Do You Put Red Wine In The Fridge?

The ideal temperature for red wine is around 12-14 degrees, whereas the temperature of a refrigerator is normally around 3 degrees. So the short answer is no, you shouldn’t store your red wine in the fridge.

Leaving red wine in the fridge will most likely ruin the quality of your wine. Cold temperatures heighten the wine's structure including the tannins. Tannins help provide texture and structure to Wines, and without them, wine can taste very unpleasant. Read on to find out more about why you don't store wine in the fridge and the correct temperatures at that red wine should be stored.

 

What Temperature Should Red Wine Be Stored At?

You should store red wine at room temperature so that the wine’s flavour and balance are preserved. Extreme changes in temperature can massively impact the quality of your wine.

This is why it is important to store your wine away correctly in either a wine cellar or a Wine Cooler such as the items we offer in our ‘products’ section.

Although you may think that all wines can be stored at the same temperature, some wines, however, need to be stored at a higher temperature than others.

For example, richer red wines such as Vintage Port or Ribera del Duero are best stored at a higher temperature than others. Vintage Port is recommended to be stored at a temperature of 19 degrees, whereas Ribera del Duero should be stored at a temperature of 18 degrees.

Light-medium red wines are stored at a cooler temperature compared to rich red wines. For example, Beaujolais Wine should be stored at 12 degrees, whereas Pinot Noir wines should be stored at 16 degrees.

You may be wondering: Why do different types of red wines have different storage temperatures? It’s simple, the perfect temperature depends on various different factors such as:

• How much fruit the wine contains
• The volume of alcohol in the wine
• The number of tannins the wine contains

 

Are The Storage Temperatures The Same for White and Sparkling Wine?

The simple answer is no, but why? Although all wines should be stored in the same way, such as either in a wine cooler or a wine cellar. The temperature at which you store white and sparkling wine is different from Red wine.

For example, sparkling wine needs to be stored at a cooler temperature compared to white wine. Sparkling wines are to be stored at a much cooler temperature which varies from around 5 to 8 degrees, whereas white wines are to be stored at a warmer temperature of around 8 to 12 degrees. This is because most white wines contain less alcohol compared to red wine. Red wine also contains more tannins compared to white/ Sparkling wine.

 

Storage Factors To Consider When Storing Red Wine

There are many Ideal Wine storing conditions that need to be taken into consideration in order to maintain the quality of your wine such as:

• Ensuring there is good ventilation to allow your Wine to ‘breathe’ as well as preventing any odours released from other food from seeping into your wine.
• Ensuring that your wine is kept in a dark room away from sunlight
• Free from vibration
• Stored away with good humidity conditions

You also need to consider the type of Red Wine, as discussed before certain Red Wines need to be stored at a cooler temperature than others. The Richer the wine the higher the temperature, the lighter the wine the cooler the temperature.

 

Why You Should Avoid Storing Red Wine In The Fridge?

There are many reasons why you should avoid storing Red wine in the fridge. There are many factors that will hugely affect the quality of your wine if stored in the fridge - such as opened food. If you store your wine away in the refrigerator surrounded by opened foods, this will cause any odours from the foods to leak into your wine.

Fridges act as a humidity suppressor and are far too cold to store wine in. This causes the cork to shrink slightly in size allowing odours to leak into the wine, leaving it with an unpleasant taste. Moreover, wine shouldn't be stored in the fridge due to its storage factors. For example, Wine is best stored lying on its side, this is to prevent the cork from drying out and to maintain the quality of the wine.

Finally, regular refrigerators don't have dual-temperature zones whereas Wine Coolers do. Dual temperature zones allow you to precisely control the temperature of the wine which ensures perfect preservation.

 

Where To Store Red Wine

We have discussed why you shouldn't store wine in a refrigerator and how to store your wine correctly. But where is the best place to store Red Wine and where can you find a Wine Cooler? The best places to store your wine are either in a wine fridge, a wine cellar or a wine cabinet.

At Dunavox, we offer a wide range of wine coolers such as Freestanding, Integrated and under-counter wine coolers to suit your home. An example of one of our most popular wine coolers is the Freestanding Dunavox Home-54 wine cooler. This type of product offers:

• Excellent Humidity Control
• Dual Cooling Zone
• A capacity to hold 54 bottles
• Wooden shelves, to allow your wines to lie safely on its side
• Vibration-free storing
• Touchscreen technology
• UV light protection

And much more! Interested in what else we have to offer? If you're unsure which type of wine cooler would best suit you and your home head over to our view all wine coolers section to find out more!