Do You Know The Wine Cooler Temperature Ideal For Wine Storage
There are several factors that can affect wine flavor, one of which is wine storage temperature. To get the best wine experience, wine drinkers should store their wine in an environment that is at 55 degrees Fahrenheit or slightly below since this will keep your wine out of its danger zone. But its not always easy to determine the proper wine cooler temperature.
There are so many models available in the market today, and they all have different settings. Some wine coolers dont even give you an option to choose between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Knowing what wine cooler temperature is ideal for your wines becomes easier said than done with these things in mind.
Here are some helpful guidelines when choosing a specific wine cooler temperature:
- 59°F 64°F for white wine, which you can store for up to 2 years.
- 55°F 59°F for rosé wine which you may store for up to 24 months.
- 50°F 55°F for red wine, which you can store for up to 18 months.
- 53°F is the ideal wine cooler temperature for average wine storage of 1 3 years.
Note: When wine is stored at a higher temperature, its natural flavors and taste become stronger and muted over time, and it becomes fruitier than intended. If your wine tastes bland or has lost its flavor, then this is most likely the reason why.
Wine Cooler Temperature: Advanced
To set wine cooler temperature properly, you should also consider your wines age, grape variety, who bottled it, and where it was made. For example, some wines may have better aging potential when stored at slightly colder wine cooler temperatures of around 48 to 50 degrees compared to other wines, which might be best suited for wine fridge storage conditions of around 55 degrees.
However, this only applies if the wine hasnt been aged already, as most red wines do not start out being stored at optimal white wine refrigerator conditions until they have had about six months of initial wine cellar aging. Therefore, you should always consult wine storage wine cooler temperature recommendations from wine manufacturers and wine bottle labels before setting wine fridge temperature if possible.
Single Zone Vs Dual Zone Wine Coolers
Whats the difference between single and dual zone wine coolers?
Single zone wine coolers have one temperature control and the storage space is undivided, so the whole cooler is set to the same temperature. This style is best if you tend to keep only white or only red wines, since they dont have the same optimal temperatures. Dual zone wine coolers have two temperature controls and the storage space is divided into sections which may be set to their own temperatures. This style is ideal for keeping both reds and whites without resorting to two wine coolers.
What is the best way to store white and red wines in the same cooler?
Typically, white wines should be stored in the temperature range of 46°F to 56°F and red wines will be stored between 58°F to 68°F. The best way to accommodate both wines within the same unit is to purchase a dual zone wine cooler.
A dual zone cooler will allow you to maintain two distinct and separate temperature zones within the same cooler. Many times a dual zone unit will offer a larger storage capacity for one style of wine over the other so be sure to purchase the unit that best suits your individual drinking preference. You may of course store both red and white wines together in a single zone unit.
May I use a wine cooler to store my other beverages?
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Winewares Wine Storage Temperature Guide
- Ideal storage temperatures: Red Wine: 12C < 19C, White Wine: 8C < 12C, Champagne: 5C < 8C.
- Purpose-built wine rooms and wine refrigerators provide the best conditions to store wine.
- Wine is best stored in a dark room, vibration-free and humidity under 70%.
You should store wine at the correct temperature to ensure a wines flavour and the balance remains. You dont want a wine to age prematurely or be ruined by its storage conditions, so it is essential to know the optimal wine storage temperatures and conditions for your bottles of wine.
Extreme fluctuations in temperature most often damage wines. You can prevent this with Winewares Wine Storage Temperature Guide, which provides valuable information on how best to store your bottles of wine.
Are you looking to store wine in your own home, restaurant or bar? Our handy wine storage guides can help!
Best Temperature To Store White Wine
Unlike red wine, the flavors of white wines and roses are enhanced by cool temperatures. The average wine storage temperature chart recommends storing white wine between 50°F and 60, with 55 considered perfect.
These cooler temps actually lift the delicate flavors of most whites. But beware of the standard refrigerator when storing white wine: colder temperatures can mute some of its more fragile nuances. This is why a wine cooler is so essential for keeping whites at their best.
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Optimal Wine Storing Temperatures
Wineware has provided this information as a general guide to help you store your wine remember this is not the case for all wines and should only be used as a rough guide.
The perfect temperature depends on various factors, including how much fruit, alcohol, and tannin the wine contains. As a general rule of thumb, wine should be stored around 11-14c . Wine storage temperatures should never go over 24c as otherwise, wines begin to oxidise, which negatively affects the wine.
A wine storage temperature should always be kept as constant as possible as fluctuations can cause severe damage to the wine. A bottle of wine needs a constant temperature all year round to mature correctly.
Wineware has provided the tables below to help you know the optimum storage temperature for your wine .
