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To store your wine in a wine cabinet is a much more modern and easier way to store your wine long term these days. If you are a wine lover and regularly have a few bottles in your house, then it is probably worth investing in a modern wine cabinet if you haven’t already.
In this blog today we are going to be looking at the most beneficial features of a modern wine cabinet - features that can benefit your wine so greatly that they are worth taking note of and having in your wine cabinet model.
What is a Wine Cabinet?
A wine cabinet is an appliance that is used for storing wine in its optimum conditions for the ageing process, best for storing wine for longer periods of time.
Keeping wine in its optimum storage conditions refers to the correct temperature, humidity and in the correct light conditions. Without harmful UV rays, which prevents the wine from prematurely ageing. Speeding up the ageing process can damage the quality of the wine and affect its taste.
A wine cabinet can protect wine from damaging UV rays and vibrations from outside factors whilst maintaining the correct temperature and humidity levels at all times.
Whilst a wine cabinet is intended for the storing of wine long term, it is possible to store your wine bottles in a cabinet for the short term too, but if you intend on doing this a lot you might be better off investing in a wine cooler too or instead of if this fits your needs better.
Correct Temperatures to Store Your Wine
It is worth noting that for long term storage of white wine the storage temperature should be between 8˚C and 12˚C, and for red wines storage the storage temperature is best kept between 12˚C and 19˚C.
Temperatures too warm will speed up the ageing of the wine at an incorrect rate. This may create an unpleasant and bitter taste in your wine and the flavour profiles may deteriorate.
Temperatures too cold can potentially cause your wine to crystallise and freeze causing pressure to be put on the cork and bottle and cause the bottle to break and the cork to pop.
These temperatures can be difficult to maintain inside your house without a wine cabinet to help you with this, as there are many different factors to create the perfect storage environment for wine, it is not as simple as just popping your bottles in the kitchen refrigerator. If you like both red and white wines, storing them both at their optimum temperatures can be even trickier.
What Features Should a Modern Wine Cabinet Have
A modern wine cabinet should have a range of features to help you store your wine correctly. Wine cabinets come in a varied amount of shapes and sizes and with varied features to suit your needs and your collection. Here are some features to look for in a modern wine cabinet.
Different Temperature Zones
A wine cabinet can come in different model variations housing a different amount of temperature zones inside, including; single-zone, dual-zone and multi-zone units.
You probably will benefit from a dual-zone or multi-zone unit if you enjoy and wish to store different types of wine, or if you wish to store for short and long periods at the same time, storing wine in one zone for serving and storing in the other zone for the ageing process.
Store, red, white, rosé and sparkling wines and champagnes separately at different temperatures within the one cabinet. If you collect a lot of different wine types a multi-zone cabinet would be the right fit for you.
Shelving
For the long term storing and ageing of your wine, it is important to check the shelving system that a wine cabinet has. Shelving that allows bottles to be stored horizontally is best for the long term storage of wine so that the corks can stay moist at all times so it does not dry out and crumble, causing oxidation to your wine.
Most cabinets do have a bottle rack that consists of wooden shelving that allows for the storing of bottles to be horizontal, but some have vertical storage within them too, which is only best for short term and serving storage solutions, so bear this in mind when deciding.
You can also find cabinets that have sliding or adjustable shelving systems, which is good for when you want to store bottles that are larger than the standard Bordeaux bottles. Rearrange your shelving so that it suits you.
LED Lighting
Wine cabinets have either an opaque door or a glass door. A glass door lets you showcase your wine and have it in your room at home as a feature to show off and be proud of. Depending on where you are going to store your wine cabinet will depend on whether or not you are going to want one with a glass door or not.
If opting for a wine cabinet with a glass door be sure to choose one that has LED feature lighting inside. The LED bulbs will showcase your wine beautifully, and will give the right amount of light to show your wine without damaging it with light exposure.
The glass on the door will be tinted with UV light protection so your wine doesn't get affected by harsh rays from the sun or other harsh light sources, which is a crucial part of the long term storage process.
LED lights usually come in the colours, blue, white or orange and some even allow you to change the colour for a different effect and to create a different ambience.
Vibration Free
The more modern-day wine cabinet has a vibration-free feature built into them, this feature can also be found in wine coolers too. A vibration-free system is particularly handy as it ensures the sediment in the wine will not be disturbed and it can remain settled for the entire storage time. Wine not being disturbed by vibrations and moving from other applications or people moving around the wine system is just perfect for the ageing process.
Charcoal Filter
Many wine cabinets have a charcoal filter which is great if you want an odourless system for the entirety of your wine storage life. A charcoal filter works by absorbing bad odours and sanitising the ambient air which also prevents mould from forming - this will help avoid your wine from ever being contaminated. It is recommended to change a charcoal filter every year to keep it working effectively and for your wine to be undisturbed.
