Wines are unique beverages in that their taste can vary dramatically from one vintner to the next and from one type of grape to another. This very fact is what makes wine interesting for us to drink, compare and enjoy. However, these same variations also tend to complicate their respective wine storage and aging processes.
Red wine is fermented with the juices and solids (skins and pulp) mixed. On the other hand, grape juice that is separated from the solids is used to make white wine. Red wines are often improved by aging them from five to fifteen years. White wines generally are made to be consumed immediately and aging them beyond three years may actually be detrimental to their enjoyment.
Many wine information sites generalize that the optimal wine storage temperature is 55 degrees F. Some wine sites establish a range of temperatures for red wines at 50 to 64 degrees F., while the white wine range is from 41 to 50 degrees F. Because white wines generally age faster than red wines, storing them at a cooler temperature will slow their respective aging process and allow them to be stored longer than if at higher temperatures. Storing red wine at slightly higher temperatures than white wines will allow them to age within a reasonable period.
What is the best solution to wine storage when enjoyment of both red and wine wines is your desired goal? Investing in a wine refrigerator or wine chiller designed with two different storage zones is the best solution. Commonly called dual zone wine coolers, these appliances have two separate and independently controlled temperature environments: one for red wines and one for whites. This type of wine cellar allows the wine enthusiast to