The benefits of a wine cooler (fridge, cabinet)
Like all natural and prerishable produce, wine reacts to its environment, which is why a wine cabinet can be so important for anyone who wants to store their wine well and manage its maturity and character improving the aroma, flavour and complexity, whether that's for a week, a year or a couple of decades
Side storage
Bottles should always be stored on their side so that the wine is in contact with the cork. This keeps the cork moist and ensures a good air seal for the bottle, preventing oxidation and immediate ageing of the wine. Ullage is the gap between the cork and the wine in the bottle when it is upright. Wine benefits best from side storage if the level of the wine is at least to the upper shoulder of the bottle when upright.
Humidity control
The perfect condition for long term storage of your collection is a relative humidity of 65%. But somewhere between 55% and 80% is fine. Low humidity levels dry out the side of the cork in contact with the air which allows oxygen through to the wine, and also allows wine to seep into the cork. High humidity levels cause mold which can produce damaging odours and can destroy labels. It is difficult to control humidity, but wine coolers (fridges, cabinets) with fan-circulated system help. In a humid environment, air circulation is vital to keep humidity consistency and prevent bacterial growth. Mold deteriorates corks and also causes damaging odour. Strong smelling components and foods can penetrate a weak cork and change a wine's character. In a wine cooler with fan-circulated system, the cool air is fan circulated, and vented through the base plinth of most models to discourage bacterial growth and odours by introducing a continual fresh air supply.
Vibration free
Too much vibration can disturb a wine's sediment balance. Suspended sediments occur naturally as the wine ages and it is possible for vibration to turn them back into liquid form which is counterproductive. Vibrations can also break down the molecular structure of a wine's chemical components. The cooling mechanism within the cabinets is a high quality low-vibration compressor, fitted with an anti-vibration rubber gasket. This provides an efficient, no-frost system.
Non-UV light
Ultraviolet light causes premature ageing of wine by degrading the otherwise stable organic compounds, especially the tannins. It's a condition known as "Light Strike" and it can affect the aroma, flavour and wine structure, leaving some wines tasting and smelling like garlic or wet wool. So it's best to keep your wine in the dark, especially if it is in clear or pale glass bottles, or if you are storing sparkling wines. Avoid sunlight and fluorescent lighting in particular, as these both contain the particularly damaging wavelengths of ultraviolet light below 400nm. LED (white or blue) lighting in COLTEK wine cooler is not only extremely eye-catching and stylish, it is also a practical choice for wine storage as it is completely ultraviolet free. Another benefit of LED lighting, is that it has no heat output so the temperature of the wine is not affected either.
Temperature consistency
As important as what the temperature is, is consistency. If the temperature goes up and down, the organic components in the wine can be affected. The cork can shrink or swell too especially in older wines with less elastic corks. Most of COLTEK wine cooler models are fitted with either dual heaters or a PTC heater to raise the internal temperature of the cabinet should the surrounding temperature fall considerably. This keeps a steady temperature, regardless of how hot or cold it is in the room outside. The air inside the cabinet is also fan-circulated to ensure that the temperature distribution is consistent throughout.