How important are each of temperature, humidity, and vibration for storing wine?
I'm deciding whether to buy a wine chiller for my apartment, maybe this one. I could only realistically keep it on top of my refrigerator. The alternative would be to keep wine in my fridge (the temperature in my apartment often gets into the 80s which I understand to be unacceptable). People who take wine very seriously do not recommend keeping wine in the fridge for three reasons:
- A standard kitchen refrigerator is too cold (35-38°F vs 45-60°F)
- The motor in the refrigerator makes everything vibrate too much
- Refrigerators are dry (30% humidity), whereas wine likes 70-90% humidity.
I need to know which of these actually matter for a casual wine drinker like myself. A wine chiller will address #1 for me (though I might get one that offers only a single temperature rather than separate from reds and whites) but I could also see keeping my wine in my regular refrigerator or giving up entirely. Unfortunately a wine chiller doesn't fix #2 for me since the chiller would be on top of my fridge.
Which of these three concerns, if any, should I actually be worried about?
BTW, the wine may wait around for a period of months before it gets drunk.
Best Answer
For a few months I would really not worry too much about your storage, half a year at 80F is not going to destroy your wine. If you have the space in your fridge then that is a better option, but I doubt even the most dedicated wine snob would be able to tell much of a difference.
Humidity only matters if you have wine with traditional corks as low humidity will dry them out and spoil the wine, if you are buying twist caps and synthetic corks then humidity is not a consideration. A few months in low humidity should not result in cork drying, but year will.
Vibration used to be a problem with older fridges, most newer fridges are pretty quiet and low vibration so I wouldn't worry there, especially for shorter term storage.
Colder temperatures for storage will not cause a noticeable effect on wine's flavor over a few months, you'll want to let it warm up some for the best flavor though. Storing an opened bottle of wine in the fridge is a good idea in fact, as it will keep it drinkable longer.
So unless you are buying expensive wine to keep for a long time you should be fine no matter which option you choose.
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How important is temperature for wine storage?
Temperatures higher than 70\xb0 F will age a wine more quickly than is usually desirable. And if it gets much hotter, your wine may get \u201ccooked,\u201d resulting in flat aromas and flavors. The ideal temperature range is between 45\xb0 F and 65\xb0 F (and 55\xb0 F is often cited as close to perfect), though this isn't an exact science.How important is humidity to wine storage?
Without ideal humidity, wine quality may be affected in a number of ways. When the humidity is higher than 70%, it will likely cause mold and degradation of the labels and glue. When the humidity is below 50%, corks will begin to dry out resulting in loss of liquid in the bottles and possible degradation of the wine.What is the best temperature and humidity to store wine?
An ideal temperature for wine storage is 55\xb0F to 57\xb0F (12\xb0C to 14\xb0C) with an average 60% relative humidity. This temperature and relative humidity (RH) will allow the wines to mature slowly, reduce mold growth, keep the corks from drying out, and prevent spoiling of the labels.What are the ideal conditions for the storage of wine?
A temperature of 55\xb0 Fahrenheit and a Relative Humidity of 60-65% are ideal for long-term wine storage. The cool temperature slows the aging process, while the high humidity prevents moisture inside the wine bottle from moving into the cork and eventually evaporating into the air.Wine Storage Temperature
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