Wine Refrigerators - Five Questions To Ask |
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| Written by Jim Hofman | ||||||
| Saturday, 18 October 2008 | ||||||
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With an ever growing interest in all things wine, wine lovers have a
wide array of accessories and storage options to enhance their wine
experience. New stylish wine accesssories are continually introduced as
wine affecionados seek out the best ways to share and enjoy serving
wine. Let's take a look at wine storage, a very important aspect of
wine enjoyment.
If you're a wine lover and don't own a wine refrigerator, chances are you will as your wine collections grows. What Size Is Best? The best advice we can give in terms of what size wine refrigerator to buy is this: when in doubt, go larger. Here's why ... if you're considering buying a wine refrigerator, let's face it, you're into wine. Many first time buyers quickly outgrow their wine storage capacity, so plan ahead. As you learn more about wine and try new styles, you'll tend to stock up more. That's exactly what happened to us as we discovered some fantastic finds on our U.S. wine trails excursions. Should I Store Reds Or Whites? There's absolutely no problem storing red and white wines together, as long as you're aware of temperature storage needs for each style. In general, reds should be stored at warmer temperatures than whites. So, if you enjoy red wine and white wine and plan to have both on hand, buy a wine refrigerator with dual or multiple zone temperature controls. Doing so allows you enjoy the very best flavor of all your wines. What About Storage Features? Our wine refrigerator features slide out shelving, making it extremely convenient to access our bottle choice. We hadn't thought of this feature as being important, but it's recommended. Also, make sure your unit can store magnum sized bottles. Some wineries bottle their wine in larger than standard bottles, which are normally about 3.5 inches wide. It's worth checking to see if your chosen unit can handle slightly larger bottles. How About Temperature And Humidity? The most important aspect of wine storage is temperature and humidity. Ideal wine storage temperature is 55 degrees, and ideal humidity percentage is between 50 and 70. You'll also need to consider where you're going to place your wine refrigerator. For example, if you'll place your unit in the garage, make sure the wine refrigerator is well insulated so that fluctuating temperatures don't adversely affect wine storage conditions. Any Other Tips? Of course, the price of your wine refrigerator will depend upon your storage needs and desired features. Small countertop units cost as little as $75, while large units run well into the thousands. We also recommend choosing a unit that's well rated for minimal noise and vibration. The most important factor to remember is that proper wine storage is crucial to optimal enjoyment of your wine. Make sure your wine refrigerator suits your needs in terms of features and space requirements, and allows for the ongoing growth of your wine collection. Cheers!
Article Author:
Jim Hofman is an author specializing in wine
and beer, and is the owner of several websites devoted to wine travel
and enjoyment of wine. Be sure to visit Jim's wine resource site for
more insight and recommendations about wine accessories, wine storage,
and wine refrigerators.
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 24 October 2008 ) | ||||||
