.  This temperature also allows the fruit to be more dominate and kills off the alcohol presence, which is more dominant at higher temperatures.  One must remember that “room temperature” is an old adage taken from England, where room temperature is 60 degrees.  When you drink your wines at these temperatures you will never go back to over chilling or 70 degree reds.  Back in the eighties I was a judge for many a wine tasting panels and never really understood why they let the whites sit out for a while before we tasted them, it was never explained to us novices of the day.  When one goes to Napa to taste one will notice that the reds are colder than we typically are used to and that is why those wines taste better than when we drink them at home. 

The new Sub Zero units come in many sizes whit the largest holding 147 bottles.  The Sub Zero units have the 700 series cooling technology, which Sub-Zero has been using for the past couple of years on their refrigeration units.  With dual electronic thermostats, 60% humidity retention, and compartmentalized integration, Sub-Zero is able to keep wines at optimum temperatures for either long-term storage or immediate consumption.  These units are starting to pop up at fine restaurants that cater to the wine connoisseur.  Selling in the $5000.00 price range, Sub-Zero has the quality and integrity to meet our consumers satisfaction and needs.  The glass window front, optional, is filled with argon gas to filter out harmful UV rays as well as act as an adequate insulator.  The interior light may be switched on or off, unlike the others that are on only.  Up front controls make it easy to monitor temperature and the system has a memory which when activated will tell the owner or servicer what the temperature was inside the unit every hour for the past 2 weeks.  It can even be hooked up to your home alarm system so if it has a problem your alarm company will notify you.

For the super serious wine collector, University Electric has become one of the exclusive GE Monogram wine room dealers.  Officially called the “Wine Vault” this fabricated room can store over 1000 bottles of properly stored wines.  There are 2 shelving options for the inside and one can store magnums, cases, and 750ml bottles as well as display shelves.  This room is built inside a room of your home, not in the garage.  It is 8’ 8 ½” wide, 7’ 9” deep and 7’ 6” high.  It is stainless steel outside.  To top this off it has a built in computer where one can scan their wine in and out of the room and label each bin for easy finding of wines.  When the shelves are built each bin is assigned a code by letter and number.  The computer can also sort wines by variety, country, vintage, appellation, and vintner.  It also has a maturity timeline to tell you when a wine is ready to drink.  We have a live unit on our display for viewing.  

Whatever you’re needs are in wine storage, University Electric Home Appliance Center has the product uniquely for you.  Come by and see them as we have all on display.