Oct 10 2011
Wineries Use Wine Coolers To Keep Wine Fresh
Most of us can agree that winemaking is not a simple process. But even when wineries have accomplished making a delectable wine, the work is not finished. Much effort goes into blending and fining the wine prior to bottling or wine storage. After the wine has been allowed to sit in large refrigerated stainless steel vats or wooden barrels to ferment and age, the wine is subjected to a cold and heat stabilization. The cold stabilization is a process that exposes the wine to near freezing temperatures for approximately 7 to 14 days which separates undesirable “wine crystals” which are removed leaving behind a clear wine rather than a cloudy fermented beverage. During the heat stabilization process, proteins are removed preventing them from forming a solid in the cooling wine.
After the two stages of stabilization, the wine is refined allowing the winemaker the opportunity to subtly manipulate the finished product. Different characteristics such as tannin levels, acidity, sweetness, and clarity can be adjusted based on preference. Once the wine has been perfected, the wine can be clarified. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by placing the wine in a wine cooler or fridge that can accurately reduce the temperature to about 35 degrees. Using a wine refrigerator or even a wine cellar to clarify the wine takes about a month depending on the wine type and is a natural alternative to chemical clarification.
Following the completion of the clarification process the wine is ready to be bottled. The wine is usually corked in darker glass bottles to reduce the exposure to harmful UV light. The bottling process is said to be traumatic to the wine and the period after bottling is known as “bottle shock” or “bottle sickness”. The length of bottle shock each wine goes through varies and there is no required standard amount of time for wine storage during this period. At this point, the wine is stored in wine coolers at approximately 55 degrees Fahrenheit to slow wine aging and adequately preserve the settling vintages.
From there it’s important for the consumer to understand that proper wine storage is their responsibility. This is often why it is best for wine to be bought straight from the winery. As the end customer buying from a grocery store you often don’t know how long the wine has been traveling through the various stages of distribution. Now the wine bottle is sitting on the shelf in front of you, clearly not being stored at its proper temperature. The wine should either be consumed immediately upon purchase or stored in a home wine cooler to keep it fresh. We here at SnakeRiverValleyWine.Org clearly advocate purchasing from the winery. This both better supports their cause and gets you the freshest possible wine for your enjoyment.
Depending on your wine storage needs you can either get a really small cooler for your counter top all the way up to a huge wine cellar the size of some people’s homes. We’ve seen them all. Pick a wine refrigerator that will support the level of passion that you have for wine. Don’t feel that you need a huge wine cellar if you only drink a bottle every couple weeks and have no interest in aging wine. On the other hand, if you do really enjoy wine make sure you don’t sell yourself short. One of the most common complaints people have about buying their own wine storage fridge is accidentally getting one that is too small.