Keep Wine Chilled - Use a Wine Cooler

As a huge wine enthusiast, I wanted to share some info about how to get the best results when you’re drinking it.

Wine coolers are also known as wine refrigerators. They are designed to chill wine to a certain temperature. While a regular refrigerator works just as well, the problems arising out of the operation of a regular refrigerator makes it unsuitable to chill wine. Wine cellars are always the best option but it is out of reach for most of us. This is where wine chillers come handy in storing an adequate affordable supply of wine collection. This article will explain how to use your wine cooler to keep wine chilled and give a few extra uses of a wine chiller.

Storing Wine

If you have a single zone wine refrigerator then you will be forced to store both red and white wine together. The optimum temperature for this is 54 degree F. At this temperature wine, regardless of its origin, maintains its flavors and texture without aging early. But if you have a dual zone refrigerator then storing two different kinds of wine together should not be an issue. Use one compartment to keep red wine at 50 to 65 degrees and for white wine use the other compartment at 45 to 50 degrees F.

Remember to continually adjust the temperature as and when required. Ambient room temperature plays a major role here. Since wine coolers use thermoelectric system, you have to be very careful of the outside temperatures. And when you do increase or decrease the temperature, do it gradually. Sudden jumps in temperature can cause wine to force its way through the cork or decrease air quantity inside a bottle.

Also avoid changing the temperature frequently. Fluctuating temperatures cause premature aging of the wine. And for opened bottles replace the cork as tightly as possible and put it back in the refrigerator. Wine coolers can actually preserve open bottles up to five days at a time. For red wine bottles that you have opened you cannot refrigerate them to preserve them. It is best to consume them within two days.

Here are a few additional tips to help store wine safely in a wine cooler

• Always keep the doors     closed. Try not to open and close the wine cooler’s door too often as this     decreases its cooling capacity and introduces hot air inside.
• Try and avoid oxidization.     To do this always store corked wine bottles to the sides. The racks of the     wine cooler will naturally allow sideways storage. This helps keeping the     cork moist and tight. Storing bottles upright tends to dry out the cork     and lets air inside spoiling the wine in the process.
• Try not to move the     bottles too much. Constant motion does hamper the aging process. If you     plan on storing many bottles at once, follow a plan where the most widely     used bottles are kept closer to the door so that you don’t have to move     bottles around too often.
• Always keep your wine     cooler away from areas prone to vibrations such as near the actual     refrigerator or an air conditioner.

Other Uses Of A Wine Cooler

Maybe you aren’t a fan of wine but received a wine cooler as a gift. If you don’t want to store wine in your cooler then there are other uses it can be put to. A wine cooler being an actual refrigerator actually provides plenty of potential applications.

• You could use it to store     natural produce like apples, grapes, lettuce and celery. The cool     circulating air within helps keep veggies cool and fresh. The racks can be     used to store bowls of salad too right before serving to help chill them a     bit.
• You could use the wine     cooler to chill beverages other than wine. Cans of soda, two litre bottles     of soft drinks, water bottles and juice boxes all are great ways to     recycle your wine cooler.
• For a party, you can     double the wine cooler as an additional refrigerator keeping food cool     until it is time to serve them. This helps keep the primary fridge free     for other uses.
• Possibly the best use for     wine coolers other than storing wine is to keep hard cheese. Parmesan,     Blue, asiago cheese as well as muenster and rind cheese stay fresh at 50     degree F. In fact, cooling them below these temperatures actually takes     away the ideal taste and texture. Hence, a wine cooler is actually much     better suited to keep cheese than an actual refrigerator.
• You could also store     non-food items preparing them for use later on. Glass items, beer mugs,     dinnerware, ice cream bowls, salad plates, tumblers and other items can be     arranged on the racks to help chill them right before serving especially     if you plan on desserts for a backyard party.

In short, there are plenty of ways to use a wine cooler and as long as you store wine the right way, you can use it for just about anything.