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Wine often conjures up images of sophistication, class, and elegance, and one of the keys to enjoying wine to its fullest is proper wine etiquette. Whether its the temperature of the wine, age of the wine, or foods its served with, every small detail counts.
One of the most important steps you can take to truly enjoy a bottle of wines true aroma is proper storage temperature. As one of the basic tenets of wine etiquette, wine storage is imperative due to the complex chemistry that gets altered with environmental or temperature changes. Storing it at a temperature that is too cold will cause it to lose its flavor notes while extremely warm temperatures will accelerate the wines aging process. Moreover, temperature fluctuations can either enhance the bouquet of certain types of wine or disguise its defects.
As a general rule, red wine is best served between 62-65F, while a quality white wine should be appreciated when it is between 58-62F. Also, champagne and sparkling wine should best be served at 45F. With that said, one of the best ways to ensure proper wine storage temperature is via a home cellar, but this may be impossible for even the most serious oenophile due to cost or space constraints. Thus, wine coolers and refrigerators are a cost-effective way to serve your finest vintages.
There are several types and models of wine coolers available depending on cost, needs, and desires, but when choosing a wine cooler, first determine how many bottles of wine you intend to chill, then add on more capacity to allow for a growing collection. Next, figure out what type of wine you will be storing. If you have only reds or whites, a wine refrigerator with only one chamber will be sufficient, but if you need to store both types, a 2-temperature zone wine refrigerator is absolutely essential.
To take the guesswork out of choosing a wine cooler, our product team has been testing a number of popular brands and models. Avanti, Amcor, and Franklin Chef are just some of the most well-know wine cooler manufacturers, but NewAir, a company most known for its portable air conditioners and swamp coolers, has also developed their own line of affordable, feature-rich wine coolers. We were fortunate enough to be test the new NewAir AW-210ED wine cooler and here are our findings:
Style and Design:
When we first received the NewAir AW-210ED, we were definitely impressed with its sleek, hi-tech styling. The glass door was large and durable, while the 7 slide out shelves and racks within the unit were chrome plated. The digital control panel was extremely user-friendly, and the interior of the wine cooler even came equipped with a soft blue LED light that increased visibility and provided a nice glow. Furthermore, the AW-210EDs upright tower design helped save space. In fact, the NewAir AW-210ED fit nicely into the corner of our office and was non-obtrusive.
Bottle Capacity:
As mentioned above, one of the first things you should keep in mind when choosing a wine cooler is the bottle capacity. A wine cooler can hold as little as six bottles to some units which can hold up to 500. The NewAir AW-210ED wine cooler had a 21-bottle capacity which was more than enough space for us budding connoisseurs.
Cooling Technology:
There are primarily two types of wine cooling technologies: compressor and thermoelectric. Most people prefer thermoelectric units because they do not have many moving parts and are very quiet. Also, thermoelectric technology is better at preserving and aging wine because it lessens sedimentation that can occur with vibration. The NewAir AW-210ED was a thermoelectric wine cooler that provided silent, vibration-free operation.
Dual Zone Chambers:
Also as mentioned above, having a wine cooler with at least two temperature zones is important if youre storing more than one type of wine. A wine cooler with dual temperature zones means that the cabinets upper and lower zones are specialized, independently refrigerated chambers with separate temperature control capabilities. The NewAir AW-210ED wine cooler had two zones which allowed us chill our favorite bottles of merlot and chardonnay at once.
Overall, at less than $250, the NewAir AW-210ED was not only more affordable than some of the other wine coolers we tested, it also offered many of the same features we found in pricier models.
