Should I buy a wine fridge with a solid door or glass door?
When purchasing a wine cabinet for long term ageing one of the considerations in this important purchase is whether to choose a wine storage cabinet with a solid door or a glass door. Many manufacturers, including La Sommeliere, EuroCave, Climadiff and mQuvee offer the same model with the only choice being a change of door type, whereas some manufacturers like Dunavox and Swisscave, don't offer solid doors at all.
What damage can UV light do to wine in storage?
UV light can have several damaging effects on stored wine:
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Flavour Degradation: UV light can cause chemical reactions in wine, particularly in its phenolic compounds, leading to the formation of off-flavours and undesirable aromas. This process is often referred to as "lightstruck" or "photooxidation," where the wine may develop a taste reminiscent of cooked cabbage, wet cardboard, or skunk.
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Colour Alteration: In light-coloured wines, such as whites and rosés, UV exposure can cause the wine to lose its vibrancy and take on a brownish or dull hue. Even red wines, though more resistant, can experience some colour degradation over time.
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Oxidation Acceleration: UV light can accelerate the oxidation process, where the wine reacts with oxygen more quickly than it should. Oxidation can lead to a loss of freshness, fruitiness, and overall balance in the wine, making it taste flat or stale.
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Reduction in Ageing Potential: Exposure to UV light can reduce a wine's ability to age gracefully. Wines intended for long-term ageing may lose their complex development potential, shortening their optimal drinking window.
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Compromise of Aromatic Compounds: The delicate aromatic compounds in wine can be broken down by UV exposure, leading to a reduction in the wine's bouquet and overall aromatic complexity.
- Damage to labels that will impact resale - Despite the serious impact UV light can have on wine, it will also, like the photo below, slowly fade the labels of your wines compromising resale value. The colours on the crest on the bottle of Mascarello's Monprivato have particularly faded.
Overall, UV light can significantly compromise the quality and longevity of stored wine, making it essential to protect wine from direct light exposure, particularly in long-term storage scenarios.
What's the difference between solid door wine cabinets and UV protected glass door wine cabinets?
Better Temperature Control: Solid doors, typically made of stainless steel or insulated materials, offer superior insulation compared to glass doors. This helps maintain a consistent internal temperature, which is crucial for preserving the quality of the wine.
Protection from Light: Wine is sensitive to light, particularly UV rays, which can degrade its quality over time. A solid door blocks all light, providing optimal protection against UV exposure.
Energy Efficiency: Because solid doors are better insulated, they reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain the desired temperature inside the fridge, making the appliance more energy-efficient.
Durability and Longevity: Solid doors are generally more durable than glass doors. They are less prone to damage, such as scratches or cracks, which can occur with glass.
Cheaper to buy and run: Solid door wine fridges are often cheaper than their UV glass door direct counterparts as the doors are cheaper to manufacture and they tend to have less shelves which are a large part of any wine fridge.
Privacy and Security: A solid door provides privacy, keeping the contents hidden from view. This can be useful for security reasons or simply to avoid showcasing your wine collection.
What are the benefits of a UV protected glass door on a wine fridge?
Glass fronted wine fridges from top brands like EuroCave and Swisscave will block out 97% of UV light so whilst the impact of UV light can be very bad for wine, as long as you do not keep your glass fronted wine cabinet in direct sunlight, they should still protect your wines from the damaging impacts of UV light.
A UV-protected glass fronted wine fridge combines the aesthetic appeal of a glass door with the practical benefits of UV protection. Here are the key advantages:
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UV Protection: The most significant benefit is the ability to block harmful UV rays while still allowing you to see your wine collection. UV-protected glass prevents the light from penetrating and damaging the wine, thereby preserving its flavour, colour, and ageing potential.
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Aesthetic Appeal: A glass front allows you to showcase your wine collection. This can be especially attractive in a home bar, restaurant or kitchen, where the visual appeal of the bottles adds to the decor.
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Convenience: Being able to see the contents of the fridge without opening the door allows for easy selection of bottles, minimising the frequency of door openings and helping to maintain a stable internal temperature.
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Temperature Stability: While glass is less insulating than solid doors, UV-protected glass is often double or triple-paned, with additional insulation properties. This helps maintain a consistent internal temperature, crucial for preserving wine quality. While the best manufacturers use triple levels of glass, it still doesn't beat a solid door.
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Energy Efficiency: Modern UV-protected glass is often combined with energy-efficient technology, including insulating layers and coatings that help reduce energy consumption by keeping the internal temperature stable with less energy input. Even the best insulated glass door will still be less energy efficient than the solid door equivalent, however, we may only be talking about a difference of £5-£10 per year running costs.
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Durability: High-quality UV-protected glass is typically more durable and resistant to scratches or damage compared to standard glass, ensuring that the fridge door remains clear and attractive over time.
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Modern Design: Glass fronted wine fridges with UV protection tend to have a sleek, modern design that can complement a wide range of interior styles, from contemporary to classic.
This type of wine fridge offers a balance between function and form, making it ideal for wine enthusiasts who want to protect their collection without sacrificing style or convenience.
Which door type should I choose for my wine collection?
If the placement of your wine fridge is in a garage, cellar or a room without direct sunlight, then you're free to choose either door type. However, if you're cellaring expensive wines for long term maturation and have any concern about the placement due to light OR if your wine collection is so expensive it's simply not worth taking any chances, then a solid door wine fridge is your best bet.
Which are the best solid door wine fridges on the market?
Most solid door wine cabinets already come with the technology needed for long term storage, the thought process behind this is that the potential customer is a wine collector and cares about UV light (this is why they chose a solid door) so most solid door wine cabinets are already equipped with i) carbon filter for long term maturation ii) winter system as many are placed in garages and outbuildings and iii) large internal capacities.
This link - wine fridges with solid doors - contains only wine cabinets with solid doors, all perfectly adept at storing wine safely over the longer term.
In terms or recommendation, we only stock wine fridges from high-premium level manufacturers but within these reputable manufacturers our budget friendly recommendation would be the La Sommeliere CTP253, with solid door, carbon filter, winter system and a large capacity of around 250 bottles, any collector can rest easy knowing their collection is in safe hands.
For around £3000, a Liebherr GrandCru Selection WSbli 5231 comes jam packed with technology including a smart device box to keep track of temperatures while you're away from your home, humidity controls and reversible door (which is rare on solid door units). However, this unit can't be stored in a room that dips below the set temperature as it doesn't have a winter system.
One of the very best wine maturation cabinets with solid doors is the EuroCave V-Pure-L, with a carbon filter, winter system, full stack shelving (very rare for a solid door), finding your wines is very easy with 14 shelves and space at the bottom for magnums.
If you'd like some assistance choosing the ideal wine cabinet for your collection either pop in to our London store or chat with us live for expert advice.