Wine Storage Cabinets for Long Term Maturation

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Wine, often referred to as "bottled poetry," is an exquisite beverage with a rich history that spans millennia. For wine enthusiasts and collectors, the art of wine storage goes beyond the mere act of preserving these precious bottles; it's about creating an environment that not only safeguards the wine's quality but also enhances its aging potential turning a young and tannic vintage of Barolo or Bordeaux into something altogether more sublime and elegant. One of the key elements in this quest for perfection is the wine storage cabinet. In this guide to wine storage cabinets, we will explore the world of wine maturation, from their design and functionality to the crucial role they play in the life of every wine collector.

The Role of Wine Storage Cabinets

Wine is a delicate and living substance that evolves over time. Factors like temperature, humidity, and light exposure can dramatically affect a wine's taste, aroma, and overall quality. Proper storage is essential for ensuring that wine matures gracefully and reaches its full potential.

Temperature Control

Wine storage cabinets are designed to maintain a consistent temperature, typically around 12°C, which is widely regarded as ideal for the long term maturation of most wines. This temperature ensures that wine ages slowly and gracefully, preventing premature aging or spoilage. Fluctuations in temperature can cause the liquid to expand and contract within the bottle, potentially leading to seepage or a damaged cork.

Some wine fridges come set at 12°C, but many now offer the ability to change the temperature between 5-18°C, so that you can set your wine to mature at any speed or potentially even use the wine cabinet for service.

Most wine storage cabinets are single zones, as they’re used mostly for maturation, however, you can use a dual zone wine cabinet for partial storage and partial service if it has a carbon filter and humidity control.

Humidity

Humidity is another crucial factor in wine storage. Wine bottles need to be stored in an environment with controlled humidity levels, ideally around 60-70%. Maintaining the right humidity prevents corks from drying out and air from entering the bottle, which could lead to oxidation and spoilage.

Light and Vibration

Wine is photosensitive, and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can degrade the wine, causing off-flavours and aromas. Wine storage cabinets have UV-resistant glass or solid doors to protect the bottles. Vibration, like that from a running refrigerator or a nearby appliance, can disrupt the sediment in aged wines. Wine cabinets are designed to minimise such vibrations, ensuring the undisturbed maturation of your wines.

Air Quality

Proper ventilation is also essential. Wine storage cabinets often incorporate ventilation systems that maintain the air quality inside, preventing musty odours or mold growth. This ensures that your wine remains in pristine condition, ready to be enjoyed when the time is right. Many wine storage cabinets also come fitted with carbon filters that need replacing annually to nullify bad odours.

Design and Functionality of Wine Storage Cabinets

Wine storage cabinets come in various styles, shapes, and sizes, catering to the needs and preferences of wine collectors and often require different installations depending on their ventilation needs. Here are some common designs and functionalities:

Freestanding Wine Storage Cabinets

Freestanding wine cabinets are a popular choice for wine collectors who want the flexibility to place their wine storage anywhere in their home. They typically come in various sizes, from compact units that hold a few dozen bottles to larger cabinets capable of accommodating hundreds of bottles. These cabinets often feature attractive exteriors, making them a stylish addition to any room.

Built-In Wine Store Cabinets

Built-in wine cabinets are designed to seamlessly blend into your kitchen or bar area. They are typically installed under countertops or in custom cabinetry, providing a clean and integrated appearance. Built-in cabinets are ideal for those who want to keep their wine collection in the heart of their living space.

Dual-Zone Wine Cabinets

Some wine storage cabinets feature dual-zone cooling systems, allowing you to store both red and white wines in the same unit. These cabinets have separate temperature controls for each section, ensuring that both types of wine are stored at their optimal serving temperatures.

Thermoelectric vs. Compressor Cooling

Wine storage cabinets can be categorised into two main types of cooling systems: thermoelectric and compressor-based. Thermoelectric cabinets are quieter and produce minimal vibrations, making them ideal for smaller collections. Compressor-based cabinets are more powerful and suitable for larger collections and commercial use.

Selecting the Right Wine Storage Cabinet

Choosing the right wine storage cabinet for your needs is a crucial decision for wine collectors. Here are some factors to consider:

Collection Size

Determine the size of your wine collection and the potential for future growth. If you're just starting, a smaller freestanding cabinet may be sufficient. For more extensive collections, consider a larger built-in or cellar cabinet.

Space and Location

Assess your available space and where you intend to place the cabinet. This will help you decide between a freestanding or built-in model and choose the right dimensions.

Temperature and Humidity Control

Ensure that the cabinet you select offers precise temperature and humidity control, as these are essential for wine preservation.

