Wine Storage

[Craysydave]

We received a wine storage unit as a gift and put it in the garage without thinking. today I noticed that we should not have placed it where it can get too cold. this winter is unusual in Houston and it went to the freezing mark, probably in the 40's in the garage.
1) have we ruined the wine in the cooler
2) if not, do we need to move the unit in doors?

[Innkeeper]

Hi Dave, and welcome to the Wine Board. Don't think you have a problem. Even if the unit didn't insulate the wine from the cold which it most probably did, it would not be the end of it. Wines tolorate cold much better than heat. When your garage gets to be 100 degrees F in the summertime is when I would get worried. In the long run it would be best to get the unit inside where there is less fluctuation of temps.

[hotwine]

Welcome to the board.
1) You've probably not harmed the wine stored in the unit at this time of year.
2) Yes, I recommend moving the unit into the house before outside temperatures climb above the 70's. Why? Because most wine fridges are designed to chill no more than 20 degrees below the ambient temperature, and if ambient is 80 or more, the unit will only chill to 60 (or higher). UNLESS the unit is designed with beefed up compressor, as is my EuroCave 260 1-Temp, which has been in our garage for two years now and is stable at 56 degrees.

[Craysydave]

Many thanks to Innkeeper and hotwine for their replies.
After my wife and I decide where she thinks it looks best, I will be moving it before the heat! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]
This is an awesome website.