Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    marta7's Avatar
    marta7 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Jun 15, 2008, 06:47 PM
    To refrigerate wine or not to refrigerate
    Hello,

    I am going to buy some sort of refrigeration. I'm in California and sometimes the days do get very hot. However, I don't know what type of refrigerator/cooler to get. Space is an issue. I'm thinking something small, but I have many wines. Would it kill my wines to have them in a rack in my dining area, is that absolutely not the thing to do? I know heat kills wine, but how much and for how long? I would love to get by with a 12 to 18 bottle capacity for insdie, but truth is I have more than that. That puts me in a whole other category for the cooler -... what do you suggest? And which is a good one?
    wildandblue's Avatar
    wildandblue Posts: 663, Reputation: 57
    Senior Member
     
    #2

    Jun 24, 2008, 08:49 AM
    Wine stays best in caves, where the temp is about 45 to 50F, so even a refrigerator would be too cold at 38 to 40. They sell wine coolers like picnic ice chests that you can plug in to the wall or just get an old secondhand refrigerator that doesn't work so well! Exposure to heat and light will affect the taste, the lovely colors will sort of brown out too. Just like food won't taste as good a few days after you cook it if it's not refrigerated. Of course the alcohol content would still make it safe to drink. You are supposed to keep bottles on their sides so the liquid contacts the corks for best flavor.
    juliehg's Avatar
    juliehg Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #3

    Oct 4, 2008, 01:53 PM

    Marta,

    For storing red wine, the best thing to do is find somewhere relatively cool and dark like a closet near the middle of your house. Cool (around 50F as wildandblue said) is best, but if you aren't storing it for more than a few years, anywhere below 70F will be fine. Longer storage than that, and you really do want to keep it cooler.

    White wine should be refrigerated, below 45F, and don't expect it to keep for more than 9-12 months. It doesn't have the tannins that red wine does, which act as a preservative.

    And yes, keep the bottle on it's side. You need to keep the cork wet so that it doesn't shrink, and allow oxygen into the bottle. Oxygenation kills the flavor of wine.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Cooking wine vs dry red wine [ 16 Answers ]

Hi all: Thank you for reading/responding to this post. I am making what I hope will be a rich, yummy roasted onion soup... the recipe calls for dry red wine... my wife picked up a red cooking wine... will this work, or be too strong? Or should I just go get that dry red wine..? Any help...

Refrigerate doesn't runr [ 1 Answers ]

Refrigerater dosen;t run

Wine Age [ 2 Answers ]

Okay, totally ignorant here... but, I have a 1967 Bottle of Château Beausejour bordeaux table wine... first, is it still going to be any good? Second, if I don't drink it, is it worth anything of value? Thanks!

Red Wine [ 5 Answers ]

After I open a bottle of red wine how should it be stored and for how long will it be good?

Wine [ 3 Answers ]

I don't drink, so all wine tastes the same to me. However, I do cook with it. IF a cake recipe calls for sherry or brandy, which of the following would be the closest to it. Cabernet sauvegon, burgundy, chadonnay, marsala, maderia. I have all these but not sherry or brandy.


View more questions Search