Wine cooler for storage

Wine storage cooler

The definition of a wine storage cabinet is a cabinet that reproduces the optimal wine cellar as accurately as possible. In other words, a wine cabinet that provides the best possible conditions for the long-term storage of wine.

The perfect wine cellar has a stable temperature, no light, no vibrations and relatively high humidity. These can be found to perfection in a cave underground or deep in a mountain.

Such conditions can be a little difficult to access for a normal, deadly wine enthusiast.

A wine cooler for storing wine for a long time

Luckily, the perfect conditions for the cellar can be copied in an electronic and portable version. Wine coolers for the long-term storage of wine meet a number of basic requirements for the long-term storage of wine.

The basic conditions for storing wine for a long time are relatively simple, which is why we have designed our definition of a wine storage cabinet based on these criteria. This will help you in your search for a wine cabinet for the long term.

How to find a wine cabinet for long-term wine storage

First and foremost, a wine storage cabinet is all about making good use of the capacity of the wine cabinet, because one thing is certain: your wine collection is growing faster than you think. Just like digital storage, you’ll need more space surprisingly quickly. So it makes sense to think big from the start.

Secondly, only a single temperature zone is needed if you are going to recreate the conditions in a real wine cellar. Whether the wine you’re hiding is red, white, sweet or bubbled, a stable temperature between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius is the best, and all wine cabinets can deliver that kind of temperature.

The same applies to shaking. All wine cabinets with compressor cooling have the compressor mounted on silicone suspension to eliminate the vibrations in the cabinet. It is simply standard equipment in any wine cooler today.

Storage cooler for wine with low energy consumption 

When talking about long-term storage of wine in a wine cabinet, energy consumption is an important criterion for many. Since a wine storage cabinet will hold your loved ones bottles over a very long period of time, a wine cabinet with a sensible energy consumption will be worth considering.

Therefore, low energy consumption is one of the main criteria for whether a wine cabinet can be categorised as a storage cabinet with us.

Humidity in wine cooler

When seeking to duplicate conditions in an optimal wine cellar, humidity is a factor to consider. To ensure the cork’s flexibility, it is a good idea to ensure a humidity of around 65–75%. In comparison, 30–65% is recommended in a normal home (low in winter and higher in summer).

If you want a decidedly controlled humidity system in your wine cooler, it can be quite a costly affair. As a starting point, very few manufacturers have a control system for air humidity. If you have plenty of space in your wardrobe, you can also buy an air humidifier from Steba.

For your home needs, a small glass of water will do just fine in your wine cooler. At the very bottom and deepest, position it close to the compressor, where the relative heat radiation is greatest. In this way, moisture evaporates best in the entire cabinet. On the other hand, if the cupboard is too moist, a cup of freshly ground coffee or salt can absorb moisture.

If necessary, monitor the humidity in the wine cabinet using a hygrometer or the super smart Sensorist system. Your wine will not be significantly damaged by unstable humidity, as long as it is not too dry for a long period of time.

Light rays and wine

After air and oxidation, light is the biggest enemy of wine. Champagne in particular and to some extent rosé in clear bottles can be damaged by ultraviolet rays from the sun’s light, and there is even a phenomenon called the taste of light (Go lumière/Lightstrike). It is actually the UV rays from the sun’s light that are harmful, and we can do something about that quite easily.

Films that filter UV rays are now quite normal in wine coolers with glass doors. So where wine cabinets with fixed doors have previously been deliberately chosen for the sake of light protection, it is no longer necessary.

How wine should be stored

If you want to store your wines for a long time under optimal conditions, you should consider a wine storage cabinet. If you would like to read more about wine storage, you can read our sommelier’s guide to wine storage.

Instead, if you are looking for a wine cabinet with more than one temperature zone, so that you always have temperate red wine and cold white wine at hand, you should look at our wine coolers with two temperature zones.