Wine is one of life’s finer pleasures. While some of us are more serious about wine than others, everyone who appreciates a quality drop deserves to experience the very best wine has to offer.
Like a loved one, to get the best from your wine you need to treat it right – and we all know wines are complicated beauties. Taking care of your wine means storing it correctly – and that’s where things can get complicated. Luckily, Vintec’s new Seamless Range of Wine Cabinets (available now at Harvey Norman) does all the work for you. All you have to do is await the ideal occasion to sample your favourite red or white at its peak of perfection.
But how exactly do these wine cabinets ensure your wine reaches its peak? Read on as we answer your most commonly asked questions about the art of successful wine storage.
What is a Wine Cabinet?
A wine cabinet combines the perfect conditions for storing wine in one versatile unit. Whether cellaring wine or keeping it at its ideal temperature until your next get-together, a wine cabinet will preserve and enhance the complex flavours of your favourite drop. Wine cabinets also offer a convenient solution for incorporating your wine collection into your existing space. Sleek and stylish, contemporary wine cabinets are available in a range of sizes to suit your decor and budget.
Why cellar wine?
Everyone knows things get better with age and wine is no exception. Storing wine long term – or “cellaring” – develops its full complexity. Primary and secondary flavours are enriched along with the textual sensations called “mouthfeel”. And don’t forget, a successfully aged wine is a valuable wine! Cellaring your collection correctly ensures the future of your investment.
Why should I use a Wine Cabinet?
Just like the flavours of a fine Pinot Noir, wines are delicate and need plenty of TLC to develop their full potential. Wine cabinets take the hassle out of storage by controlling the four environmental threats to wine’s taste and longevity –light, humidity, vibration and temperature. Fluctuations in these four elements can inhibit a cellared wine from developing complexity or destroy its flavour profile altogether.
Let’s take a closer look at how these four elements come into play when storing wine and how a wine cabinet works to nurture your collection for maximum enjoyment.
Light
Direct light damages wine just as sunlight damages your skin – with ultraviolet light causing a detrimental change to wine’s chemical structure. Vintec’s Seamless Range of Wine Cabinets incorporate UV-treated glass doors, gentle LED lighting and dark interiors to preserve your wine’s flavour and nurture its ageing process.
Humidity
Storing wine bottles at the wrong humidity is a cardinal sin of serious wine collectors. Low humidity can cause the cork to dry out and break the seal on the bottle, triggering oxidisation the moment air starts creeping in. The result? Premature aging and an “off” smell. Vintec’s Seamless Range of Wine Cabinets keeps wine happy at an ideal level of humidity – around 50% or greater. (Pro tip: always store your wine bottles horizontally to keep the cork moist!)
Vibration
When it comes to ageing wines, slow and steady wins the race. Steady temperature, steady humidity – and steadiness. Even the slightest movement can interfere with the delicate ageing process by increasing the speed of chemical reactions. A hurried wine is prematurely aged and robbed of its true flavours. Protecting your wine from the subtle tremors of a busy household will ensure it ages at its own pace. All the Wine Cabinets in the Vintec Seamless Range feature vibration-absorbing shelves and rubber shock absorbers to create the perfect stable environment even in the heart of your kitchen chaos.
Temperature
Our temperamental Australian climate is the enemy of wine. Searing hot days followed by sudden drops in temperature wreak havoc with the chemical processes of a wine’s natural ageing. A wine that has become too hot will find its subtle flavours overpowered by the component alcohol. At the other extreme, a wine that has been chilled too far will produce a sharper acidic taste, suppressing the flavours (and any enjoyment!). You can’t control the climate but you can provide an idyllic wine haven in your very own home. Vintec’s new Seamless Range of Wine Cabinets offers options for storing red, white and mixed collections at their ideal temperatures.
What is the best temperature to serve wine?
Red and white wines have their own ideal serving temperatures:
- ▶ 6°- 8°C for Sauvignon Blanc and Champagne
- ▶ 10°-12°C for Chardonnay
- ▶ 14°-15°C for Pinot Noir and Merlot
- ▶ 17°-18°C for Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz
Store your wines at their ideal temperature in a Vintec Wine Cabinet so that when you serve them the accolades will pour in!
Wine Cabinet vs. Fridge – What’s the difference?
For wine to truly pleasure your tastebuds, give your fridge the cold shoulder. While most of us are guilty of chilling white wine in the fridge, a typical fridge set at 0°- 4°C compromise the flavour of wine during both short and long term storage. On top of their ideal serving temperature, Vintec Wine Cabinets effortlessly achieve the best cellaring temperature for all wines – 12°-14°C.
Which Wine Cabinet should I buy?
Whether you’re a seasoned wine coinnesseur or a novice collector, there is a wine cabinet to suit your storage needs. Vintec’s new Seamless Range of Wine Cabinets caters for every step of the wine collecting journey with capacities for cellaring 35, 40, 50 and 170 bottles. Available in a contemporary stainless steel or sleek black finish, Vintec’s Seamless Range is designed to blend effortlessly into your existing space and lifestyle.
The following Wine Cabinets from the range come with our highest recommendation:
Vintec 35 Bottle Wine Cabinet
Ideal for beginner wine collectors and the discerning host, the Vintec 35 Bottle Wine Cabinet is a freestanding, single-zone cabinet that will keep your wines at perfect serving temperature.
- ▶ Triple glazed, anti-UV glass door
- ▶ Internal LED lighting
- ▶ Adjustable wooden shelves
- ▶ Borderless black glass finish
- ▶ Reversible door
Vintec 40 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cabinet
The nifty Vintec 40 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cabinet separates red and white wines into their own compartments, keeping them ready at their optimal serving temperatures. Or, select the ideal cellaring temperatures for each and age your reds and whites to perfection.
- ▶ Two independent chambers
- ▶ Triple glazed, anti-UV glass door
- ▶ Digital temperature display
- ▶ Internal LED lighting
- ▶ Adjustable wooden shelves
- ▶ Security lock
Vintec 50 Bottle Wine Cabinet
A convenient under bench cabinet with the capacity for storing up to 50 Bordeaux-shaped bottles, the Vintec 50 Bottle Wine Cabinet will suit the wine aficionado who buys a monthly case of wine.
- ▶ Triple glazed, anti-UV glass door
- ▶ Digital temperature display
- ▶ Internal LED lighting
- ▶ Reversible door
- ▶ Adjustable wooden shelves
- ▶ Borderless black glass finish
- ▶ Security lock
Vintec 170 Bottle Wine Cabinet
Now here’s one for the serious wine buff. The Vintec 170 Bottle Wine Cabinet is the perfect specimen – tall, stylish and ready for business. Boasting a generous 170-bottle capacity, this cabinet can be used as a single-zone cellar or as a multi-temperature chamber for keeping all types of wine ready to enjoy at any time.
- ▶ Visual and audio alarm
- ▶ Triple glazed, anti-UV glass door
- ▶ Digital temperature display
- ▶ Internal LED lighting
- ▶ Adjustable wooden shelves
- ▶ Security lock
Where to buy a Wine Cabinet?
You can shop the range of Vintec Seamless Wine Cabinets online or by heading into your local Harvey Norman store.
If you have any questions about storing wine in a Vintec Wine Cabinet that we haven’t covered here, Harvey Norman’s friendly, expert staff can help you with everything you want to know.