How To Store Wine: Wine Storage Guide
Wine storage guide: The type of wine storage you choose will depend on many different factors:–
How many bottles do you wish to store?
Do you wish to keep the bottles in their original cases?
Are you looking for something functional or an eye-catching wine display with lighting, perhaps with glass panels?
How important is accessibility to the bottles? Are you ok with several layers of bottles on one static shelf or would you prefer each shelf to accommodate just one layer of bottles and be able to slide the shelf out to access the bottles?
Is the room heated in the winter or will the wine storage cabinet need its own heater when the ambient temperature drops?
At Wine Storage Solutions, we have a large array of wine storage options to cater for most requirements.
WINE DISPLAY CABINETS & WINE WALLS
TECA MULTI-TEMPERATURE WINE DISPLAY CABINETS
WINE COOLERS AND WINE FRIDGES
A wine cooler and a wine fridge are one and the same thing.
Single Temperature or Dual Temperature – For optimal wine storage, remember to keep all types of wine – red, white, rosé and Champagne – at a cellar temperature of 12 or 13°C. This temperature allows young wines to mature and maintain their quality.
To store wine at ready-to-serve temperatures, consider a dual-temperature cabinet with separate compartments for reds and whites/Champagnes/rosés.
Alternatively, you can use two single-temperature cabinets: one for reds at around 16°C and the other for whites/Champagnes/rosés at around 7°C. While dual-temperature models can go as low as 5°C, it’s recommended to set the temperature slightly higher for better taste, around 8 or 9°C.
Shelving –
One often overlooked aspect of a wine fridge is its shelving system design. In most wine fridges, the shelves are made of wood and need to be approximately 2cm thick to support the weight of the bottles. Typically, these shelves are arranged in a way that requires stacking multiple layers of bottles on the same shelf. While this maximises capacity, it can be inconvenient when you need to quickly access a specific bottle.
Throughout Vin Garde, we have carefully considered the design of our wine fridge shelving system. The shelves have a metal base that is only 1mm thick but sturdy enough to handle the weight of the bottles. This design saves nearly 2cm in height compared to other shelf designs. The extra space gained provides room for larger bottle formats, allowing our shelves to accommodate Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace bottles, and even some Champagne marques like Veuve Clicquot and Laurent Perrier.
The additional space also enables us to include more shelves, resulting in a total capacity of up to 176 bottles. All our shelves are sliding shelves, ensuring easy access with just one layer of bottles per shelf.
Lighting –
While some customers prioritise perfect storage conditions for their valuable bottles above all else, others also value an aesthetically pleasing wine fridge. At Vin Garde, we understand the importance of both aspects. That’s why all our cabinets are equipped with LED lighting along the top and down both sides.
In our dual-temperature models, you’ll find LED lighting above the display shelves in each of the two compartments. You can choose from four levels of intensity to create the ideal ambiance, or simply switch off the lights completely. New models are now fitted with the option of choosing between normal white LED and warm white LED.
Sound Emissions & Energy Efficiency – A good wine fridge should be seen but not heard. Vin Garde cabinets are very suitable for home use at a comfortable 39Db and have an excellent energy rating of ‘B’.
Choice of Door Styles – Both styles of our wine coolers feature a glass door design. Our Full Glass Door option showcases a sleek black frame with the glass covering the entire surface, creating a glossy sheen reminiscent of the back of a smartphone. On the other hand, our Stainless-steel glass door combines a stainless steel frame with a glass insert for a sophisticated look. Rest assured, both door styles come equipped with locks for added security.
Free-Standing or Stand Alone – All Vin Garde models are designed with front-venting capabilities, allowing them to be used as either free-standing units or seamlessly integrated into a furniture surround. The standard width of our models is 595mm, but when building them into furniture, it’s advisable to provide an additional 20mm on each side. This extra space ensures easy access to the recessed door handles and allows for the door swing when opening. To maintain a clean aesthetic, we use infills on each side that align with the body of the cabinet without extending beyond the door line.
