If you enjoy your wines enough to know your grape varieties, and want to get the best out of them, a wine cooler could be an excellent investment for you. Read this guide to help you choose the right Wine Cooler for you.
What is a wine cooler?
A wine cooler is a specially designed refrigeration appliance used to store wine at the ideal temperature before serving. Storing and serving wine can sometimes seem a bit daunting, but you can be sure of getting the best out of your wine if done correctly.Why do I need a wine cooler?
If you are taking the time to buy and try a variety of wines, you will want to experience them at their best. If this is the case, then the chances are you have enough interest in wine to make buying a wine cooler a sound investment. Serving wine at the correct temperature will allow you to experience its flavours, aromas and body thoroughly.
If you want to know more about the correct temperature to serve your wines, you can find out more here.
The variety of wine coolers available is extensive, and all are designed to meet different needs.
Before you make a choice, here are a few things for you to think about:
Budget
How much money should you spend on a wine cooler? The cost of wine coolers can vary a lot, and there is usually something to suit every budget. Here are some tips to help you think about how much to spend:
How much have you invested in your collection?
Start by thinking about the size of your wine investment. For example, there may be little point in paying £3,000 for a wine cooler if the wines inside it collectively cost less than £250.
How much wine do you have?
On the one hand, a larger capacity and features in high-end wine cabinets usually mean a higher cost.On the other end, if all you need is somewhere to keep your supermarket-bought, soon-to-be-drunk wines at the correct serving temperature, then you may not need to pay more than £200.
There is a vast array of models of different sizes, capacities and features between these two extremes. Prices can start from as low as £55 for a single temperature zone, a freestanding model with a capacity for eight bottles. They can reach as much as £3,000 or even more for a built-in, triple-temperature-zone model packed with features to help keep your wine in the best possible condition.
Below is a rough guide to what you might reasonably expect within each price range:
£55-£200:
a single temperature zone, a freestanding model with a capacity for between 7-35 bottles. It may come with UV-protected glass but is unlikely to have many other features.£200-£500:
within this price range, you begin to see models with a capacity for up to 50 bottles. Smaller capacity built-in models also become available at this point.£350+
expect anti-vibration features and UV-protection glass as standard.£450+
models with dual-temperature zones become available.£500+:
this is where the serious wine enthusiast will want to start looking.Triple-temperature zones are standard in this price range, as well as many of the features highlighted above.
£1,500+
you should expect to have most, if not all, of the best features.
How wide is a wine cooler?
Wine coolers range from 15cm to 70cm in width. But most models tend to be around 60cm wide.Do I need a wine cooler or a wine cabinet? What is the difference?
Whether you need a wine cooler or a wine cabinet depends on what you plan to do with your wine. The difference can be subtle but it is important.
Wine coolers/fridges
A wine cooler is a short-term storage appliance used to keep wines at an ideal serving temperature. They are often also referred to as wine fridges. Different types of wine have specific serving temperatures that will allow you to appreciate them at their best.
For white wines, this ranges between 7-11°C, while for reds, it is between 12-19°C.
You will often find wine coolers with dual and even triple-temperature zones, which allow you to store reds, whites and champagnes all at their unique serving temperatures.
If you want to keep your wine collection at the ideal serving temperature and your storage is relatively short-term, you may think of buying a wine cooler.
Wine cabinets
If you are looking at long-term storage for your wines, the temperature requirement will be different. The temperature ranges offered by wine coolers may not be suitable for the long-term storage and maturation of wine, which experts acknowledge is around 13°C. In this case, you will probably need a Wine Cabinet. Of course, it is possible to set a wine cooler to this ideal long-term storage temperature, but these appliances do not always have the additional features needed to keep wine safe and secure over time.
Wine cabinets are long-term storage appliances used to keep reds and whites safely stored at a temperature of around 13°C. They usually have just one temperature zone, which reflects their primary use as a long-term storage unit. They also tend to have a much larger capacity and tend to be more expensive than wine coolers/fridges.
Long term v short term: The four enemies of wine: temperature variations, vibration, light and low humidity
In addition to temperature fluctuations, there are three additional factors that you need to consider that can ruin the quality and flavour of wine:Light
vibrations and
low humidity
All these factors need to be adequately managed. This becomes crucial if you are storing for years, rather than months, before drinking.
Most wine cabinets have sophisticated systems that accurately control humidity levels, eliminate vibrations, block UV light, and manage the impact of external temperature fluctuations.
But only the most expensive wine coolers will have the full spread of features that control these elements.
This slight overlap of features and functions can lead to confusion when deciding whether to opt for a wine cooler or cabinet.
If you have a selection of expensive vintage or collectable wines and cannot have them professionally cellared, you may benefit from looking at a wine cabinet instead of a wine cooler.
What type of wine cooler should I buy?
Once you have decided what you need, you will need to think about three key questions you need to answer to help determine what wine cooler will best suit your needs:- How much wine do you plan to store? This will give you an idea of the sort of bottle capacity to look for.
- Where are you going to place your wine cooler? The requirements of the chosen location will help you choose between a freestanding, built-in or integrated wine cooler.
- Do I need a single or dual-temperature zone wine cooler? If you exclusively favour reds or whites, you will be able to stick to a single-temperature-zone model. But if you have an equal amount of both, or if you are contemplating keeping some bottles at storage temperature and others at service temperature, then you might need a dual or even a triple-temperature-zone model.
