WINE STORAGE CABINET OR MULTI-TEMPERATURE WINE CABINET?
A wine storage cabinet or a multi-temperature wine cabinet? Which would suit you best? What are the differences between the two? What advantages do Liebherr appliances offer when it comes to storing wine under optimal conditions? Read on to learn more about these appliances and the benefits they offer.
If you are a wine enthusiast, you would have invested a lot of precious time and money in selecting high quality wines. And for the full aroma and flavour of your fine wines to unfold, optimal storage is important. This brings us three essential factors: The correct temperature, optimum air quality, and protection from UV light.
Our modern homes don’t have the right climatic conditions for a proper wine cellar as storage areas in newer housing are typically too warm. Storing wine at too high a temperature increases the kinetic energy of its molecules. This in turn accelerates the maturing process and increase the likelihood of spoiling the wine.
Generally, a temperature of between 10°C and 12°C is recommended for long-term storage. When no natural cellar location is available, wine storage cabinets are your best solution. By maintaining an even, constant temperature and an optimised climate, wine storage cabinets offer the very best conditions for years of wine storage. Your highly prized wines are allowed to develop and reach their full potential in terms of taste and full enjoyment. The cooler a wine is stored, the longer its ‘lifecycle’ or journey to maturation. This is where the Van’t Hoff plot applies. With an increase in temperature of 10°C, biochemical reaction rates double or even triple.
What Is A Wine Storage Cabinet?
When properly stored, bottled wine continues to develop its natural aroma and flavour. It becomes deeper and more complex as the aging process progresses. Successful long-term storage requires two things: a wine of inherent good quality, and consistent, suitable storage conditions. Liebherr’s wine storage cabinets create conditions similar to those of a wine cellar: Perfect for aging in the bottle. A constant temperature prevails throughout the entire interior compartment, making wine storage cabinets the optimal choice for long-term storage and maturing. At Liebherr, we offer the GrandCru and Barrique.
GrandCru Wine Storage Cabinets
Our GrandCru range offers a wealth of high quality features. The interior compartment can be set to a constant temperature of anywhere between 5°C to 20°C as required. View our full range here.
Barrique Wine Storage Cabinets
Barrique wine storage cabinets offer lots of useful features and are available in various sizes. Their storage capacity ranges from 60 with the compact WKb 1712 to 195 Bordeaux bottles with the magnificent WKb 4612. Check them out here.
What Is A Multi-Temperature Wine Cabinet?
A wine’s aroma unfolds fully when served at the correct drinking temperature. This temperature varies according to the type of wine and also according to personal taste, the time of year, and whether it’s being served as an accompaniment to food. The basic rule is that red wines should be served slightly warmer than white wines. The aroma and flavour of sparkling wines and champagnes emerge at their most distinct when they are well chilled. A Liebherr Vinidor multi-temperature wine cabinet affords the opportunity of having both a chilled bottle of champagne ready to be popped and a great bottle of red at its ideal serving temperature ready to welcome surprise guests.
Vinidor Multi-Temperature Wine Cabinets
Our Vinidor range features two or three wine safes, which can be individually set between 5°C to 20°C with degree accuracy, offering you the greatest versatility. Each safe will ensure the wine it is holding will be at optimum drinking temperature. If required, a Vinidor can also be set to create the ideal climate conditions for long-term wine storage. Check out our Vinidor range here.
1. Protection From UV Light
Invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays within the light spectrum cause damaging chemical reactions in wines – visually, red wines fade and white wines take on a golden yellow color. The French call this “le goût de lumière” (literally “the taste of light”). To prevent this deterioration, wines are often bottled in coloured glass (brown or green), which absorbs a large proportion of these harmful rays. This alone is still not enough to protect bottles unless they are stored in the dark. Liebherr’s wine cabinets feature insulated glass doors with special UV protection. Their double-glazed construction, with an inner tinted glass pane and an outer metalized “low-e” pane, means that most of the damaging UV radiation is reflected away. In addition, the cabinets benefit from LED lighting, which guarantees perfect illumination of the interior without any UV exposure: The LED light spectrum has no UV content. LEDs also generate very little heat, allowing illumination for long periods of time.
2. Ideal Storage Temperatures Ensured By Precise Controls
The ideal storage temperature for all wines lies between 10°C and 12°C, and it is important that the storage temperature is kept constant. Liebherr guarantees this consistency by using precise electronic control systems in conjunction with the very latest climate control technology even when ambient temperatures fluctuate considerably.
3. Optimum Air Quality And Ideal Humidity
Liebherr wine cabinets have a built-in FreshAir activated charcoal filter that provides optimum air quality. This filter prevents transmission of odours, which may harm the taste of wine, into the interior compartment from the ambient air. Our Vinidor appliances have an activated charcoal filter in each wine safe.
In addition, sustaining the correct humidity level plays a crucial role in successful long-term storage. At a humidity level of less than 50%, natural corks begin to shrink. If a cork’s fit is compromised, oxygen can enter the bottle and alcohol will evaporate – wines will become sweeter and eventually spoil altogether.
4. Vibration Protection For Optimum Storage
Specially developed, extremely low-vibration compressors ensure that wine in Liebherr cabinets is stored gently and protected from vibrations. What’s more, with the SoftSystem cushioned door closing mechanism, gentle door operation is guaranteed. The door closes automatically from an opening angle of about 45° degrees in freestanding models (from 30° in built-in models) and sturdy, handcrafted wooden shelves provide efficient storage. The wooden shelves have an untreated natural finish, which allows wines to mature without being harmed by any paint chemicals.
At Liebherr, we are passionate about wine and we are passionately committed to developing innovative appliances that deliver premium storage conditions. So do visit our website and look at our full range of wine cabinets!
