High Humidity Level inside wine cabinet and condensation - Vintec

Issue

Wine cabinet - Humidity levels and condensation

Applies to

• Vintec

Solution

First and foremost, it is important to note condensation is a normal phenomenon and it will not harm your wines nor your wine fridge.

Please let us provide you with some clarifications:

• High humidity levels are positive and desirable in any wine storage solution designed for medium or long-term storage, as it allows for the preservation of corks. Moisture in the air helps keep them intact and maintain elasticity to prevent air from getting into the wine, which causes oxidation and spoils your wine.
• The mechanism via which the humidity level is maintained in the Vintec wine cellar is by recycling external ambient humidity via the wine cabinet ventilation (hole and fans) and door openings. Therefore, internal relative humidity (RH – a measure of the water vapour content of air) is highly dependent on external RH. If external RH is very high, internal RH will also increase, which causes condensation on the inside of the wine cabinet, especially if the wine cabinet door is opened regularly.
• In addition, the gasket surrounding the door helps keep the compartment sealed so air cannot get in. If the gasket is loose, it will let the moisture enter inside and create condensation too.
• This is not detrimental to the wine, however, it can impact the cosmetic appeal of labels and the potential resale value of wines especially of collectible grade

Some solutions that we would recommend:

• Use a dehumidifier in the room where your wine cabinets are placed or have the room A/C on ideally in the "Dry" or "Cool" setting.
• Limit the number of times and length you open the door as this helps limit the amount of hot humid external air entering the wine cabinet and starting to form condensation.
• Check the door gasket regularly. If it's out of place, push it back into place.
• Adjusting the temperature by increasing just a few degrees can make a big difference as the dew point will change and therefore humid air inside the cabinet won't form dew on bottle labels as much (or at all). Any temperature from 6-18 degrees is fine for the storage of wine, so although for long-term storage and maturation 12-14 is ideal, limited periods at a cool 16-18 is also fine.
• The best protection for labels from high humidity, mould and any scratching is a solution such as a LabelSkin - a clear and reusable protective film designed specifically for wine labels: https://labelskinenglish.mystrikingly.com/.
• A lower-cost alternative is to wrap precious/collectible wines in cling wrap before placing them in the cellar. This is a common practice among Vintec owners.

Product Support | Vintec Australia