A wine cellar and a wine cooler protect alcoholic drinks from harmful outside influences, such as light and temperature. Usually, wine collectors place their wine cellars in their homes’ cool basements, which get constructed out of stone. Wine cellars are typically used for more extensive wine collections because they provide the correct humidity setting for the wines to age properly to be stored for more than five years.
On the other hand, wine coolers are used for smaller wine collections and for the average person who does not have a basement. A wine cooler is similar to a refrigerator as it keeps wine at a constant, ideal temperature, preventing the wine’s flavour and aroma from being adversely affected by warmth. Wine coolers can be operated either by a compressor or a thermoelectric fridge. They also come in various sizes (to suit individual preference) and can be put in any area of your home – the kitchen, lounge, dining room, or your private bar area.
Can opened wine be used?
Many people experience the dilemma of what to do with leftover wine. It seems such a waste just to throw it away. But, of course, you can always use it for cooking. There are lots of recipes for red wine. Many suggestions of what to do with leftover wine are also available. Some great uses for wine that’s gone bad include marinating, making fabric dye, vinegar and disinfectant. So, you will certainly not have to throw your opened wine away.
Can wine be preserved after opening?
Exploiting the benefit of bulk buying can be tempting when you realise you are getting more value for your money. However, it does not help when it comes to preserving your wine. The best ways to preserve wine after opening include keeping the opened wine bottles upright in the fridge. Red and white wine stored in this way can stay reasonably fresh for up to five days. Also recommended is decanting the wine into smaller bottles, or most straightforward of all, buying smaller bottles of wine in the first place. Doing so will reduce the waste of unfinished wine and keep your wine preserved for a more extended period.
What causes wine to go off?
Although light and heat adversely affect wine, oxygen is the greatest threat because oxygen turns wine into vinegar. So, whatever method you use to preserve your wine, ensure that your wine is protected from the air as much as possible, which means that you should close the bottle after each serving.
How wine coolers preserve your wine
Because a wine cooler is a multi-temperature wine fridge, you can store red and white wine in the same unit, keeping both types of wine at their optimal temperature. As mentioned before, wine coolers can be operated either by a compressor or a thermoelectric fridge. While a compressor wine cooler uses a liquid refrigerant (the same as a standard refrigerator), a thermoelectric wine cooler uses the Peltier effect, whereby cooling occurs when two different conductors of electricity meet. Heat is then exchanged between the two conductors; the conductor on the inside gets cold, while the outside gets hot. No moving parts are used in this system, which makes the wine cabinet virtually vibration-free. Wine coolers can also maintain a constant temperature, thus ensuring the preservation of your wine.
