Wine coolers: What You Need to Know
Wine coolers have the function to recreate the characteristics of a good natural cellar temperature, humidity and darkness. This atmosphere is very stable, unlike a natural cellar that records slight seasonal variations.
It is best to keep in your closet wine bottles that you will drink in the next few months. Here are some points to consider before buying your wine cooler:
- Size
Your wine cooler cellar contains bottles intended to be drunk within a few months. Therefore calculate the number of bottles you consume each year. Your cellar must contain a six-month to one year supply.
- Temperature
The cabinet must be equipped with an adjustable thermostat and a thermometer that lets you verify that everything is working properly. Equally useful is the ability to store your wine at different temperature levels. Colder for white wines and wine already mature, warmer for wines that continue to evolve. Some brands offer two functions (summer / winter) with a heater that operates automatically below a threshold temperature.
- Humidity
A good cellar must have a moisture content above 50%, and ideally 70 to 75%. It is therefore important to measure and control the humidity of your cellar to prevent any risk of drying out the corks.