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How cold is too cold? - Printable Version

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- Deputy - 02-24-2006

Stupid little wine fridge I bought (http://www.sylvaniaelectronics.ca/index/screen/products_3/model_ID/2473.html) is being a cow.<P>I set it to 15ºC or so and it just KEEPS GETTING COLDER. It's down to 10 and probably will keep going down. I tried setting it even higher, like 18, and that's not making any difference.<P>I know that about 13ºC is appropriate, and if I want the wine to age properly, is 10 too cold? I can still return it and I'm thinking I should if it's going to be like this...


- Oenotheque - 02-25-2006

While I am sure that there are members that would disagree, here is my take...<P>If I had to choose between to warm and too cold, I would take too cold 100 times out of 100. It has been shown that the wine is not adversely affect by temperatures as low as 40F which is what 4C, they just age more slowly.<P>The other key would be just how long are you planning on aging your wine in this unit? "Provenance" doesnt mean shit if you are going to drink it in a month, hell the wine has been in worse conditions being shipped to and stored at your local store for the year+ until you bought it.<P>Also take into account that there is a difference between wine storage and wine aging. Aging assumes you expect a better product when you take it out than what you put in, few wines are capable of this. <P>So in conclusion if this is home to your 8 bottles of 82 Mouton that you hope to consume in 2020, id go shopping again. If it is your 8 best bottles of say $20-$50 cali cab that you are drinking on occaisions as you go, I would say that you are fine.<P>O.


- tw - 02-25-2006

I dont know how accurate this conversion is but I think 13 or 14 is about where you want to be. 10 is a wee bit below that and to be honest even if it didnt make a difference, which it will I would take it back anyway. If a product is supposed to do a particular temp and it doesnt it sounds faulty. It may begin doing other crazy things later as well. That temp is probably ok for again the wines they will just age a touch slower. Good luck with the monster.<P>Chris


- winoweenie - 02-25-2006

The only thing the lower temp will affect is the maturation time. The colder it becomes the longer it takes for the wine to develop. Case in point lots of the old Irish castles cellars are 40* +or- year round. The Glamis castle had cases of the 1870-something Lafites in magnum and when discovered and sold from there were still babies a coulple of years back. WW (IMHO you should talk to the people you purchansed this hummer from. Sounds like a faulty thermostat to moi.)<p>[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 02-25-2006).]


- dananne - 02-25-2006

A couple more issues to think about -- the unit running more than it should will run up your power bill, and it will probably also shorten the life of the unit. I'd agree with the advice to return it or have it fixed.


- Deputy - 02-25-2006

I guess this is why it was only $69 CDN! (Figured it was a great deal - regular price was $169).<P>Thanks for the info. I figured I wasn't doing any damage, but I have my 8 nicest bottles in there, some of which I actually want them to age to peak (2-3 years), which means I don't really want them taking twice as long to get there, heh.<P>dananne, the power bill's a good point. I had thought about that when I was looking at it...sitting here thinking "I'm glad I don't have to pay the power bill!" (live in a basement suite on the same bill as upstairs)<P>It's going back - thanks guys.