The benefits of a wine cabinet
Like all natural and perishable produce, wine reacts to its
environment, which is why a wine cabinet can be so
important for anyone who wants to store their wine well
and manage its maturity and character ¨C improving the
aroma, flavour and complexity, whether that¡¯s for a week,
a year or a couple of decades.
Side storage
Bottles should always be stored on their side so that the wine
is in contact with the cork. This keeps the cork moist and
ensures a good air seal for the bottle, reventing oxidation and
immediate ageing of the wine. Ullage is the gap between the
cork and the wine in the bottle when it is upright. Wine
benefits best from side storage if the level of the wine is at
least to the upper shoulder of the bottle when upright.
Temperature consistency
As important as what the temperature is, is consistency. If the
temperature goes up and down, the organic components in
the wine can be affected. The cork can shrink or swell too ¨C
especially in older wines with less elastic corks.
Most Caple models are fitted with either dual heaters or a
PTC heater to raise the internal temperature of the cabinet
should the surrounding temperature fall considerably. This
keeps a steady temperature, regardless of how hot or cold it
is in the room outside. The air inside the cabinet is also
fan-circulated to ensures that the temperature distribution is
consistent throughout.
Humidity control
The perfect condition for long term storage of your collection is
a relative humidity of 65%. But somewhere between 55% and
80% is fine. Low humidity levels dry out the side of the cork in
contact with the air which allows oxygen through to the wine,
and also allows wine to seep into the cork. High humidity levels
cause mould which can produce damaging odours and can
destroy labels.
Our wine cabinets produce an atmosphere of above 65%
relative humidity at all times. The true humidity of the cabinet
can be tested using a hygrometer. All models come with plastic
water tanks, which fit onto the top shelf of each zone, and can
be used should the environmental humidity ever drop suddenly
or significantly
Vibration free
Too much vibration can disturb a wine¡¯s sediment balance.
Suspended sediments occur naturally as the wine ages and it
is possible for vibration to turn them back into liquid form
which is counterproductive. Vibrations can also break down the
molecular structure of a wine¡¯s chemical components. The
cooling mechanism within the cabinets is a high quality
low-vibration compressor, fitted with an anti-vibration rubber
gasket. This provides an efficient, no-frost system.
Circulated air
In a humid environment, air circulation is vital to prevent
bacterial growth. Mould deteriorates corks and also causes
damaging odour. Strong smelling components and foods can
penetrate a weak cork and change a wine¡¯s character.
The cool air is fan-circulated ¨C and vented through the base
plinth of most models ¨C to discourage bacterial growth and
odours by introducing a continual fresh air supply.
Non-UV light
Ultraviolet light causes premature ageing of wine by degrading
the otherwise stable organic compounds, especially the
tannins. It¡¯s a condition known as Light Strike and it can affect
the aroma, flavour and wine structure, leaving some wines tasting and smelling like garlic or wet wool. So it¡¯s best to keep
your wine in the dark, especially if it¡¯s in clear or pale glass
bottles, or if you¡¯re storing sparkling wines. Avoid sunlight and
fluorescent lighting in particular, as these both contain the
particularly damaging wavelengths of ultraviolet light below
400nm.
Our white LED lighting is not only extremely eye-catching and
stylish, it¡¯s also a practical choice for wine storage as it is
completely ultraviolet free. Another benefit of LED lighting, is
that it has no heat output so the temperature of the wine isn¡¯t
affected either.
