'Temperature' is one of the most important of all factors that affect the quality of a wine. The fact that the knowledge of wine storage is unknown to 90% of folks has caused many to store wines improperly, affecting the taste and flavour of many wines out there.
Perhaps you're looking to stock up some of your favourite wines in your home, bar, etc, then you're on the right page to get the heads up on how to store these wines perfectly and what temperature to set your wine fridge at.
On this page, we will walk you through an in-depth wine storage temperature guide to effectively store your bottle of wines. So, keep reading.
Wine Cooler Temperatures Recommendations
Here are the optimum storage temperatures for each type of wine:
|
Wine |
Storage Temperature |
|
11oC < 18oC |
|
|
White Wine |
7oC < 11oC |
|
Champagne |
5oC < 8oC |
Best Wine Storage Options
There are three recommended methods to store wines without damaging them. They are;
- Wine Cellar
- A Makeshift Closet Wine Cellar
- Cabinet or Refrigerator
Any of these storage options can be employed either at home, in a bar, or restaurant.
Find more about them below...
Wine Cellar
The wine cellar wine storage option is one of the most cost-effective methods to store wines. In this case, wines are stored in a room that has a perfect temperature and humidity balance maintained by a climate control system.
This can be used in homes, bars, and restaurants. Plus, it allows the arrangement of wines in various ways. While some people prefer to arrange wine bottles and cases by their region, others arrange it by vintage, wine brands, and more.
However it's by far the most expensive option.
Smaller Wine Cupboard
This method of wine storage allows wine enthusiasts to store wines either in small or large quantities easily. To store your wine using this option, you only need a walk-in cupboard, wardrobe, or a small room.
Note: This option isn't ideal for long-term storage, as temperature can't be controlled.
Wine Cabinet or Fridge
The wine cabinet or refrigerator storage option is very popular amongst wine professionals and merchants, as it's very effective for maintaining the perfect temperature of wine without compromising its quality. Besides, this storage option is available in various sizes and dimensions, and can even be used in homes by wine lovers.
This makes a wine fridge the best wine storage option for most people.
Optimum Wine Storage Conditions
The recommended conditions for storing wines are;
- Ventilation
- Keep Away From Light & Vibrations
- Store Horizontally
- Keep a Balanced Humidity
Ventilation
Sufficient ventilation in wine storage is essential, as this prevents musty odour that can taint the wine and cork from entering it.
Keep Away From Light & Vibrations
From research, it's recommended that wine is always kept in a dark cool room. This is because direct light (sunlight/fluorescent ) is a factor that causes wines to age prematurely, and change aroma, taste, and colour, resulting in total damage.
If you don't have a dark room, you can also wrap the wine bottle completely using a cloth or keep it inside a box with the absence of light.
Vibrations are also damaging to wine, so store them in a low vibration area and try not to move them too often.
Store Horizontally
The way to place your wine could also affect it. Wine specialists recommend that wine should be positioned horizontally, as this will prevent the cork from drying or shrinking. However, this positioning doesn't matter if it's an opened wine.
Keep a Balanced Humidity
High humidity usually causes wine labels to lose and mould to develop. Thus, to prevent this, it's recommended your wine storage has a humidity up to 70%. This can be monitored using a thermo-hygrometer.
Related: Can I Store My White Wines with Red Wines?
How long can wine be stored?
There's a popular saying that wine improves over time. But the fact is only a few do, and this only works for expensive wines. Besides, the duration that wine can be stored varies depending on the wine.
While regular red wine storage duration varies from 2-10 years depending on the acid, sugar, and tannin content of the wine, white wines have a storage duration of 2-3 years. Champagne, on the other hand, can be stored for up to 20 years.
Other Wine Storage Tips
Following these tips will help you maintain the quality of your wine when preserved. So, keep reading!
- Wines require an accurate temperature to maintain their taste and flavour. Thus, always ensure to store your wine at an ideal temperature, as it'll help prevent them from losing quality.
- When serving wine, ensure to adjust the temperature up or down to a decent serving temperature. This would help enhance the aroma and flavour of the wine when sipping.
- Basically, the ideal number of days an opened wine lasts is within the range of 3-5 days. However, if you're looking to keep it for a longer period, then you should recork it properly, and tightly. You can recork wine by using wax paper!
- Never store wine in a freezer for any reason. Yes, this could damage the quality of the wine totally or even lead to the wine freezing, thus, causing the wine bottle to break.
