Optimum Temperature for Wine Coolers
Preventing wine from oxidizing is the key to storing wine for a long time. Over half the wines sold in the United States are meant for immediate consumption, and storing them on the counter or in the refrigerator is okay. For long-term storage, use a wine cooler set between 40 and 65 degrees, with an ideal temperature of 55 degrees. Does this Spark an idea?
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Temperature
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It is important to maintain constant temperature when storing wine. High temperatures cause wine to oxidize, and this ruins their taste. Keep your wine cool by keeping your wine cooler at a constant temperature. Temperature fluctuations heat and cool the wine, causing the bottle's contents to expand and putting pressure on the cork. This will allow air into the bottle, resulting in oxidation of the wine.
Humidity
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Humidity between 55 and 80 percent maintains the integrity of the cork. Use a humidity-controlled wine cooler. Maintaining cool temperatures is good, but without humidity the cork will dry out. A dry cork allows air into the bottle and oxidizes the wine. Household refrigerators have low humidity, which makes them inadequate for long-term storage of wine. Humidity recommendations range from 55 to 80 percent, with an ideal humidity of 60 percent.
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Other Storage Considerations
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Store wine on its side in the dark. Ultraviolet light oxidizes the wine and can be more damaging than temperature. For storage of wine for more than a week, keep the wine in the dark. When buying wine for long-term storage (more than a year), request bottles that have not been on the store shelf.
Do not store the bottle standing up. A bottle laying on its side, keeps the cork from drying out. A dry cork allows air into the bottle, and is bad for the wine.
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References
- Photo Credit four wine glasses with white wine image by Arkady Ten from Fotolia.com bottle wine and glasses with a wine image by mashe from Fotolia.com the celebration of wine (3) image by iMAGINE from Fotolia.com bottles of wine in cellar image by Nikolai Sorokin from Fotolia.com
