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Keeping wine under the right temperature is vital. Due to this, many resort to wine refrigerators instead of regular fridges to preserve wine. A wine fridge does an excellent job of keeping wines cold and fresh at a steady temperature. However, some people wonder about the temperature limit of a wine fridge.
Various wine fridges are available; some use thermoelectric coolers, while others use conventional compressors. Although the main concentration is usually on the fridge’s interior, the wine fridge’s environment is also essential.
A suitable temperature for storing wine is about 55°F (13°C), and most wine fridges operate within 40-67°F. Also, storing wine at too low or high temperatures can quickly destroy the wine’s quality. Therefore, it’s essential to use appropriate storage conditions to preserve your wine, and a wine fridge does that excellently.
Since we know that a wine fridge cools wine at an ideal temperature, let’s find out the temperature limit a wine fridge can get.
How Cold Does a Wine Fridge Get?
How Cold Does a Wine Fridge Get?While considering the minimum temperature limit of wine fridges, we should remember that wine fridges come in different sizes and features. Some feature multiple settings, while others have a single temperature setting.
A wine refrigerator can get as cold as 46°F, although this does not mean that you should keep wine at this temperature for long. Generally, it is best to store your wine at 52-57°F. Moreover, it is crucial to note that you should preserve white wines at a lower temp compared to red wines.
White wine requires a temperature between 47°F and 54°F, while red wines are best preserved at temperatures of 58°F to 67°F. However, there can be exceptions to this, so always confirm the recommended storage condition for your specific wine.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing
It’s important to be fully aware of the features to look out for in a wine fridge. As a result, we have compiled a list of crucial factors you need to look into before buying a wine refrigerator.
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Capacity
Choosing a wine fridge with a capacity that serves your needs is essential in getting the most from your appliance. Wine fridges have different capacities. The more wine bottles the fridge can hold, the larger it will be. Some factors determine the size of a wine fridge, such as the compartments and shelf spacing.
Depending on your love for wines and the type of wines you take, you will need to find one that can easily accommodate the bottles. For instance, if you are a lover of champagne, you will need to purchase a wine fridge that can accommodate large bottles.
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Temperature Zones
Wine refrigerators come in different settings, which include the temperature zone. Often, you will find single and dual-zone wine fridges. The single-zone fridges effectively preserve your wine. However, they are not as flexible as the dual-zone ones.
Meanwhile, others with a dual zone provide more flexibility by allowing you to store wine at multiple temperatures in different zones. The multi-zone wine refrigerator offers the best control as you can easily store wines at various levels of coolness in about four zones.
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Shelving Type
Some shelve types in wine coolers involve placing the wine bottle horizontally, while others do not. Shelve types in wine fridges usually include metallic and wooden shelves.
Consider the ease of sliding the shelves when purchasing wine fridges. Some wine refrigerators have shelves with sliding mechanisms that are not good enough. Although metal shelves are the most popular in wine fridges, they may make it uneasy to pull out the wine bottles. Therefore, you can opt for alternatives like wine fridges with wooden shelves with a favorable sliding mechanism.
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Budget
Considering your budget before buying a wine fridge helps streamline your options, making it easy to determine what you want. While we have expensive wine fridges with premium features, there are still some that will offer you excellent service at an affordable price.
If you have an eye for details, having a wine fridge with lots of features would be ideal. However, choosing a wine fridge that does not have extra features would be good if it is only for simple storage and personal use.
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Energy Efficiency
Getting an energy-efficient wine refrigerator reduces the impact of electricity bills. As a result, check the model you’re getting to if it’s energy-efficient.
Some energy-efficient features to look out for include LED lighting and cooling methods. LED lights using low temperatures are the most energy-efficient choice, and thermoelectric wine fridges conserve more electricity than compressors-based wine coolers.
Tips to Properly Store Wines in a Wine Fridge
For any wine to maintain its quality, it’s essential to follow guidelines on proper storage. Here are some tips for correctly storing your wine.
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Humidity
Excess or insufficient humidity can destroy your wine’s quality. Setting the right humidity prevents the cork from drying out. Moreover, it allows air into the wine. Ideally, the proper humidity level for preserving wine is 50 to 70%.
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Temperature
Wines vary in their optimal storage temperature, and it’s only necessary to store your wine at the right temperature. Find out the correct storing temperature for each type of wine.
For example, white wines require lower temperatures to keep them at optimal quality than red wines. Also, ensure there are no drastic changes in temperature, as it can cause the wine’s cork to loosen from the bottle.
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Vibration Exposure
Always avoid vibration as much as possible, as it can speed up chemical reactions in the stored wine. Severe vibration causes the wine to shake; hence, combining air with the wine leads to oxidation. Although most wine fridges have some protection against vibration, you can reduce vibration by properly storing your wine.
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Light Exposure
Always limit light exposure to wine, and be sure of the light bulb inside the wine fridge. Often, the bottle glass is insufficient to resist UV rays from destroying the wine content. Use incandescent light bulbs instead of fluorescent bulbs that direct UV radiation to the wine.
Conclusion
Wine refrigerators are the way to go in ensuring wines are preserved at their ideal temperatures. These wine fridges can go as low as 40°F for wines that need very low temperatures for cooling. You have to consider your budget and preference. Do you need a single, double, or multi-zone wine fridge? Once you’ve set the refrigerator to a suitable temperature, always try to maintain such conditions to avoid degrading your wine quality.
