Last month we talked about how to make the  wine experience last dealing with one of wine’s nemeses: Oxygen.  While still in bottle, there are several other elements to deal with to ensure it will be ready for the day you give it the nod and provide you will the fullest experience possible.  Those elements are light, temperature and humidity as defined also in an earlier post here.  It may sound complicated at times, but its cool to know that there are cooling options available for just about everyone from recreational drinkers with a cupboard under the stairs to long-term investors with a basement that can hold thousands of bottles.  For help in determining what type of storage is right for you, check this breakdown of the types of cooling units available.  ”Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it.”

WhisperKool

WhisperKool

For those of you who are into wine like Homer Simpson is into Donuts, the WhisperKool Platinum Split 8000ti may be a good option to consider.  Built for 1750 cubic feet of space (about a 15′ x 15′ room with 8′ ceiling, for example), this system separates the loud evaporator system from the main part of the cellar so that the wine cellar remains quiet.  If you read the FAQs to wine storage in the second link above, you will notice that vibration and noise is not good for wine either.  This system also uses a liquid bottle temperature probe to keep the room at 55°F more closely based on the bottle itself as opposed to just air temperature in order to maintain that perfect cellar environment.

CellarPro

IWA also offers CellarPro systems, which are more of an in-wall or in-cabinet installation.  CellarPro systems allow wine collectors to truly monitor and fully control the temperature and humidity inside their wine cellars and includes a “Quick Chill” mode.  They are versatile and can cool anywhere from 200 to 1500 cubic feet.

CellarPro

VinoChiller

The VinoChiller provides a ducted option for applications off all sizes which helps reduce vibration and noise as well.  The unit is self-contained and can be used in commercial as well as residential settings.  Additional options include an integrated humidifier as well as an option to implement a water cooled system.

VinoChiller

Need Help?

As always, you don’t have to make this decision on your own. IWA can help you every step of the way. Give their cellar consultants a call at 800-527-4072 and they can help you find the perfect cooling unit for your cellar, plus helpful advice for your installation.

“Keep cooly cool boy

Don’t get hot

‘Cause man you got

Some high times ahead

Take it slow

And Daddy-o

You can live it up” – Cool, West Side Story

Each storage module will hold 6 wine bottles which makes it easy to carry and transport from the wine shop in the upright position.  Once home, the modules can be simply stacked in the resting position on its side in your wine storage area, whether it be in a cabinet, closet, or under the stairwell.  The modules are sturdy and lock in place via preformed “stacking guides” and can be further supported by the use of corks.  See the video below to see the Storvino modular wine storage system in action and tell us your favorite ways to store and display wine in your household.

Also, for further information on the in’s and out’s of wine storage, check out this FAQ.

IWA offers many cooling units, so many, in fact, that it could be difficult to decide which one to get. Well, set aside those anxieties; I’m here to help. First let’s categorize them. It’s easy to sort them by price online if you’re on a tight budget and cost is the most important factor. Or you could sort by the size of your cellar and narrow things down that way. But what about arranging them by Good, Better & Best. You know that if you go and buy a car, you’re going to have a different experience with owning a Chevy versus a Toyota versus a Mercedes. Each car manufacturer has different prices, levels of service, quality, reliability and overall satisfaction. The same can be said for wine cooling units.

Good

If your needs are pretty basic, your budget is tight and the space you’re cooling is small, then the Koolspace units are the answer. It’s no frills, basic cooling that is quiet, small and energy efficient. So small in fact, that you could easily mount this in the space above the cellar door.

Koolspace koolR

Better

The next step up are the Breezaire units. These units are great if you have a larger space, or desire a split system that separates the evaporator from the condensor, without costing more than your wine collection.

Breezaire

Best

These manufacturers are the top-of-the-line in terms of reliability, customer service and overall satisfaction. They’ll service from small cabinet sized cellars all the way up to large room-sized cellars as well as those wine cellars in extreme conditions. They’re also some of the quietest and most energy efficient units around. Plus, these units have the bells and whistles you want with some optional accessories available including probes, remote displays and controls, and outside condenser housings. They’re listed here by the size space they can cool, from small to large.

CellarPro

WhisperKool

VinoChiller

Call Us

You don’t have to make this decision on your own. We’re here to help every step of the way. Give our cellar consultants a call at 800-527-4072 and they can help you find the perfect cooling unit for your cellar, plus helpful advice for your installation.

Q: What are the ideal conditions to properly store my wine collection?

