Many units are only capable of functioning in a “living space”, which means an area where the temperature never rises above 77 degrees. Such units include our Silent Line of wine refrigerators or any unit utilizing thermoelectric cooling.  The reason being is that while these units are extremely quiet and efficient, thermoelectric technology cannot withstand extreme temperature fluctuations like some of our other units. The highest temperature differential they can really handle is about 20 degrees, so as the surrounding temperature rises above that 77 mark, so will the temperature inside the unit.

Wine coolers or cellars that use compressor systems are able to hold temperatures under warmer conditions, usually up to 80-85 degrees depending on the specific unit. The parts tend to be made with more durable materials, and the use of refrigerant not only helps these units to function in those warmer areas, but to last longer than the thermoelectric units. Most of these units are similar in function to the refrigerator in your kitchen, a good example being our N’FINITY Line of Wine Cellars.

Many people choose to put their refrigerated wine cabinet in their garage, and for those living in extremely warm or cold climates it can be a little risky. Only the EuroCave units are truly able to handle those ambient temperatures around 100 on the high side and close to freezing on the low side. The technology behind EuroCave’s cooling system includes both cooling and heating coils as well as super insulated aluminum interior walls, which allow these units to function in almost any environment.

So if you have a unit in an area that is on the warmer side and it doesn’t seem to be holding the right temperature, you may want to determine if the ambient temperature is just too high for the kind of wine cooler you have. After all, protecting your prized wine collection is the main reason you purchased a wine cellar in the first place! So it’s best to be sure that it is sitting somewhere that it can maintain the right temperatures, allowing your wines to reach their maximum potential.

If you have any questions on which unit may be best for your particular situation, contact one of our wine storage consultants at 800-377-3330

Most people are familiar with 1-temp or 2-temp units, Eurocave even makes a 3-temp model. The lower section houses approximately 12-18 standard size bottles, the temperature is set for white wine service. The very top of the unit has another separated compartment that houses approximately 8-12 bottles at red wine service temp, while the rest of the unit is at recommended 55 degree storage.

Of course if you have any questions or are unclear as which application would suit you the best, our Wine Enthusiast Storage Consultants are available at 800.377.3330 to make it easy for you!

Though both are stored at 53-57°, white wines should be chilled before drinking while red wines should be allowed to come up in temperature. Ideally, whites should be between refrigerator temperature (40°F) and storage temperature (55°F) and reds should be somewhere between storage and room temperature which is often as high as 70°F. This is all great information, but most people don’t enjoy taking their wine’s temperature. So how will you know that your wine is at proper temperature without going through all of the hassle?

If you already have a wine storage solution that keeps your collection at 53-57°F, pop your bottles of white wine into the refrigerator half an hour prior to service and take your reds out of storage half an hour prior to service. This allows time for your whites to chill and your reds to warm up. If you’ve yet to invest in a wine storage solution, and your wines are kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator (which can be as cold as 40°F), you’ll do the opposite. Put your reds in the refrigerator for half an hour and take your whites out of the refrigerator for half an hour. Dessert wines, sparkling wines, and roses are best enjoyed at a cooler temperature than whites, refrigerator temperature will do the trick.

As the experts on wine accessories, Wine Enthusiast offers a wide variety of serving tools to accomodate your wine service needs, like Wine Buckets & Chillers and Thermometers. How do you get your wines to proper service temperatures? Leave a comment, and let us know!

So along comes the question I often hear: “Do I need a two- temperature unit to store my reds and whites?” If your intentions are to store your wines for aging and protection, you need only a one- temperature unit. Ideally, all wines (reds, whites, champagne and ports) best store at temperatures between 50-60 degrees.

At this point, I usually get: “But shouldn’t my white wines be at a colder temperature? Yes, but now we are talking about service temperature. You can have storage and service in one unit with a two- temp unit that will allow for both functions, but there are other tricks for bringing wine to service temperature.

So, you’ve decided on a unit for strictly wine storage. It’s early Friday evening and you reach for a bottle of white and red to get your weekend started off right. The red and white are both at 55 degrees – storage temperature! You want to get things started and get your wine at service temperature.

Here is what I suggest: for the red, get out your favorite decanter and pour the bottle carefully into it. Set aside and let sit for about 15 minutes. The act of transferring the wine from a chilled bottle to decanter will make a big difference You want to enjoy most red wines at around 65 degrees.

For the whites, I am a big fan of rapid ice (a gel-filled sleeve you leave in the freezer) but there is a new kid on the block: the wine chilling carafe. It’s a fast and easy way to chill down your wines. Just fill the chamber, insert with ice and place into the carafe – it brings your 55 degree white down to 45 degrees in about 10 minutes. If you’re short on time, check out the new Ravi instant wine chiller, it chills your wine in seconds.

What are some tricks that you use to bring your wine from storage to service temperature? Leave a comment, and fill us in!

I’m always curious about where people keep their wine after they bring it home from the store. Do they leave it in the box? The fridge? The basement? Where do you keep yours? Post a comment and let me know, and if there’s anything you’d like to add to this topic, feel free! All insights are welcome.