5 Essential Wine Cellar Cooling Units Features

Wine Cellar Cooling Units are essential for any high-end commercial wine cellar. Keeping your expensive wine collection in good form is akin to a well-directed movie. But, if any of the “actors” fall short of their mark, elements of the show can be ruined. Leaving a bad taste in the audience’s mouth. For wine storage, you can literally suffer this indignity if one of the key players for climate control is off.  Climate control is the key to preserving your precious inventory and this comes in the way of Wine Cellar Cooling Units.

Commercial wine storage needs to take into effect temperature, humidity, the interplay of UV on wine, and much more. The following is a list of must-have Wine Cellar Cooling Units management features that will ensure the integrity of your wine.

5 Essential Wine Cellar Cooling Units Features

1. Temperature – Is it too hot or too cold in the wine cellar?

Temperature control is crucial to safeguarding the condition of your wine. Here is where the Goldilocks paradox can cause major detrimental effects to your wine storage. According to Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), wines should be stored between (50-59°F). A lot depends on the ideal degree range. Factors like flavor integrity and the wine aging process are just a few of the things that ride on this.

If the temperature is not ideal the following can occur:

• Oxidation – If the facility is too cold there can be cork shrinkage. This allows air to enter the bottle, allowing the wine to oxidize. Oxidation will result in a less intense aroma and flavor. The effect is a flat taste.
• Acidity – If the facility is too warm (above 70°F) wine can become too acidic. The product will become sour. Heat will also speed up the aging process. In turn, the desirable flavor of aging wine can be ruined.
• Bitterness – Avoid bitter or dryness in the wine with tannin control. The wrong temperatures can set off a chemical reaction causing wine to garner the taste of “bitter grapes” and can make the mouth dry.

Recommendations: Wine Guardian® offers various commercial wine cellar cooling units that maintain the ideal temperature for your commercial wine cellar. From Wine Guardian® ceiling mount units, Wine Guardian Ducted Systems, and Wine Guadian® Pro Systems all are made to meet the highest standards in wine cooling systems. For smaller cellars consider WhisperKool® units. Quiet and with a streamlined design, this line fits perfectly with the aesthetics of a more intimate-sized space.

2. Humidity – Can wreak havoc on wine bottles.

We’ve all had a good laugh at many a hairstyle that has suffered the ravishes of humidity. But, humidity is no laughing matter when it comes to expensive wine collections.

When humidity is out of control this can happen:

• Cork Decay – Proper humidity levels prevent corks from drying out. If the air is too dry, corks can dry out and crack, become brittle, or shrink. A damaged cork can allow air to seep in. This can lead to wine oxidation. Adversely, too much moisture in the air can lead to mold or fungus to grown on corks.
• Label degradation – High humidity can create a less-than-ideal environment that can warp labels. Information on vintage, origin, etc. can be lost. This can lower the value of your bottles.
• Compromised Wine Aging Process – Humidity can affect temperature. Temperature fluctuations can hamper the wine aging process, resulting in a poor-quality vintage.

Recommendations: Wine Guardian® Humidifiers are through-the-wall systems and are low maintenance. Comes with built-in fans, a 2-year parts warranty, and is made in the USA. Ask about the add-ons available like wireless remote, touchscreen control, and sensors. Protect your investment with Wine Guardian®. These humidifiers work perfectly with wine cellar cooling units or can add an integrated humidifier.

3. Dual Zone – Are your wines in the right zone? How can wine cellar cooling units help…

Red Wine vs White Wine – What is the optimal temperature range? Red wines in general age well in the 55° – 65° range. Even within this range there can be minor differences in ideal temperature for the red wine category. There can be up to a 5° difference between full-bodied to medium wines.

White wines should be stored between 45° – 55°. And, there are minor ideal temperature range differences between sweet, dry, and sparkling wines.

Avoid mishaps like changes in acidity or temperature fluctuations that can affect the wine aging process with commercial-grade wine cellar cooling units.

Recommendations: To help manage these minor climates we recommend Wine Guardian® Ducted Systems or Split Systems which come with an integrated humidifier.

4. Good vibrations (means no vibrations)

Yes, vibrations can also be detrimental to the preservation and evolution of your valuable stock.
This can accelerate chemical processes changing the flavor, cause sediment to mix with the liquid, or compromise the seal on the cork.

Recommendations: When choosing wine cellar cooling units make sure that they are quiet. Wine Guardian® systems not only keep a chill environment but they do it quietly.

5. Sunscreen for Wine (UV Protection and Uses)

Ultraviolet light can be a double-edged sword if you don’t know how to manage it properly. It can be beneficial as well as harmful to your stock. Wine is similar to people when it comes to too much UV. It can accelerate aging here as well. It can also fade labels and may even spoil wines. UV can also be used for favorable results. It can kill bacteria and mold and can be used for odor control in the cellar. Not to mention you do need a bit of light to showcase the product.

Recommendations: WhisperKool® wine cellar cooling units offer UVGI. The ultraviolet germicidal irradiation system technology uses UV to kill damaging microorganisms.

Wine cellar cooling units are a staple for the commercial wine cellar. From the vast needs of vintners or exclusive restaurants with a limited yet expensive supply one thing is certain. You must maintain the quality of your wine. Make sure all your bases are covered. What are your needs? Do you start with temperature, humidity, or UV control, Dual Zone or vibration management, or perhaps energy efficiency? We can help guide you to your perfect custom wine-cooling solution. Call us at (407) 287-5670 to get started.