Wine Coolers

Many people enjoy a glass of wine to unwind after long day at work. It’s also great to have a bottle of wine on hand to celebrate a special occasion. What many wine lovers don’t realize is that even an expensive vintage can disappoint if it hasn’t been stored properly.

Your refrigerator, a wine rack on the counter or stashed in a cupboard? Those are far from ideal ways to store your wine. Instead, you should consider a wine cooler or wine fridge.

Storage Tips (Red vs. White)

There are some major differences between red wines and white wines. However, both are ideally served at around the same temperature range: that’s usually 10-degrees to 14-degrees. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to store their white wines in the refrigerator (at least prior to drinking them) and keeping their red wines in a rack or cupboard. That means those whites end up being served at temperatures as low as 2-degrees, while the reds hit the table at 21-degrees or more.ba

Both are far from the optimum temperature. Storing both reds and whites in a wine cooler (some even let you designate temperature zones to be ideal for reds, whites and sparkling wine) ensures that when served, they are at the proper temperature for drinking so you can fully enjoy the experience.

Why Use a Wine Cooler Instead of Your Refrigerator?

A wine cooler is designed specifically to store wine, while your refrigerator is a multi-purpose device. Although you can keep wine in your fridge, there are many reasons why a wine cooler is the better choice.

A wine cooler or wine fridge keeps the wine inside at a consistent and ideal temperature. The door isn’t opening and closing constantly, causing fluctuations. This ensures the wine ages properly and is always ready to drink. Exposure to light can cause wine to develop a flat taste over time. A specially built wine cooler protects its contents from natural and fluorescent light (some even feature UV protected glass doors). Wine fridges are designed to reduce vibrations, from the compressor and from people reaching in to grab other products. This prevents natural sediment in the wine from being disturbed. Wine coolers and wine fridges are also designed to store the bottles horizontally, the preferred orientation for natural aging that also makes it less likely the bottles will be accidentally knocked over.

Countertop or Your Own Wine Cellar?

Once you’ve made the decision to choose a wine cooler, the major choice you have remaining is size and capacity. Do you want a small, compact model, or something large enough to serve as a virtual wine cellar?

A smaller wine cooler can typically store a dozen or more bottles. It has the advantage of affordability and portability. You can literally install one of these wherever you have a bit of free space, and move it easily if needed.

A full-sized wine fridge is virtually a wine cellar in your home. You’ll need a little more space, but the payoff is fully optimized storage for dozens of bottles of wine, all easily accessible and all at the ideal drinking temperature.