With the growing interest in wine in Malaysia and with an increasing number of people spending more on a good vintages, demand for quality wine storage solutions has been growing steadily. There are now several appliances available on the market designed to store your wines. Here’s a guide to deciding which one to choose.
Wine is a constantly developing drink. As such, it reacts well or badly to its surroundings. By keeping them in the correct conditions you’ll ensure the wine matures properly. Too warm and the wine will age faster; too cool and deposits may develop.
The “golden temperature” for wine is 55°F. Wine should normally be stored between 50-60°F, although a range of 45-65°F is considered acceptable.
Bottles should also be stored on their side to keep the cork moist and prevent air from entering. Screw cap bottles and sparkling wines can be stored upright.
Shelf configuration
Entry-level models tend to have fixed shelving. Higher-spec models have shelves you can roll out, making it easier to retrieve and inspect your bottles. Shelves can also be adjustable – useful if you want to store extra bubbly for a party and be made from wood or high-quality chrome.
Where to store it
As with most fridges, you should try and keep them where the ambient temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much. Wine fridges can cope with temperature changes, but big fluctuations put extra pressure on the unit.
Check also if the fridge is lockable – to avoid anyone unknowingly helping themselves to your wines
If you’re putting your fridge underneath a counter, you must normally allow a gap of 5cm at the top, back and sides of the appliance so that it is properly ventilated. Check the dimensions on our product pages.
Please ensure you measure up the space available before ordering. When installing your new fridge, keep it upright at all times and allow at least 6 hours for the gases inside to settle before switching on.