Mildew appearing on bottles, shelves, door gaskets (Vintec Wine Cabinet)

Issue

Mildew appearing on bottles, shelves, door gaskets

Applies to

• Vintec Wine Cabinet

Solution

Cause: Humidity levels & its effect on mildew and wine bottle labels.

This is a common situation and is quite a normal occurrence, and not technically an issue with the product.

• High humidity is a positive and desirable in any wine storage solution designed for medium or long-term storage, as it allows the preservation of corks (moisture in air helps keeps them intact and maintain elasticity to prevent air getting into the wine which causes oxidation): it is one of the 5 Pillars of Wine Storage.
• Vintec wine cabinets are specifically designed to maintain high humidity levels and increase them over time when they are low.
• The mechanism via which humidity levels is maintained/increased is by recycling external ambient humidity via the wine cabinet ventilation (ventilation hole and fans) and door openings (which let humid air into the cabinet which condensates on cold inside panels and bottles): therefore, internal relative humidity is highly dependent on external relative humidity. If external relative humidity is high, the internal relative humidity will also increase, especially if the wine cabinet door is opened regularly.
• Typically, relative humidity above 50% is recommended, and any levels from 50-100% will achieve the preservation of corks.
• When internal relative humidity exceeds 80-90% in a wine cabinet, the small water droplets in the air around the wine can condensate and form droplets on labels, which can cause labels to bubble slightly (and if mould is present, will encourage it to spread on labels and in the cabinet).
• This is not detrimental in any way to the wine; however it can impact the cosmetic appeal of labels and the potential resale value of wines especially of collectible grade

Solution:

• Best protection of labels from high humidity, mould and any scratching is to utilize a solution such as cling wrap before placing in cellar. This is a common practice among Vintec owners.
• Some ways to mitigate this situation during periods of high external RH (e.g. during heavy rains or on very hot and humid days):
• Using a dehumidifier in the room in which the wine cabinets are stored, or have the room A/C on ideally on "Dry" setting or "Cool"
• Not setting one's wine cabinet so low: increasing the temperature even by just a few degrees, eg from 12 to 16 degrees, can make a big difference as 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.
• Minimizing door openings and length during this time: this limits the amount of hot humid external air entering the wine cabinet and condensation - increasing internal RH potentially over 80%

1. Before loading the cellar, wipe bottle labels, and corks/foil caps clean (50/50 mix of white vinegar and warm water)

2. Repeat on annual basis to identify any mildew, clean the cellar and shelves and bottles.

Note: Periodic inspection and subsequent cleaning is required on all wine cabinet models.

Note: Mildew will NOT affect the quality or ageing of wine - but it can damage labels.