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The cooling system is the heart of your wine cellar. Our wine room refrigerators ensure that your wine is properly cooled, letting it mature gracefully, increasing in quality and value. Wine Enthusiast offers a range of high quality, easy-to-install cooling units for wine cellars of all sizes. Contact one of our wine storage consultants for support! We’re glad to share more information on installa...Read Moretion and the advantages of both ducted units and through-the-wall units. Wine Enthusiast expert consultants can help you navigate options from high-quality brands to find a refrigeration unit that fits your needs and is guaranteed to age well.
There are three main types of cooling units to choose from: non-ducted/self-contained (also known as through-the-wall), ducted/self-contained, and split (which can be ductless or ducted). Many factors will be considered when choosing what type of unit is best for you, including the size of the cellar, the location, the purpose of the wine cellar, and budget. Once you've chosen the type of cooling unit, you'll need to determine what size unit is required for your cellar.
Ensure the wine cellar is properly insulated and has appropriate seals for doors, windows, or glass walls to prevent warm air from leaking into the cellar. Use LED lights wherever possible to reduce the amount of heat generated. When not in use, turn off the lights in the cellar. Place the evaporator or supply/return vents in the appropriate location to allow for proper airflow. Ensure that the heat that a cooling unit generates is properly ventilated. Temperature sensors for the cooling system should be placed at barrel height and away from the evaporator.
Most air conditioners are incapable of reaching wine storage temperatures. When wine is stored at higher than recommended temperatures, the flavor, aroma and quality can be permanently tainted.
Each cooling unit will come with a recommended number of British Thermal Units Per Hour (BTUH) or cubic feet, or both. When determining the size you need, we recommend "playing it safe," meaning even if your wine cellar falls within the BTUH or cubic foot range listed for the unit, but it's close to the maximum number, you should bump up to the next size unit.
A wine cellar cooling unit is essential if you're aging wine. Storing wine above or below optimal temperature and humidity levels can lead to negative changes to the flavor and aroma, ultimately decreasing the quality of the wine.