Wine Aging And Humidity
What are the optimal conditions for aging wine?
Wine ages through a complex process of subtle chemical reactions that require specific conditions for optimal results. These conditions are a stable temperature around 55°F, a relative humidity around 70%, and protection from direct light. Even short exposures to temperature extremes can cause wine to age poorly as unwanted chemical reactions are created. For these reasons, a cellar is the ideal environment for aging wine.
- Read More:6 Tips For Starting a Wine Cellar
How can I achieve the best aging results from my wine cooler?
The most important thing you can do is to keep the temperature at a stable 55°F its crucial to eliminate variations in temperature. Look for a cooler with UV-tinted glass to minimize light disturbance to your wine, and store the cooler in a dark place. To maintain a humidity around 70%, look for a wine cooler that features humidity control or heavy insulation to help maintain a constant humidity. At the minimum, humidity must be kept at 50% to prevent corks from drying out.
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The 411 On Wine Cooler Temperature Settings
If you have a single-zone model, the ideal temperature for a wine cooler should be 54 to preserve both red and white wines. However, the best wine coolers have dual temperature zones to achieve the ideal settings specific to each wine. Well specify the right wine cooler temperature settings for red, white, and sparkling wines and why theyre so important.
White Wine Service Temperature
Opposite of red wine, most people will tell you that white wine needs to be served chilled rather than at room temperature. And while this is true, there is also a sweet spot in terms of the best temperature for white wines.
Serving white wines between 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit will give you the best flavor profile possible for these types of wines. This is why its also important not to store your white wines in your traditional refrigerator.
Typical household refrigerators will keep your food at around 35-37 degrees. At this temperature your food is just warm enough to not freeze, but cool enough to keep it preserved for longer periods of time. The downside to this though is that your wine will also end up at those temperatures, which is a touch cooler than youd like to serve it.
We suggest storing your white wine outside of the refrigerator and then placing in the fridge about 30 minutes or so before you intend to serve it. This will allow the temperature of the white wine to cool down without giving it a chance to reach the lowest point.
The exception to this is if you have a wine cooler/fridge. Wine coolers or wine refrigerators are specifically designed to keep your wines at a certain temperature. So you can set your wine cooler to hold at around 45 degrees and it will keep your white wine cool up until you serve it.
If your white wine gets too cold it can cause it to lose some of its flavor, while serving white wine warm will cause it to become dull.
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Dual Zone Wine Fridge Temperature Settings
A dual zone wine fridge has two compartments with different temperature settings, so you can store both red and white wines at their optimal temperatures. The upper compartment should generally be between 53.6-57.2°F for white and sparkling wines, while the lower compartment should be set to slightly warmer temperatures between 54-58°F for red wines.
Wine Storage Temperature And Humidity
Even more of a problem is the lack of humidity in standard refrigerators. This dry environment is likely to cause the cork in your bottle to dry out and the wine within may become oxidised, as a result.
A dried cork also ceases to protect your wine from surrounding odours, of which there are many in a regular fridge. You want to pair your wine with Stilton cheese, but you do not want necessarily your wine smelling like Stilton cheese.
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Sparkling Wine Serving Temperatures
Sparkling wines should also be served chilled, as the bubbles will be more refreshing and the flavors more pronounced at a lower temperature. If you’re serving sparkling wine from the fridge, take it out about 20-30 minutes before you plan to serve it, so it has time to warm up slightly. The serving temperature of most sparkling wines coincides with the serving temperature of champagne.
What Should You Look For In A Wine Fridge
One of the most important reasons to have a wine fridge is temperature control. Keeping wine in a literal cellar has its benefitsthe ideal cellaring temp is between 45 and 55 degreesand having a fridge can replicate that. Some fridges even have multiple temperature zones, which can be good if youre storing wines with different needs or for different purposes. These are wines that tend to be a bit more expensive or fragile, like white wines that already had some age when I purchased them, Eastman explains. Or really cool natural wines that are lighter in style and that could use some time, which I worry about, because they dont have much sulfur and arent made in a conventional style, so they might be more fragile. Some argue that most wine is more resilient than we give it credit for, but many agree that wine typically shouldnt be stored over 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fridges also keep wines in a good place with regard to humidity. The reason bottles are often stored on their sides is that keeping the wine against the cork prevents the cork from drying out, which can compromise the wine. Furthermore, wine fridges are often dark like cellars, which helps prevent the wines from becoming lightstruck, a fault that occurs when the wine is exposed to too much sunlight or certain kinds of artificial light.
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The Best Temperatures For Red Wine As Well As White Wine:
1. Dessert Wines and Sparkling Wines:
The ideal serving temperature for champagnes and dessert wines is 40°F 45° F. This will help you achieve the fullest sweetness of these delicacies, so store them at this cool range in order to do their best work!
