If you’re short on space but have a growing wine collection a compact wine refrigerator is the ideal way to store it. With capacities ranging from eight bottles up to 800 bottles, a wine refrigerator can be located on or under a kitchen cabinet or or be placed against a wall as a piece of furniture. Dual zone wine refrigerators are readily available and these can store different styles of wines at different temperatures for long-term aging or drinking.
For the many people who do not have the space to build a mini wine cellar, a compact wine refrigerator can provide an ideal solution. A compact under-bench wine refrigerator will maintain wines at the ideal temperature and it should be remembered that even those wines that are best served at room temperature should be stored in a cool environment to protect the integrity of the wine.
The advantage of a dual zone wine refrigerator is its ability to store different types of wines in the same unit. The recommended storage temperature for white wines is between 46 and 54 degrees Farenheit and for red wines it is 54 to 64 degrees Farenheit. Besides providing temperature control, a compact wine refrigerator will maintain the correct humidity for storing wine.
Most wine lovers understand that they must treat their wines with respect and avoid vibration to the bottles to protect their wine. Look for a good quality wine refrigerator that will be vibration free and one that may use internal LED lighting to further protect the wine.
Even a low wattage bulb can increase the temperature in a space like a compact wine refrigerator. Because, ideally, wines should be stored in darkness, the use of LED lights that do not emit any appreciable heat will assist in creating a cooler and darker environment. It is recommended that you only open the wine refrigerator when necessary.
Most compact wine refrigerators have metal racks on which the bottles can lie tilted slightly towards the opening end to ensure the corks remain in contact with the wine. Depending on the space available for a wine refrigerator – from compact under-counter units that can hold up to a dozen bottles to larger furniture-style units with a capacity to store many hundreds of bottles – a wine refrigerator can protect your wine collection from the temperature, humidity and vibration hazards that can alter taste, hasten aging and reduce the appeal of your wine.
At his wine blog – ChrisOnWine – Chris Miley occasionally mentions wine refrigerators amongst many other wine topics.