Can I store wine in my kitchen refrigerator? Why do I need a wine cooler or wine refrigerator, can't my kitchen refrigerator be used? These are very common wine storage questions asked by many people.
The basics of proper wine storage include: an ambient, constant temperature of around 55 °F, proper humidity levels, no direct natural or artificial light that will warm the wine bottle and no to minimal vibrations. Versus a wine cooler, a kitchen refrigerator is too cold (typically 35 to 40° Fahrenheit versus a recommended 55 degrees for wine storage), has too low a humidity level and is more prone to vibrations and constant usage. A kitchen refrigerator does not provide the same ideal, constant temperature and humidity environment that a wine refrigerator provides.
A recent posting on Wine Spectator’s revolved around this issue. The question was asked, "Would it hurt to put a white wine in a regular refrigerator for a year?" The response, from the magazine’s Peter D. Meltzer, was:
"The principal reason why you cannot store white wine for up to a year in a refrigerator is because the humidity is too low. That could cause the hermetic seal between the cork and the neck of the bottle to deteriorate, potentially resulting in oxidation. There’s also the chance that ambient smells from other products in your refrigerator (onions, boiled eggs, or fish, for example) could alter the flavor of your wine. Finally, the interior temperature of an average refrigerator is programmed around 35° F, whereas a professional wine storage unit is set at 55° F. The extreme cold may cause a precipitate of tartrate crystals, a crystalline substance that forms in the bottom of the bottle that could cloud your wine when poured. Use your refrigerator to chill your wine, not to store it."
Invest in a wine cooler or wine refrigerator and provide the perfect wine storage and wine aging environment. You will enjoy the fruits of the wine cooler’s labors.
Published 11/6/2009 12:00:00 AM
Tags: Wine Storage, Wine Aging, Temperature, Humidity