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Wine Storage Units
For those with a serious interest in wine,
keeping wine where it is convenient to grab
a bottle on a whim can be at odds with keeping
it properly stored. Bottles down in the wine
cellar require a round trip to the basement,
but kitchen countertops can be warm and space
hard to find. A wine storage unit can solve
both problems at once.
Sometimes called mini cellars,
units range
in size from those holding just
a dozen bottles
to about four cases are typical,
though ones
designed for professional, long
term storage
can hold hundreds of bottles.
An ideal size
for a normal kitchen would hold
about two
dozen bottles at near perfect
temperatures
on either side of 55o F. Roses and fresh young red wines may be
served right out of the unit, while a quick
selection at the start of meal preparation
will allow half an hour for reds to warm
up on the table to the proper temperature
and whites to chill in the refrigerator.
A wine storage unit is really
just a small
refrigerator with some change
in the range
of its cooling temperature. A
three case
unit is about three-quarters
of the size
of a dishwasher and will conveniently
fit
under any counter or into the
end of a center
island. Prices run from about
$300 to $600
depending on capacity and manufacturer,
with
the smallest units beginning
at just over
a hundred dollars and running
into thousands
for the high end models. Like
an ordinary
refrigerator, wine storage units
make some
noise while running and require
adequate
ventilation for the cooling coils
on the
rear of the unit.
When shopping, look for these
features:
- almost all units have a glass door; look
for one with a lock if you have curious toddlers
or active pets in the house.
- check for a bin at the bottom for champagne
since the shelves can sometimes by too tight
for larger bottles.
- you'll want removable shelves if you store
magnums or other odd and large format bottles
to tap into on an impulse.
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