As a wine aficionado, you need to know the best ways to store your wine collection, so you can age it perfectly, and enjoy your wine at its finest. It’s really important to store your wine properly – just as important as every other aspect of wine is, really.
Since you might need a fair bit of space for a cellar – space you might not have, unless you have a basement – you might want to take a look at wine coolers and cabinets instead. You’re probably thinking to yourself, one’s just as good as the other, right? Well, yes, and no.
It’s like apples and oranges….
You know the saying. They’re both fruit, but they’re not quite the same. That logic applies to coolers and cabinets. What makes them remarkably different from each other? Design, function, and most of all, temperatures. See, wines have two temperatures you need to consider. One of them, is the serving temperature. The other, is the storage temperature.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: the temperature you should serve your wine at. If you want your wine to taste absolutely phenomenal, then you need to know the exact temperatures at which you should serve them. Serving temperatures will vary from vintage to vintage, but here’s a quick and dirty guide you can refer to when you need it:
Serve red wine at 16 – 19 °C
Serve light reds at 11 – 13 °C
Serve rosé at 9 – 10 °C
Serve dry whites at 7 – 10 °C
Serve sweet wines at 5 – 6 °C
If you’re a stickler for serving your wines at the correct temperature, then you absolutely need to get a wine cooler.
Still exactly what it sounds like. This is the ideal temperature at which you want to store your wine, so it can keep long, and age well. Learn more about wine storage, temperature and aging on this page that summarizes the question very well.
If you need to store your wines, to age them, you need a wine cabinet. No, you can’t just store them in a fridge. Your trusty old fridge is not designed to store wine in the best condition possible for aging. It has to be stored with the correct temperature, and must be free of vibrations and odors – something your regular fridge is perpetually plagued with.
You’re probably wondering, “Can I just age my wine in a wine cooler?” Well, again, yes and no. Yes, you can age your wine in a cooler, but we wouldn’t advise you to do that for longer than a year. After that, the quality of your wine would be a bit compromised. You’re much better off aging your wine at room temperature.
Know what’s even better? Yes! A wine cabinet! Maybe we’re being redundant here, but it needs to be said: a true wine aficionado needs one. If you’re not totally sure what a wine cabinet looks like, have a look at the ones on IWA Wine for example. They’re designed to store your collections for years and years, which is just perfect for aging your wine. They’re also constructed to mimic the same conditions you’d find in a proper wine cellar, which makes it perfect for you to age your wines.
The best wine storage cabinets have a consistent temperature (usually at about 12 °C), provide excellent humidity, get rid of odors, vibrations, and block out light.
Want to be sure you don’t disturb your aging bottles unnecessarily? Make use of wine bottle tags, so you can tell which bottle is which without having to take them out.
If you want to keep your wine at the best temperature for serving, when you’re ready to drink it, then you definitely need to get a wine cooler. Be sure to pick one that has dual-zone temperature, or if you can, a triple-zone temperature make and model. This way, you can store different kinds of wines, at different temperatures that work for them, in the same cooler, at the same time, until it’s time to pop the bottles.
If you’re interested in aging your wine, but don’t have a cellar, then definitely invest in a cabinet. As we’ve already explained, they’re the perfect replacement for the original environment a cellar provides, which allows your wine to age perfectly.
There’s a third option…
You could simply get yourself a multifunctional wine cabinet. This kind of cabinet usually has a door made of UV protected glass, and has at least two serving temperature zones, with one being much cooler than the other one, and also allows you store your wines as well. While long-term storage would still be much better with a regular wine cabinet, this multifunctional version does the job just fine, in the short run.
Now you know the difference between wine cabinets and wine coolers. You know exactly what you need. Which one will you spring for? Cabinets, or coolers, or both? We vote both.
Investing in new kitchen cabinets is one of the most important and necessary decisions in remodeling any kitchen. While high-end cabinetry can quickly drive up costs, wholesale cabinets provide a way to achieve premium quality at a fraction of the price. Whether you’re flipping homes, managing multiple projects, or simply upgrading your kitchen, they offer […]
Got a small space and big dreams for your living room? You’re not alone. Many face the challenge of finding living room furniture that fits tight spots but still oozes style. It’s like trying to squeeze into jeans from high school—tough, but not impossible. Here’s a cool fact: you can have chic and functional spaces […]
When you walk into a room, what’s the first thing you notice in the interiors? The furniture, the walls, or the ceiling? Often overlooked, the ceiling plays a significant role in defining the ambiance of a room. If you’re looking to add some flair, sophistication, or a modern touch to your living room, false ceiling […]
A thoughtful U shaped modular kitchen design can enhance functionality, and aesthetics in your kitchen, as well as in the dining and breakfast areas. With the various modular kitchen options available in India, the following ideas can help you envision your customized U shaped modular kitchen design. 1) Explore Neutral Color Palette The kitchen’s neutral […]
Indian homes place equal importance on pooja room door designs as they do on main door designs. With diverse and unique ethnic backgrounds, every family strives to reflect their personalities and identities in their designs. These identities can encompass religious or spiritual interests, local contexts, or other personal elements. This series of blogs, featuring 50 […]
The integration of screening evergreen trees serves as an artful blend of practicality and natural beauty. These screening evergreen trees, with their lush foliage and diverse benefits, play a crucial role in enhancing privacy. It also blocks unwanted views, and contributes to the overall well-being of homeowners. From the majestic Jamun trees to the versatile […]
Gate Design is an important feature of any home. Numerous scopes for experimentation open up when delving into the design possibilities. Materials like wood and black steel are popular options in Indian homes. At the same time, designers also experiment with a combination of materials that suits their aesthetic. Buying mass-produced Sydney automated gates has […]
Hyderabad is a city that boasts a rich and diverse architectural heritage that has been shaped by its history and cultural influences. The city has been ruled by various dynasties, including the Qutb Shahis, the Mughals, and the Nizams, who have all left their mark on its architecture and influenced young architects in Hyderabad. The […]
Brutalism is an architectural style from the 50s and 60s that began in the United Kingdom. Brutalist Architecture can be elaborated as raw with no ornamentation and exposed building materials used in a monolithic way. Majorly showcasing the concrete in its raw beauty employed in various geometric shapes. Since the beginning of the revolutionary composite […]
The word “Vastu” refers to the dwelling place of humans and gods, while “shastra” means science or knowledge, hence Vastu Shastra for house is the science of architecture. Vastu Shastra for house is an ongoing practice in India since one can remember. Almost every architect and designer wields it in conceptualizing their projects. Vastu Shastra provides […]