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Tina and Brett
Casual and serious wine lovers alike put a lot of time and effort into researching bottles, visiting wine country to purchase from wineries, and seeking out their favorite producers through wine clubs and online retailers like SommSelect. If this sounds like you, it may be time to start researching wine fridges (or wine coolers, as they are also known), to see which type is right for you.
Wine can be finicky. Things like light exposure and temperature changes can cause a bottle to spoil. Wine fridges are hands down the easiest way to protect your wine from things like UV light and temperatures that run too cold or too hot. Wine fridges also ensure your bottles are stored on their side, which prevents the corks from drying out. It goes without saying that keeping the cork intact is your best bet against exposing the wine to unwanted air.
What makes a wine fridge different from other types of cooling storage like a classic kitchen refrigerator, you might ask. Because kitchen refrigerators are used to prevent food spoilage, they run around 37 degrees F – just a few degrees above freezing. That temperature is far too cold to store wine – and far too cold to serve.
The other option newer wine drinkers use to store wine is an exposed wine rack. The downside here is, again, light exposure and temperature control. A freestanding, uninsulated wine rack in the average kitchen will stay at room temperature, which is not ideal for wine.
If you intend to start collecting bottles of wine, then a wine cooler is an essential wine gadget. These devices take the guesswork out of temperature control – no more sticking your favorite white wine in the refrigerator and guessing when it’s cool enough to drink. And they safeguard your bottles from harmful elements like sunlight.
Single Zone vs. Dual Zone Wine Fridges
Unless you intend to store your bottles for aging, dual-zone wine fridges are the way to go. Dual-zone temperature regions allow you to keep your red wine between 55 and 60 degrees and your white and sparkling wine between 45 and 55 degrees.
Depending on your preference, dual-zone wine coolers may have side-by-side temperature-controlled areas, or they may be stacked from top to bottom.
Multiple-Size Bottle Storage
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many entry-level wine fridges do not have the ability to store larger bottles like Pinot Noir and Champagne. Many wine coolers do allow you to remove racks, but why do that when you can purchase a fridge that was designed with a variety of bottle sizes in mind?
The Vinothèque Café Undercounter Wine Cellar, for example, will easily accommodate the more bulbous shape of a Burgundy or Pinot Noir bottle.
Glass Doors vs. Solid Doors
There’s no doubt that wine coolers with glass doors are stylish. After all, glass allows you to show off your growing wine collection. While the aesthetics of a glass-doored wine cooler are eye-catching, there are a few drawbacks. First, glass exposes part of the bottle to the light. If you’ve acquired or plan to start acquiring any high-value investment bottles, this may not be the best option. UV-resistant glass is available on some models, so if you go with glass, make sure it has some sun protection.
The other drawback to glass doors is breakage. While by no means an everyday occurrence, accidents and earthquakes do happen, and this puts the bottles and the fridge itself at risk.
On the other hand, the Vinotemp 29.6-in W 300-Bottle Capacity Black Dual Zone Cooling Built-In/Freestanding Wine Cooler available at Lowes, or the EuroCave Professional 4000 Series Wine Cellar from Wine Enthusiast, have solid doors that mimic an inground cellar. If you’re a serious wine collector, this option is your best bet for long-term storage.
It goes without saying if you live in a smaller space or you’re just getting into wine, a conveniently-sized countertop wine cooler is the perfect solution to your wine storage needs.
Because they can be placed pretty much anywhere, wine connoisseurs with limited space may want to consider this six-bottle Vinotemp wine cooler from Williams-Sonoma or this slightly larger eight-bottle wine cooler from Cuisineart, available at Crate and Barrel.
Built-in wine coolers offer a sleek, out-of-the-way method for storing wine. Not only are they an efficient use of space, but their design is inconspicuous and blends seamlessly with kitchen islands or under cabinetry.
We recommend the Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar for those interested in purchasing or replacing an existing under-cabinet wine fridge. We use it for champaign storage.
If you’ve ever been to someone’s home who has a wine cooler cabinet, then you know how gorgeous these centerpiece wine storage units can be. Talk about serious wine collecting!
These ultra-premium wine coolers are meant to store anywhere from 300 to 600 bottles, and they have the look and feel of the coolers you encounter at some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants. The EuroCave Pure Double L Wine Cellar With Display Presentation Shelf fits any size 750mL wine bottle, is energy efficient, and has a humidity-controlling hygrometer and a built-in alarm system. We have the VinoView 620-Bottle Quad Wine Cellar with Steady-Temp Cooling. We find it to be one of the easiest for organizing your collection. Three of the units are dedicated to reds and one to whites.
Selecting a wine fridge can be stressful, and purchasing a wine cooler is a big investment. While your main considerations should center on the number of bottles you want to store, how long +you intend to store them, and space considerations, when you really get into wine – and storing your wine – you can really nerd out.
You can integrate cloud-based wine storage apps, cellar management software, and more into your wine collection. Stay tuned for adjacent blog posts on these exciting topics!