Design and Aesthetics

Choose a cabinet that complements your interior design and personal style. Wine storage cabinets come in various finishes, from stainless steel to wood, and with different door styles to match your preferences.

Budget

Wine storage cabinets can range from affordable to quite expensive, depending on their features and capacity. Determine your budget and find a cabinet that offers the best balance between price and functionality.

Reviews and Recommendations

Research and read reviews from other wine enthusiasts and collectors to gain insights into the quality and reliability of different wine storage cabinet brands and models.

What features should you look for in a wine storage cabinet?

Capacity

Wine storage cabinets run the gamut of capacity from 100 bottles to 400+ bottles but obviously the wine cabinets with the larger bottle capacities tend to be larger in size and with fewer shelves. Collectors should carefully consider their collection, how many bottles they have and of what variety as 200 champagne bottles will not fit into a 200 bottle rated capacity wine cabinet as the capacities are measured in Bordeaux style bottles. Those with 200 Champagne bottles would need a fridge capacity of 300 bottles.

Lock

Is your wine storage cabinet in a location that can be accessed by others or is your collection so valuable that thieves would want to break in and steal your bottles? If so, the benefits of a wine storage cabinet with an integrated lock are clear. Heavy duty external wine fridge locks can also be bought for around £50.

Winter System

If a wine collector intends to place the wine cabinet in a garage or cold room then it will be necessary to ensure the wine cabinet has a winter system. Winter systems gently warm wines when the ambient temperature to the fridge is lower than the set temperature. Without this, the wine cabinet could not hold the set temperature and the wines would become cold and potentially freeze causing damage to their maturation.

Humidity Control

 Most wine cabinets are set to automatically manage humidity in a range of 55-85%, this is ideal to ensure corks don’t dry out and labels don’t develop rot or the glue compromises. However, some high end wine storage cabinets like those from Eurocave and some Swisscave models allow the collector to set the humidity levels themselves.

MIX shelving

As discussed, wine storage cabinet bottle capacities are measured in Bordeaux bottle shapes, however, some brands can offset the capacity limitations of those collectors with a large amount og Burgundy, Alsace or Champagne shaped bottles with clever shelf designs, again, both Eurocave and Swisscave offer specialist shelving for the collector with a varied wine stash.

Carbon filter

 A charcoal or ‘carbon’ filter is essential if you want to store wine over the longer term as it keeps the air fresh and clean inside the appliance. Wine bottles maturing for decades in a closed space would develop all kinds of bad aromas and potentially fail and spoil within proper ventilation and a carbon filter.

Which are the best wine storage cabinet brands?

Eurocave

The undisputed kings of the wine cabinet and the originator of the concept are Eurocave. Manufactured in France, these bespoke wine cabinets are not only extremely reliable, we know customers who have had a Eurocave since the 1990s that still works today, they’re also a great feat of engineering as they tightly hold both temperature and humidity in a very fine range.

The best wine storage cabinet in the world is arguably the Eurocave Royale wine cabinet, each bespoke cabinet is hand made in France and shipped to the end user in a choice of colours and finishes.

Eurocave’s wine cabinets are also energy efficient and quieter than many others in the market. Coolersomm are a trusted UK partner of Eurocave so speak to us directly if you’re interested in a Eurocave wine cabinet.

Swisscave

An affordable alternative to Eurocave, Swisscave’s range of premium and classic style wine cabinets offer much of the same technology as the Eurocave range with many of the same features included.

With MIX shelving, winter system and carbon filters, the Swisscave range are a good option for the fine wine collector with wine to mature.

Our recommendation for the best long term maturation cabinet would be the humidity controlled WLB-460FHU-MIX with MIX shelving and individual humidity control.

Climadiff

A French brand whose bottle to price ratio in terms of wine storage is very impressive. Climadiff wine cabinets can store up to 300 bottles for under £2000 with the Climadiff Reserve XL for example.

Climadiff manage to offer such keenly priced products due to the lack of shelves in the unit and generally fewer technical bells and whistles as well as less well-honed aesthetics, however, the brand still does a great job at its core function; maturing wine over the longer term.

Conclusion

Wine storage cabinets are an essential tool for wine enthusiasts and collectors who seek to preserve and enjoy the art of wine at its finest. These cabinets not only provide an ideal environment for aging but also enhance the aesthetics of your living space. Whether you're a novice wine lover or a seasoned collector, investing in a quality wine storage cabinet is a step toward ensuring that your wine collection matures with grace and beauty, ready to be enjoyed on special occasions or simply to savour the passage of time in a bottle.

If you’re interested in purchasing a wine storage cabinet then you can visit our London store and talk to one of our wine maturation experts and view some wine cabinets from Swisscave and Eurocave or peruse our wine storage cabinets online.