Wine Fridges

There is nothing more relaxing on a hot summer’s afternoon than sitting with friends on a grassy lawn with some light cheese sandwiches and a bottle of chilled Chianti wine. As any wine connoisseur will tell you, it’s not only the vintage of the wine that counts but also whether it is chilled or not. In fact, you can often tell the difference between a good wine and its cheap imitation from how it tastes when it is taken out of the wine fridge. We could therefore say that the secret of good wine is found inside our wine fridges.

So what are wine fridges and how do they differ from regular fridges? Apart from the obvious, which is that you are not likely to find the remains of last week’s supper and a half-empty tin of peas inside a wine fridge, there are certain other differences.

First of all, wine fridges are supposed to provide the same conditions as a wine cellar. As most of us do not live in ancient Italian castles or English manor houses, we do not have a wine cellar at our disposal. And if we have a cellar at all, we probably use it to store tents, old strollers, spare bed-frames and similar items. Therefore, we are hardly likely to stick some wine bottles in there as well as it is hardly the correct conditions for storing them.

So, like a wine cellar, wine fridges maintain humidity and run at temperatures of between 12-18 degrees Celsius (53-64 degrees Fahrenheit). This is the correct temperature for serving wine. Any warmer may make the wine mature too quickly and spoil its taste, while if conditions are too cold, the wine may accumulate deposits, which could also ruin its quality.

Wine fridges are not only for trained connoisseurs or seasoned alcoholics. They are available to anyone, whether you are just an ordinary family wishing to enjoy the occasional glass of wine with friends, or a lover of fine wines who enjoys running wine-tasting conferences. They come in all sizes, for industrial or home use. Some are more suitable for storing wines for the short term like one or two years, while others are for more long-term storage.

One of the factors to take into account when buying wine fridges is space. How many bottles do you need to store? And which kind? Not all wines are stored in the same sized bottles. Burgundy and Champagne, for example, are stored in larger bottles than Bordeaux.

The interior is another important factor in wine fridges, as they must be well-insulated. Aluminum is probably the best material, and even though a glass door may look more elegant and allows you to see the wine, it is not as practical or as well-insulated as a solid door. If, however, you still would choose a heavy glass door, don’t forget to make sure that it has an ultra violet protective finish, as sunlight is dangerous for wine.

No matter which wine fridges you ultimately choose, you should drink your wine in good health!