Single Temperature or Dual Temperature – you have two choices. Do you want to keep the wines at their respective ideal serving temperatures (reds in lower compartment at 16°C and whites/champagnes in the upper compartment at 7°C) or do you want to keep the wine long-term ? All wines – reds, whites, roses and champagnes should be stored long-term at cellar temperature, 12 or 13°C.
Can I Keep My Wine Fridge In An Unheated Room or Garage ? All Vin Garde wine fridges and coolers in this wine storage guide are equipped with both heating and cooling functions. During the summer months, the cooling system operates to maintain optimal temperature. However, in the winter months, if the fridge is placed in a garage, outhouse, or similar location, the heating function will automatically activate when the temperature falls below the set temperature of 12°C. This ensures that your valuable collection is kept at the ideal cellar temperature throughout the year.
UV-Protected Glass Door – All Vin Garde models are fitted with UV-protected glass doors to ensure the well-being of the bottles within.
Door Locks – Locks are fitted to all models as standard.
WINE DISPLAY CABINETS & WINE WALLS
Wine Storage With Added Ooh-La-La!
The Wine Walls by Wine Storage Solutions are temperature-controlled and totally self-contained. No drainage or pipework is required. All the panels, as per our wine storage guide, are flat-packed, so installation is possible in almost any location. There are two models, Solid Oak and Standard.
WINE WALL, SOLID OAK RACKING has a capacity of 414 bottles, including those bottles in the cases at the bottom. Warm white LED lighting is fitted at the top, above the cases and above those bottles at a display angle at the foot of each column and is remote controlled with a dimmer function. Available in any width from 1200 – 3000mm. Model shown below is 2495mm wide.
WINE WALL, STANDARD RACKING
The Standard Wine Wall with 4 columns of standard racking, each column equipped with 9 sliding horizontal shelves and 4 sliding display shelves, has a capacity is 636 bottles.
The monobloc cellar cooler which sits at the top of the Wine Wall requires no drainage or pipework. The sliding glass doors are UV protected and fitted with locks. The insulated panels are made from extruded polyurethane, backed by aluminium painted black. They are flat-packed and assembled on site, so can be installed in almost any location. Available ins 2, 3 or 4 columns widths. Model shown above is the 4-column model, width 2495mm.
TECA MULTI-TEMPERATURE WINE DISPLAY CABINETS
The refrigeration system is fitted within the central spine of the cabinet and glass doors and side panels can be fitted on all 4 sides, giving a 360-degree wine display. A solid rear wall is fitted if the cabinet is to be positioned against a wall at the rear. LED lighting is fitted in the corners with optional warm white with dimmer function and remote control.
A wide choice of frame finishes lets you to personalise your Teca cabinet. We can also finish the frame in any RAL code colour, so you can match the finish to other items in the room.
WALK-IN WINE CELLARS
Our wine storage guide for large volume capacity requirements propose our Espace Walk-in Wine Cellars.
These self-contained wine rooms are made from aluminium-backed insulated panels which can be assembled in almost any space, garage, outhouse etc. No plumbing or drainage is required.
Supplied with wine racking, lighting and a cellar conditioning unit that also has a heating function, to maintain a perfect cellar temperature (12 or 13°C) when the ambient temperature plummets during winter months. There are 4 sizes, accommodating 990 – 4000+ bottles.
The Espace is easy to assemble, although we offer an installation service. Should you move home, you take your Espace with you.
The shelves glide in and out on rollers. Each shelf can be used as a sliding shelf with just one layer of bottles or as a storage shelf for up to 4 layers of bottles, to maximise storage capacity.
CELLAR CONDITIONING
Our wine storage guide for split-system cellar conditioners can be concealed either in or adjacent to the wine room. Temperature and humidity are perfectly maintained and can be monitored remotely. For rooms up to 230 cubic metres.