If your kitchen is an entertainment hub, having dedicated wine storage is a must. If you are preparing for a kitchen remodel to your St. Louis home, or if you just want to add some functionality in the wine storage department, we’ve put together some ideas to help you plan.
Avoid Heat Damage: Store Your Wine At The Proper Temperature
First and foremost, your wine storage should be placed in an area where the bottles won’t be exposed to heat or sunshine. This will reduce the possibility of oxidation and keep your wine fresher longer. If you can put your wine racks close to the floor, bottles will stay cooler naturally. Just don’t put the racking units beside the stove or the dishwasher.
Installing wine racking in your island is a good way to mitigate the risk of heat damage, as it will keep the bottles separate from your appliances.
Most wine storage is configured so that the bottles lay on their side. The reason for this is that wine that is bottled under cork needs to maintain contact with the cork, keeping it moist and reducing the risk of cork damage or spoilage.
Mind you, today you will find a large number of wines bottled under screwcap, and for these, it doesn’t matter so much whether they are on their side or not as there is no cork to spoil. Keep in mind that wines under screwcap are not made for laying down. Most are intended for short-term drinking so, though the serving temperature is important to your enjoyment, you do have more leeway as to how you store the bottles.
Modular Wine Fridges
There are hundreds of different styles and sizes of modular wine fridges to choose from. Depending on what your wine preferences are, you should choose a unit that has two temperature zones, one for white wine and one for red wine.
Getting The Temperature Right
If you are primarily a white wine drinker, be sure you pick a wine fridge that cools to the proper serving temperature. The ideal temperature for white wine is 49 to 55˚F, so the fridge you choose should be capable of holding wines at that temperature. If you prefer red wines only, the temperature should be between 50 and 65˚F. Check the specifications of the unit carefully as not every wine fridge is made for dual zones.
Sparkling wine, however, is another matter. Bubbly should be served slightly colder, at about 45˚F. Having a little leeway in your fridge temperature will help, but avid wine drinkers could also consider having separate storage for each type.
Stand-Alone Wine Cabinets
If you have a large wine collection or if you entertain often, a stand-alone wine cabinet will allow you to store a variety of wines for immediate drinking. Wine cabinets, like wine fridges, are temperature-controlled and can be purchased in sizes that range from a 25-bottle capacity all the way to 500 bottles.
Built-In Wine Cabinets And Racking
Custom wine racks can be built and installed alongside your kitchen cabinetry. An open style with single-bottle cubbies allow you to access your bottles easily and it can also be designed to complement your kitchen décor seamlessly.
A clear glass door displays your collection nicely, and it adds a modern flair. Some feature-rich models offer doors or drawers that can be opened with a touch.
Refrigerated Wine Storage Drawers
If you prefer a more seamless look, you can opt for built-in refrigerated drawers in your cabinetry. These drawers are custom-built and can be configured for your preference. You might even consider having two separate drawers, one for whites and one for reds.
Wine storage drawers that are close to the floor can be activated with a toe-kick for easy access.
Enomatic
For those of you who tend to sample higher-end wines, an Enomatic is a great way to serve and preserve your top bottles. The machine itself is a wine dispenser that holds each bottle in a temperature-controlled environment. This allows you to access the wine in the bottle without pulling the cork, displacing the oxygen inside with argon gas as you pour.
Of course, if the concept of having only one or two glasses of wine from a bottle is foreign to you, the Enomatic might seem less practical. However, for those of you with an extensive wine collection and a lot of rare bottles, a two or four-slot Enomatic will give you a great deal of joy in addition to your “everyday” wine.
Are you remodeling your kitchen with wine storage options in mind? We’d love to help! Reach out today to find out what’s possible.