A: There are three issues that will affect the proper storage of wine: light, temperature and humidity. UV rays from light will damage wine by breaking down the organic compounds in wine that contribute to its aroma, flavor and overall structure. An ideal location should be dark. Humidity is a consideration because of the corks used in sealing wine bottles. A relative humdity of 60% – 70% is ideal. Low humidity can lead to failures in the cork seal and then the low humidity condition would cause faster evaporation of the wine. Assuming we can find a dark place with sufficient humidity, temperature is the most important factor in properly storing wine. A cool stable temperature keeps wine from aging too rapidly and preserves its characteristics. Most European wine caves have a naturally occurring temperature of about 13º Celsius or about 55º Fahrenheit with about ±1º fluctuation. Since wine has been historically stored at this temperature with great success, 55ºF is the ideal temperature most experts agree on.

Q: What happens if I store my wine at room temperature?

A: Quite simply, it will age faster with unpredictable results. As wine sits in a bottle, a chemical change is occurring with the compounds in the wine. This change is natural and over time alters the aromas and flavors in a wine. This change is what makes wine a living thing and continues to make it interesting year after year. If we were to give a value to the rate of change in a wine, where a factor of 1.0 equals the change in wine stored at the ideal temperature, then wine stored between 55ºF to 59ºF would change at a rate of about 1.2 to 1.5. If you stored your wine at a room temperature of about 73ºF, it would change at a rate of 2.1 to 8.0. What do all these numbers mean? Well, if you store your wine at 59ºF, after 4 years your wine will have aged the equivalent of wine stored at 55ºF for 6 years. That same wine stored at 73ºF for 4 years will have aged the equivalent of wine stored at 55ºF for 8 years to as much as 32 years! 8 times faster than wine stored at the ideal temperature. And for comparison, wine stored at over 91ºF will change at a rate of over 56. That means that a wine stored for just 3 months at 91ºF will age the equivalent of wine stored at 55ºF for 14 years! That’s a significant change in the span of what amounts to one summer in Texas. If you have a small collection and you generally consume your red wine within a year or two, keeping your wine in a cool dark closet should be fine.

Q: If 55ºF is a good temperature for wine, wouldn’t 40ºF be even better?

A: Not necessarily. 40ºF is the typical temperature of a household refrigerator. Just as higher temperatures increase the rate of change in a wine’s characteristics, a lower temperature would decrease that change. Many winemakers will tell you that bottle aging will improve many wines and often recommend waiting a few years for tannins to soften and flavors to open up. If you store a wine too cold, that change may never occur. As said previously, storing wine in a bottle produces chemical changes. At 55ºF, these changes occur in a well-orchestrated manner and historically produces desirable results. However, at 40ºF, some chemical changes are slowed to the point where they effectively don’t happen while other chemical changes will still occur. The changes in the wine are now unbalanced or out-of-sync and could produce undesirable aromas and flavors. Therefore, it’s probably best to store wine in a cellar and not in a refrigerator.

Q: Can’t I just put a cooling unit in my room or closet to keep my wine cool?

A: No. Since the room will be cooled to 55º-59ºF it needs to be properly insulated and have an adequate vapor barrier installed. A vapor barrier is an often misunderstood yet important component to a wine room and as a result is often omitted or installed incorrectly. The vapor barrier performs three major functions in a wine cellar: 1) it protects the structure and insulation from condensation damage, 2) it prevents air leakage, and 3) maintains proper humidity levels inside the room. In order for a vapor barrier to work properly, it must be installed on the warm side of the insulation. This is because condensation occurs as water vapor moves from the warm side of the wall to the cold side. If a vapor barrier is installed on the cold side, it traps moisture inside the envelope, making moisture problems worse and possibly causing wood rot in the supporting structure.

Q: Don’t the wine bottles need to be on their side because the corks need to stay wet?

A: Not really. Recent studies have shown that Champagne is best stored upright and another study that was conducted on still wine over a 2 year period showed there was virtually no negative effect to the wine. No study has been done beyond 2 years so for long term storage it’s best to have them lying down, but this study shows that there is more of a gray area than some people have been led to believe.

Is there a question I didn’t cover? Feel free to give one of our knowledgeable sales consultants a call at (800) 527-4072 to get your questions answered. Or become our fan on Facebook and ask us your question online.

All of our IWA wine cellar consultants are prepared with the most up-to-date information in regards to your cooling unit and wine storage needs. They’ll help you design a wine cellar specifically for your needs. Give them a call at (800) 527-4072 to discuss your cellar project.