October 17, 2008 - My boy friend insists only way to store any wine is to in a dual temp. control wine cellar---since whites and reds are stored at different temps. My best friend says unless we are buying collectible, expensive wines, we can store reds at room temp. (that is, air conditioned) and put whites in fridge an hour before serving. Who is right.
Responses:
the separtate temps are more for serving than storing. The best temp to store wines is between 58 and 65 degrees with a fairly high humidty. Unless you are planning of buying a lot of very expensive wines and storing them for a long time, just keep them laying down in the darkest, dampest, coolest place in your house and they will last plenty long until you are ready to drink them.
I have a collection of over 300 bottles of wine, some costing as much as $1,500 each. I did not pay that much for them, but they have appreciated substantially over the years. I store my wines in a commercial wine storage facility that maintains a constant 55 degrees and 70% humidity. This is the perfect temperature for storing ALL wines for a sustained period of time. Most wines, including reds, should be served cool or even CHILLED, as the age old adage of serving reds at room temperature meant a typical room in Paris, France in Winter without heat! Typically about 65 degrees. I often take my older Bordeaux and stand them up in the fridge the day I am going to serve them so the sediment can settle and I bring the temp down, After I pull the cork, decant and serve the wine, the temp rapidly increases, releasing the full bouquet of the wine.
Dual-zone cellars are for storing both reds and whites and for serving whites right away at restaurants as stated in the above post. Commercial wine storage is unavailable in anything but 55/70 and your boyfriend will be on a long search to find a place with dual-zones. Buy a single zone 55/70 cellar for your home and keep all your wines in there and put the whites in the fridge an hour or two before serving. Haier makes a good inexpensive cellar for the home.
The answer to your question is this: Not very. A cellar is a cellar. Cool and dark is about all that matters, no temperature swings. Your reds are fine and can sit on the counter for a few hours opened to warm a little and your whites can go in the fridge for an hour. A dual temp cellar sounds like someone with too much time on thier hands or is anal about other things in life.
The real issue here is whether you're buying wine to put aside...or not.
If you're going out to the grocery store a day or two before having guests over...don't even bother with a wine cellar. Simply keep the red in a cool, dry and preferably dark place until serving. The white can go in the fridge several hours before serving.
If, on the other hand, you are purchasing wines (expensive or not) that you are going to have around for a while (months or even years)...then a dual temp. wine cellar would be a great investment as red and white wines will remain more stable at different temperatures.
Good Luck!
All wine should be stored at the same temp whethere its sweet, dry, red , white, sparkling, fortified, whatever.
The ideal temp is between 55-60 degrees. At this range it is aging very very slowly and it is protected from warm temperatures.
Dual zone storage is designed for quick service of whites. Whites do not need to be stored colder than reds.
Room temp is fine for most wines as long as you don' t keep your house much over 75 especially if you dink most of yoiur wine within a year. The older wines get the more delicate they get so if you have really special/old bottles temp controlled storage is desirable. The wines are aging more quickly but they shouldn't become damaged. A consistent temp is more important than a temp that goes from cool to warm back and forth.
Interior closets work well for storage in the absence of a dedicated unit. Windows and kitchens are bad. Refrigerators are bad for long term as well as they dehumidify and can dry out corks. The fridge smells can also permeate a cork.
Bottom line: Dual zone is a convenience and nothing more.- first of all typed my question in the dark with my hair in my eyes
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What is the best way to store wine without a cellar?
