Wine often changes over time. Itís very important to produce desirable changes to avoid harmful ones. You can do this by exercising control over many physical changes in the wine itself. Nothing spoils wine faster than excess air. This excess air not only causes the wine to lose freshness but it also causes the wine to oxidize. The result often create premature aging and before long, you have vinegar instead of wine. Fortunately, glass does not allow air into the wine stored and a good corking will keep the air exchange to a minimum for years to come.

To ensure that proper aging occurs in the wine, wine has some air in the bottle to start with. It is very important to make sure that the cork remains moist so that no additional air is allowed to enter the bottle. It is advised that you store your wine horizontally to keep the cork from cracking or shrinking, thus letting in the unwanted air your wine does not need.

Proper temperature storage is vital to ensure that the wine stays drinkable before you open it. If a wine is stored in conditions that are too cold, it causes the cork to shrink allowing air to enter the bottle. If the conditions are too warm, the wine will age faster than it normally should.

The optimum temperature for storing wine is generally fifty to fifty five ∞F (10-12∞C). Any constant temperature within forty-sixty-five ∞F (5-18∞C) is normally acceptable. The rate of the temperature change also plays an important role. A ten degree change over a season is usually harmless, but rapid changes can severely damage wine, even when stored within the desired temperature.

Along with controlling temperature and humidity, light exposure should be kept to a bare minimum. Often darkness is preferred by wine growers. Though modern bottles come with a good UV filter, light can still penetrate leading to a condition called ‘light struck’. This shows up as an unpleasant air in the wine itself. Incandescent bulbs produce less ultraviolet light than fluorescents so make sure you use the correct lighting in the process.

Vibrations also interferes with aging and stirs up unwanted sediment. Try to avoid moving any bottles until they are ready to be served. Bottle size also plays a part in storing your wine. A larger bottle actually has a smaller ratio of air to wine so as a rule, always use a large bottle. Once the bottle has been opened and you don’t expect to drink the rest in a few days, it’s important that you transfer the leftover to a small bottle. Generally, if you’re a casual drinker and drink your wine within one year after purchase, you can store wine just about anywhere that is not exposed to light or heat. That usually ensures that wine stays wine and your wine is protected and safe.

Not too many years back if you heard the term wine cooler, your thoughts automatically went to Bartles & James and if someone told you about their wine collection you pictured a dusty underground vault, where bottles lined the walls in orderly rows, slowly aging to perfection. Your average person that lived in your average suburban home could enjoy a good glass of wine when out on the town, but seldom had the capacity to store wine in optimal conditions at home. With the advent of under counter coolers, a wine cellar is no longer a necessity in order to be a collector of fine wines. In fact, anyone can turn their kitchen into modern day wine cellar.

Fine wines are expensive and they are only worth the money if you have a place to store them. Wine is alive, constantly changing according to its environment. Lots of things affect what changes a wine, including temperature, humidity, darkness, calm, ventilation and the angle at which it is stored. A good wine cooler will take these things into account. You always want your wine to be stored so that it is horizontal, at the lowest, stable temperature possible, in a place that is free of vibration, and away from places where you store items that have a strong odor.

The ideal conditions for storing wine are at 50 -55 degrees and 70% humidity. A wine refrigerator or wine cooler is ideal for this task. Unlike regular refrigerators, wine coolers run a little warmer maintaining the optimum temperature for wine. Because they are electronic, their temperature never fluctuates, helping the wine to maintain its constant flavor. They also offer storage options so you can lay the bottles down, allowing the wine to always stay in contact with the cork. An under the counter wine cooler, built into your kitchen also offers extra protection from the natural light in your house.

When you go out shopping for a wine cooler, there are some things to look for. You want to make sure that the door of the cooler is dark. Try to avoid clear glass coolers. They may look fabulous when they are filled with rows of wines glittering under the fluorescent lights of your kitchen, but all of the light that will seep in the bottles will ruin your wine. When wine is exposed to too much light it creates a condition called being “light struck.” The result of this condition is that the wine ends up tasting like dry cardboard.

Another consideration when you purchase an under counter wine cooler is the location where you plan to install it. Stand in the middle of your kitchen and take a minute to observe each spot under your counters that the cooler could potentially be placed. Make sure you don’t install it near a stove or oven, which could affect its temperature. Stay away from the refrigerator and the dishwasher because vibrations from both of these appliances will over time, ruin your wine. Placing an under counter wine cooler near the sink also puts if too close to vibrations as water runs through the pipes. If you have an island that has no appliances situated on it you have found the perfect location for your under counter wine cooler.

With the installation of an under counter wine cooler, you can serve wine to guests that came from your own “cellar” Since a cooler will maintain the perfect conditions for storing your wine, your guests will never know you didn’t trek down a flight of stars into a darkened basement, sift through row after row of fine pinots to choose the perfect vintage, and chill the bottle to perfection just for