How to choose a refrigerator for home wine? Is it possible to store wine in the refrigerator?

Quality wine is a pretty capricious and delicate drink. Its bouquet depends on many factors, including the temperature of its supply to the table, the storage conditions and the quality of the raw materials. Many of us do not drink the whole bottle at once, limiting ourselves to a couple of glasses of this wonderful drink. As a result, we have an open wine. In the refrigerator it can be stored only in exceptional cases, for these purposes it is better to buy a wine cabinet.

Good wines - decent conditions

Without a doubt, the best place to store wine is a cellar. There are all conditions for the ripening of the drink. In traditional wine cellars, low temperatures and optimum humidity are constantly maintained.

Unfortunately, not all citizens living in apartment buildings have the opportunity to dig a small storage for their collection of fortified beverages. Therefore, very often wine is stored in ordinary refrigerators. However, this equipment is not intended for long-term saving of a noble drink.

Is it possible to store wine in the refrigerator?

Of course, this is allowed. One of the most important conditions for storing wine is the complete immobility of the bottle. The drink should not be subjected to vibrations, so it is desirable to secure the container securely in one position. Many experienced winemakers recommend keeping it exclusively in an upright position, as from the slightest contact with the cork the wine loses its taste qualities.

An open bottle of champagne can be stored in an ordinary refrigerator no more than one day, wine - up to three days. Drinks with a high content of alcohol and sugar can be in an open bottle for about seven days. And the wine should be tightly closed with a stopper. The taste and aroma of the drink will begin to deteriorate gradually after a few hours. Therefore, it is better to use a wine cooler to store bottles.

Types of cabinets

To date, there are four types of wine coolers. All of them perform different functions.

Single-temperature models maintain a stable temperature, fluctuating within 10-14 degrees. These cabinets are real small wine cellars, fully revealing the potential of your collection of drinks. In two-temperature models, there are two isolated areas for storing drinks and cooling them before serving.

Three-temperature cabinets are designed for storing and cooling wines. They have three separate chambers in which a different temperature is maintained. The central compartment is used for storing beverages, the upper one for bringing them to room temperature, the lower one for cooling to 6-10 degrees. In multi-temperature cabinets you can store a variety of drinks. The temperature maintained inside such a refrigerator varies within a wide range: from 7 to 21 degrees.

Capacity and zoning

In the simplest models can accommodate up to six bottles. Their popularity is explained by the ability to work from the car battery. Many take with them on vacation such a refrigerator for wine. The small size allows to transport it in the cabin of the car, due to this, such models are in great demand among fans of frequent trips to nature.

For domestic storage of hot drinks, a wine cooler is more suitable, which can accommodate 12-50 bottles. Such models differ in relatively small dimensions. Their height does not exceed a meter. Inveterate collectors are probably interested in wine cabinets the size of a good refrigerator. They can store from 100 to 500 bottles.

Inside the wine cabinet can be divided into several separate zones. Depending on the model of the refrigerator, there are two or three isolated chambers in each of which a certain temperature is maintained, which is necessary for storing different types of wine. The third zone is often used to prepare beverages for tasting. In addition, there is a single-chamber refrigerator for wine. The home cabinet is powered by electricity. When buying bulk models, you should be prepared for imposing electricity bills.

Dimensions and Design

The modern refrigerator for wine is distinguished by a noble and beautiful appearance, so it can easily fit into the interior of almost any room. The cost of such products varies between 30-500 thousand rubles. In most models there is an exquisite glass door decorated with tinting, absorbing ultraviolet rays. Inside the cabinet, the wine fridge is equipped with special LEDs that do not raise the temperature of the air and do not disturb the internal microclimate. Thanks to this backlight, you can always look at the contents without opening the door.

What to look for when buying a wine cabinet

In the process of choosing a refrigerator for storing sparkling and fortified beverages, several important features should be considered, which will not be lost in the offered assortment of models. So, the first thing you should pay attention to is the capacity of the equipment. In this case, everything depends on the purpose for which the refrigerator for wine will be used. For those who do not belong to the category of collectors, you can limit yourself to buying a relatively small model.

A modern wine cabinet should have the function of automatically maintaining the optimum humidity level. This is very important, because if this figure is less than 65% or more than 80%, then the inevitable process of damage to the cork begins. It dries out or becomes moldy, so the drink itself spoils.

Most models are equipped with carbon filters, which purify the air entering the cabinet. They need to be changed at least once a year, because the conditions of storage of your collection of drinks depend on it.

Non-standard wine coolers

To date, many manufacturers of such equipment accept individual orders. In this case, the customer receives an original wine storage cabinet that fits perfectly into the overall interior of the room and meets all your requirements. When placing an order, you can specify not only the design preferences of the unit, but also the desired temperature range.

So, the built-in refrigerator not only provides optimal conditions for wine storage, but also perfectly integrates into the furniture set. Such a cabinet can be installed practically in any room, including in a pantry, a hallway or in the kitchen.

When choosing a location for a wine cooler, several nuances must be considered. Since in furniture, which will be integrated equipment for storing the home beverage collection, there are small ventilation gaps, it should be located away from the plates and ovens.