Wine Refrigerators - Five Tips To Help You Choose
Jim Hofman
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. Wine refrigerators are available for any level of collector and at several price points. Before you buy a wine refrigerator, here are five questions you should ask, along with a few pointers to help you choose.
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.
Are There Differences In Storing Red vs. White Wine?
Feel free to store both your red and white wines, but be aware there are storage temperature differences between the two. In essence, reds are normally stored at higher temperature than whites. If you enjoy and store both red and white wine, consider buying a wine refrigerator with dual zone temperature controls. This will ensure your wine is stored at the proper temperature.
What Storage Features Should I Look For?
One feature we really enjoy in our wine refrigerator are the slide out shelves. Slide out shelving makes access and viewing much easier for us and our guests. Another factor are the size of wine bottles you'll store. Some wineries are bottling their wine in magnum style bottles, which are slightly larger than standard wine bottles. You'll want to make sure your refrigerator can handle both.
What 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.
What Else Do I Need To Know?
First, on price ... expect to pay about $100 for a small model that will hold six bottles. If you want a full wine center, complete with wine refrigerator, storage for wine accessories, etc. then expect to pay over $1000, just as you would for a stylish piece of furniture. Another key aspect of wine refrigerators is a minimal noise level. Be sure to look for a model that's noted as being quiet and non vibrating. Remember, storing your wine in the best possible conditions is key to full enjoyment of your wine, both for you and your guests.
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. You're invited to visit Jim's wine resource site for more tips and recommendations about wine accessories, wine storage, and http://www.wine101.info/ wine refrigerators.
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