How much wine are you planning on storing?
If you are building a collection, you probably want to aim for a model with 25-50% more capacity than the number of bottles you currently have. It is safer to have more space than you need and not use it than need it and not have it.
If, on the other hand, you tend to have a high turnover of bottles – buying and serving them within a few months of each other – capacity might be less of a consideration.
Most wine coolers you will find at electrical appliance retailers on the high street will not have room for more than 50 bottles. That should be enough for most people. If you anticipate needing a lot more space than that, you will have to check out a specialist retailer to see a full range of high-capacity wine coolers and wine cabinets.
Where is your wine fridge going to be located?
Knowing where you want to put your wine cooler/fridge and how much room you have will help you choose between a freestanding, built-in or integrated model.Freestanding wine coolers
These are the most widely available and cheapest type, and you can put them anywhere in your house. Because there are no restrictions on where they sit, they can be taller and wider than built-in models, which means they can potentially have a larger capacity - upwards of 150 bottles. If you choose a freestanding model, you should keep it where the ambient temperature does not fluctuate too much – so not in the garage. The same considerations you would apply to position a standard refrigerator should also apply to a wine cooler.Built-in wine coolers
Built-in wine coolers have the advantage of giving that neat finished look to a kitchen. They are more expensive than freestanding models, and because they usually have standardised dimensions, there are limits as to how many bottles they can store. If you have a growing collection of bottles, a built-in wine cooler may not be your best choice.Integrated wine coolers
These are usually fitted into a unit at around chest height. Integrated coolers do not tend to have the largest bottle capacity, and you will probably need a kitchen refurb to fit one in. They are unlikely to be suitable if you have a large or expanding collection.
Countertop wine cooler
You will probably only fit a maximum of 12 bottles in a countertop cooler (more usually six to eight bottles), but they can be a suitable option for people who have limited space.
Do I need a single or dual-temperature-zone wine cooler?
How many temperature zones you need depends on what you are using your wine cooler for, whether it is for storage, serving or both.
Single-temperature zone
Ideal if you heavily favour just one type of wine (e.g. just reds or just whites) and want to keep your bottles at serving temperature. If you are just using your wine cooler for storage – assuming it has the additional features required to enable this safely – then again, a single-zone model will be acceptable.Dual-temperature zone
If your collection includes reds and whites, then you will want a dual-temperature-zone wine cooler. Though more expensive, a dual-temperature-zone model gives you greater flexibility. It means you can have a section for ready-to-serve white wine and another for either storage or ready-to-serve red wine.Triple-temperature zone
These will allow you to store your soon-to-be-drunk reds and whites at serving temperature and your collectables at storage temperature. Or you could use the three zones to keep reds, whites and champagne all at serving temperature; champagne is best served a little cooler than white wine.
What other wine cooler features should I look for?
UV-resistant glass doors: protective glass on the cooler’s doors will help to limit the damaging effects of UV rays on your wine. Ideally, you should be able to install your wine cooler in a place out of the path of direct sunlight, but if that is not possible, you will need to buy a cooler with this feature. It is possible to buy a wine cooler with a solid door, but they are not as widely available as windowed models.
Humidity controls: if a wine is exposed to low humidity levels for an extended period, it can dry out the cork. The consequence is that air can enter the bottle, which can ruin your wine. Humidity controls allow you to manage the amount of moisture in the air inside the wine cooler, helping to ensure the integrity of the cork.
Anti-vibration system: some models feature a system in the compressor, or occasionally in the structure of the wine cooler, that minimises micro-vibrations and noise. This can be a reassuring feature for the dedicated wine enthusiast, as over time, even micro-vibrations can negatively affect the wine’s colour, flavour, and body.
Charcoal air filter: this filters the air entering the cooler, preventing odours from affecting the taste of your wine. Air filters can also help reduce the build-up of dust inside the wine cooler. Air filters should generally be replaced every 6-12 months.
Touch controls, digital displays and smart functions: these look a bit sleeker and make the cooler easier to use. Smartphone-compatible wine coolers are also now available, allowing you to control the temperature from afar.
Door lock: keeps your collection of wines safe and secure from curious children, experimental teens and jealous sommeliers.
Interior LED lighting: this should come as standard in all wine coolers, as LEDs only emit very low levels of UV light that can cause your wine problems.
Reversible doors: just as they do with a conventional refrigerator, reversible doors give you more choice on where to position your wine cooler.
Upright storage space: allows you to place opened but unfinished bottles back in the wine cooler without the fear of them potentially leaking while on their sides. It is an uncommon feature, though, and you are unlikely to find it in many coolers.
Temperature alarms and memory function: alarms will sound to let you know if the door has been left open or if the temperature inside the cooler has dropped below the set temperature. A memory function will remember the set temperature and restore the wine cooler to it following a loss of power.
Height and width-adjustable shelves: the shelves in most wine coolers are designed to fit a standard 750ml Bordeaux shape bottle. However, some wines – such as pinot noir – are usually found in a slightly wider Burgundy-style bottle. Adjustable shelving is an absolute must if your collection includes champagne, magnums, or even bigger bottles.
Wooden and sliding shelves: you will usually find these inside mid-range and high-end models. Metal racking can sometimes lead to scratched bottles, and torn labels, so serious collectors often prefer wooden shelves. Sliding shelves make it easier to see and remove bottles from your collection.