- Use plastic protectors or cellar sleeves to protect wine bottle labels, especially when storing in damp or moist storage.
Related: How To Store Organic Wine
How to Store Wine in a Wine Cooler/Fridge
Wine refrigerators, also known as wine coolers are of different types and are also available in different sizes.
Single Zone Wine Cooler Temperature
If you've got limited space in your home, but you still need an effective wine refrigerator to store your small collection of wines, a single-zone wine refrigerator is a great option for you.
This kind of refrigerator provides an even temperature to all wines stored in it. But as we all know, the storage temperature for wines varies.
So, to ensure you don't compromise your wine's quality, we recommend setting the temperature at 54oF (12oC) when using a single-zone refrigerator.
Read our full guide on red wine storage temperature
Dual Zone Cooler Wine Fridge Temperature
Dual-zone wine fridges or red and white wine fridges on the other hand, have more space compared to single-zone refrigerators, and it eases the process of storing different wines.
Besides, you can set different temperatures for each zone depending on the wine you stored in them.
Recommended Storage Temperature When Using Dual Zone Refrigerator
- Red Wine - 50oF (11oC) - 65oF(18oC)
- Other Wines (White wine & Champagne)- 45oF (7oC) - 50oF(11oC)
Best Temperature for a Wine Fridge
As stated earlier, the storage temperature for wines varies from one wine to the other. So, to avoid your wine from losing quality, it's highly recommended you set the wine fridge temperatures by yourself.
The highest temperature to set your wine fridge is 64 °F (18°C), while the lowest temperature should be 45 °F (7°C).
To learn how to set a wine fridge temperature, we recommend you refer to the fridge guide.
Read our expert guide on how to store white wine.
Wine Serving Temperatures
The recommended serving temperature for all wines varies. While some are best served at room temperature, others are better when chill. Read on to find the best serving temperature for different types of wines.
Red Wine Serving Temperatures
The general serving temperature for red wines is when they're at room temperature. However, when warmer, they tend to give those fruity flavours and mouth-watering aromas of a quality red wine. Thus, we recommend the serving temperature of red wine be within the range of 62oF to 68oF.
You can easily attain this temperature for a red wine stored at room temperature by chilling it in a standard fridge for 30 minutes. Red wines stored in a refrigerator, on the other hand, should be warm for a maximum of 30 minutes.
White Wine Serving Temperatures
Unlike red wines, white wines taste better when served chilled, and the recommended serving temperature for white wine is within the range of 49°F - 55°F.
To attain the ideal serving temperature for your white wine, you can store it in a wine cooler or dip it in a wine bucket with ice.
Champagne Serving Temperatures
Champagne, on the other hand, should be served at temperatures between 46.4°F and 50°F.
However, only a wine fridge or wine bucket should be used to attain such a serving temperature, as using a freezer could cause the bottle of champagne to chatter due to the bubbles in it.
Besides, do not serve champagne using a pre-chilled gas, as it will tend to compromise the aroma and taste of the champagne, thus, causing it to lose some bubbles.
Wine Fridge Temperatures
The process of setting the ideal temperature for different wine fridges is very simple. So read on to find how to set the best temperature for different kinds of wine using each fridge.
Single Zone Wine Fridge
As stated earlier, we recommend setting the temperature of a single-zone wine fridge at 55°F.
This storage temperature is ideal for all kinds of wines, as it will allow you to easily chill or warm the wine depending on your choice.
However, if you're looking to maintain an even serving temperature for a particular wine stored in a single-zone cooler, it's best you set the temperature using the wine serving temperature range mentioned on this page.
Dual Zone Wine Fridge
Dual-zone fridges are ideal options for folks looking to store a variety of wines more efficiently. With this kind of wine fridge, you can store, chill, and warm different bottles of wines simultaneously.
Red wine should be kept at storage temperature (58°F) in Zone A, while Zone B should be at serving temperature. So, whenever you're ready to drink the wine, you can move it to the second zone and leave it for 30 minutes to reach serving temperature.
White wines also should be stored in the same manner but at a temperature of 58°F, and should be moved to zone B a few hours before serving.
If you're looking to store both white wines and red wines, then you should set the storage temperature for each zone in the fridge slightly higher or lower than the regular temperature of each wine.
Wines should be set at a temperature within the range of 52°F while 58°F perfect average to store both wines and keep them closer to their ideal serving temperature.
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