2. Medium-bodied Reds:
Can you keep your wine fresh and flavorful? One way to do it is by storing them at the lower temperature of 60°F 62 degrees Fahrenheit. As acids increase in a bottle, so does its charm! Famous medium-bodied reds like Merlot, Rioja, or Malbec are perfect candidates for this method as well. Its all thanks to tyrosine which breaks down into hydrogen sulfide gas when exposed too long on open shelves without being refrigerated .
3. Light-Bodied Whites:
These white wine glasses that are served cold have become the ultimate in refreshment. Theyre light and incredibly refreshing after drinking, so you can enjoy your Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio without sacrificing a thing! Store them at 46°F 48° F for maximum taste enhancement with minimal temperature loss from serving time.
4. Antique Reds and Fortified Wines:
5. Full-Bodied Whites and White Zinfandel:
6. Light-Bodied Reds and Rosés:
7. Full-Bodied Reds:
8. Medium-Bodied Whites:
Wine Temperature: The Ideal Temperature To Store And Serve Wine
McKenzie Hagan | February 27, 2020
Some rules are made to be broken. Only pairing red wine with red meat? Only drinking port after a meal? Theres no reason to limit yourself.
Drinking wine is about enjoying yourself, not following rules. However, when it comes to wine temperature, some rules do apply. And there are a few golden tips and tricks that can really make your favorite bottle pop.
Wine temperature has a considerable effect on wine flavor. While a glass of wine served at the proper temperature is a joy to savor, the wrong temperature can be a disaster for your wine collection.
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Don’t Store Wine In Direct Sunlight
Ultraviolet light can also damage wine. So, it’s important to store your wine away from direct sunlight, whether it’s in a wine cellar, wine cooler, or even the back of a cupboard. Get some incandescent bulbs and mount them on your wall. These bulbs create much less ultraviolet light as opposed to fluorescent bulbs.
What Temperatures Should I Set My Dual
Hello there! I’m Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don’t worry, I’m no wine snobyou can also ask me those “dumb questions” you’re too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don’t forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q& A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
I just bought my first dual wine cooler. What temperatures are best to set it at for the white side and the red side?
Patti, Henderson, Nevada
Dear Patti,
How someone uses a dual-zone wine cooler should depend on their drinking habits. But I would reserve at least one of the zones for long-term storage, at a standard 55° F. Keep in mind that that is the standard long-term storage guideline for both red and white wines. Luckily, I also find that 55° is pretty close to where I like to drink my red winesI just need to pull a bottle out about 30 minutes ahead of time to get to my ideal, 60°-ish zone.
Most other folksincluding mewould keep the other zone set for the serving temperature of white or sparkling wines, somewhere between 40° and 50° F .
Dr. Vinny
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Ideal Wine Serving Temperature
Even though some wines can be stored at the same temperature, they must be served at different temperatures, depending on their type. Some wines may taste better around room temperature, so you’ll need to warm them, while some taste better chilled.
The lighter your wine is, the colder it needs to be served. That’s where wine refrigerators become more useful, especially those with multiple cooling zones.
When You Connect Your Wine Cooler
When you first connect your wine cooler it will run a lot because it will have to work a lot to cool down all the bottles. The entire cooling system is also about to start running for the first time.
In the beginning you will experience that the wine cooler will sound louder than normal, as well as start and stop more times than normal.
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Also Great: Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone Wine Cellar
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,000.
The Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone has a design, dimensions, features, and price that are comparable to those of the Classic 80. But the Classic 70 also has a dividing shelf to create two distinct temperature zones. Although this means sacrificing space for wine storage, it also allows you to set each zone to your preferred serving temperatures .
There isnt a consensus on the best temperature at which to serve different styles of wine. But its generally accepted that white wines are best served at around 45 °F to 55 °F, and red wines at around 54 °F to 65 °F. Optimal serving temperatures may vary according to the type of wine youre drinking, however, so ask your wine shop or the winemaker if you have any questions.
As with the Classic 80, each of the Classic 70s dual zones can be set to temperatures in the 41 °F to 68 °F temperature range, and the Classic 70 has the same ambient temperature operating range of 61 °F to 90 °F. The Classic 70 looks almost identical to the Classic 80, and it has the same sliding, coated-wire-and-wood-finished shelves, touch-screen temperature-control panel, on/off blue LED lighting , bottom wooden display shelf, and lock. It comes with the same warranty and customer service as the Classic 80, tooa one-year warranty, with a three-year warranty on the sealed system parts phone consultations while youre shopping for a fridge and free white-glove delivery service .
