FAQs

Choose any Single-Zone Vintec wine cabinet, and make sure you set it at 12-14°C as this is the proper temperature for cellaring and medium/long term storage for all wines: reds, whites, roses and Champagne.

Choose any Dual-Zone or Multi-Temp Vintec wine cabinet, and keep in mind that most whites are generally best served at 6-8°C, and most reds at 16-18°C. With a Multi-Temp cabinet, you can fine-tune the serving temperatures of different styles of wine: there is a temperature gradient throughout the cabinet which allows you to place different styles of whites and/or reds at exactly the right serving temperatures.

All wines — whites, reds, Champagnes — cellar at the same temperature (12-14°C), so any Single-Zone cabinet set between 12-14°C is ideal for white and/or red wine storage. Set within this temperature range, Single-Zone cabinets will also keep humidity levels above 50% (which is important to maintain cork integrity).

For (investment) wine to appreciate in value, proof of cellaring conditions may be requested by astute buyers. All Vintec Single-Zone wine cabinets set between 12-14°C would meet the criteria such proof would require.

The recommended cellaring temperature is between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius. Whichever temperature you choose, the key is to remember that the temperature must be constant.

The humidity in a wine cabinet should be over 50% so that corks don't dry out and shrink: humidity levels below 50% can lead to your wines spoiling because of oxidation. All Vintec Single-Zone cabinets are designed to maintain humidity levels above 50% (when set at 12-14°C).

YES — if you’re only cellaring wines under screw cap closures. NO — if some of your wines are under natural cork: the reason for this is that Multi-Temp wine cabinets cannot maintain humidity levels high enough for corks to remain intact over long periods of time.

YES, humidity is important to ensure that corks do not dry out and shrink. If air can get into the wine it will cause oxidation, generating off-odours. Another symptom of low humidity is corks breaking/crumbling when being removed.

The recommended time to turn-over your wines in a Multi-Temp wine cabinet is 6 months. There are two reasons for this: 1) if your wine cabinet is set at serving temperatures (6-8°C for whites, and 16-18°C for reds), your wines are of course not being stored at the proper cellaring temperature, which is 12-14°C; 2) Multi-Temp cabinets do not provide the adequate humidity levels for corks to remain intact over long periods of time: they may dry out and let damaging air into the bottle.

Generally the larger models are best suited for restaurants and bars (e.g. Vintec V190), as there is a good turn-over of wines. Regular turn-over is important for wines stored in Multi-Temp cabinets (see previous FAQ). Smaller units such as the Vintec V150 can be well suited for individuals who enjoy entertaining regularly and like to have many wines kept simultaneously at the perfect serving temperatures.

No, the thermal mass of the wine and glass bottles maintains the temperature of the wine while the slow-cycle compressor brings the ambient temperature (the small amount of air between the bottles) back to the desired level. The ambient temperature quickly returns to the correct temperature as the thermostats senses minor temperature changes and activates the compressor immediately.

No: ensure your wine bottles do not touch the back panel of your wine cabinet. If the bottles touch the back panel the labels will be affected by the condensation running from the back wall on to the bottle. This would also allow less condensation pooling in the tray to be reheated and redistributed through the cabinet as warm vapour, and would thus affect the humidity in your wine cabinet.

Yes- Although the design of such cabinets was originally essentially for serving white and red wines, the lower compartment, set at around 12°C can be used for cellaring.

No, wine cabinets are not fridges. The temperature does not go low enough to keep food fresh and are not cold enough for the serving of beer. The Vintec BVCs (beer & wine cabinets) are designed for beers (or white wines at drinking temperature), as they can cool beverages down to 2°C, and have metallic racks on which to stand beer bottles up. However, they are not suitable for food storage.

No, it is not necessary to rotate your bottles at all. Wines need resting without any disturbance.

Make sure the bottles are evenly distributed throughout the wine cabinet, and avoid clumping together. The units work better when full.

Dual-Zone and Multi-Temp wine cabinets are designed for serving red and white wines at the perfect drinking temperatures. With Multi-Temp wine cabinets, the temperature graduates from the bottom (set at 6°C) to the top (set at 18°C), so you can place different styles/varietals at exactly the right temperature for service (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc should be served at 6-8°C so place right at the bottom of the cabinet; Chardonnay should be served at 10-12°C so place on a higher shelf). Single-Zone wine cabinets are designed for cellaring all wines — reds, whites or sparkling — at the proper temperature (12-14°C).

Wine cabinets create condensation. This condensation forms on the back panel of the unit then flows down to the bottom where it is collected in a tray. In some wine cabinets there is a heater in this tray which heats the water and redistributes it as vapour through the wine cabinet; in others the same effect happens but the heat is generated by the compressor when it engages. Hygrometry cannot be set precisely but it is maintained by the "thermal pump". In some of the Vintec units there are also small plastic trays which can be inserted inside the wine cabinets to assist in maintaining humidity. The trays are to be filled with water and placed in front of the fans inside the units and refilled when necessary.

These units have slow cycling compressors which are independently housed outside the main body of the unit and on rubber shock absorbers. Our wine cabinets also use wooden shelves as they do not transmit vibrations.

If it is a Vintec V30 series, it must be freestanding. All other units can be built-in to joinery but there is specific ventilation requirement. 

The only way this can be done is if there is a reinforced platform is placed between them, BUT not resting on or being supported by the lower wine cabinet. There must also be a “Chimney” at the back of this platform so that hot air can escape from both lower & upper units.

All Vintec and Transtherm wine cabinets generate some sound during normal operation. If the sound seems excessive it may be:

1) because the unit is not properly levelled or the bottles stacked incorrectly, so please empty the unit, check the levelling and then reload,

2) because ventilation requirements have not been respected, and so the unit is over-heating.

If the noise persists, please call the Vintec Customer Care Service (+65 6727 3699) for further advice.

This can happen in transit. Use a hair drier to heat up the gasket and when it's hot, plump up the seal. When it has reshaped, shut the door and tape it tightly shut for 48 hours so the seal holds the reformed shape.

It means the door has been left slightly ajar. Wipe out the cabinet and empty the tray then make sure you shut the door properly.

This is normal and is necessary for maintaining humidity levels in your wine cabinet. Just keep your bottles away from the wall so you do not block the water flow, an essential part of the cellaring climate.

If they are in contact with the back wall of the cabinet, please make sure you keep a finger's distance between the bottom of the bottle and the wall when you load. If not, please keep in mind that it is normal that condensation appears on the bottles after you open the door, and that high humidity is an essential part of cellaring your wine properly.

If your cabinet is lockable, please check that it is not locked first. Otherwise, the vacuum effect of the seal may have become too strong after being shut for too long. Prise the gasket open gently from the top corner and ease your fingers down and then the door will open easily.

Yes. It is the variance in the air temperature which triggers the thermostat and the compressor. Please note that the small temperature fluctuations only occur in the air around the bottles, not in the wine: if you place a probe inside the wine bottle, the temperature is actually constant.

When water vapour from the air comes into contact with the cold surface of the glass door, the vapour condenses on the surface of the glass, causing a foggy effect or in extreme situations, water can even flow off. It indicates excessive humidity in the environment.

The units are very well insulated and the thermal mass of the wine can maintain the temperature for hours before there is any change in the wine temperature itself. It is advisable not to open the doors during the outage. Once the power is restored, electronically-controlled cabinets may revert to the factory setting, generally 12°C which is an appropriate temperature for cellaring. Please reset if necessary.