Good Grapevine
My grapes are bursting with info and flavour for you to devour!

Whether your an passionate wine collector or just like to have a few bottles available for a party, a compact wine refrigerator is an ideal way to store your wine. The capacity of a wine refrigerator can range from six bottles up to 800 bottles; a compact wine refrigerator can fit under a cabinet or stand against a wall. Dual zone wine refrigerators are readily available and these can store different styles of wines at different temperatures for long-term aging or drinking.

For the many people who do not have the space to build a mini wine cellar, a compact wine refrigerator can provide an ideal solution. A compact under-bench wine refrigerator will maintain wines at the ideal temperature and it should be remembered that even those wines that are best served at room temperature should be stored in a cool environment to protect the integrity of the wine.

The advantage of a dual zone wine refrigerator is its ability to store different types of wines in the same unit. The recommended storage temperature for white wines is between 46 and 54 degrees Farenheit and for red wines it is 54 to 64 degrees Farenheit. As well as offering best practice temperature control, a wine refrigerator also maintains the correct humidity for wine storage.

The Correct Way To Store Wine

All wine lovers understand that they must look after their wines and treat them with respect; this includes avoiding any vibration of the bottles, to protect the wine. Look for a good quality wine refrigerator that will be vibration free and one that may use internal LED lighting to further protect the wine.

Even low wattage bulbs can increase the temperature in an enclosed space like a compact wine refrigerator. Wines should ideally be stored in darkness, so the use of LED lights that do not emit any appreciable heat will assist in creating a better environment. Regardless of the type of lights you have, you should only open the wine refrigerator when necessary.

Most compact wine refrigerators have metal racks on which the bottles can lie tilted slightly towards the opening end to ensure the corks remain in contact with the wine. Depending on the space available for a wine refrigerator – from compact under-counter units that can hold up to a dozen bottles to larger furniture-style units with a capacity to store many hundreds of bottles – a wine refrigerator can protect your wine collection from the temperature, humidity and vibration hazards that can alter taste, hasten aging and reduce the appeal of your wine.

At his wine blog – ChrisOnWine – Chris Miley occasionally mentions wine refrigerators amongst many other wine topics.