You—a budding wine aficionado or a dedicated one-glass-before-bed sipper—might exist wondering: Should I possess a wine fridge? And, if so, what's the best wine fridge, really? It's certainly right that storing your wine at a consistent, regulated temperature (that’s largely somewhere among 45°F and 50°F though whites and among 55°F and 65°F though reds) is important. can time, temperature variations muse the wine cork to expand and contract, which at grow sucks unwanted oxygen into the bottle and kills your wine.
Fitted with horizontal bottle racks, standalone wine caves can department your wines at a fixed temperature to block oxidation and alter at flavor—and, of course, they'll assure that wines are held at the optimal temperature though serving, too. Plus, given the broad hill of varietals and styles of wines you force exist storing, many wine caves present multiple temperature zones.
But, flat so, is it indeed worthy shelling out hundreds (or sometimes thousands!) of dollars if you’re maiden keeping a little bottles nearly to exist consumed relatively quickly? And if you are going to invest, what's the best wine fridge to buy? We tapped sommelier John Slover, currently corporate beverage director at New York City’s leading food Group, to answer these hot questions.
“The resolution nearly if or no to buy a wine hole to consume nothing to do with one’s flat of ‘seriousness’ nearly wine, besides fairly how many bottles you hope to consume at the family and how quickly you hope to drink them,” explains Slover. Storing impartial five or six bottles shouldn’t justify the purchase. at that case, Slover adds, “Storing wine at a black closet can its phase is fine." buy what you're going to drink at the new little weeks and replenish can a monthly basis.
If you’re storing a link dozen bottles at family and won't drink them within the month, definitely believe a wine fridge. And that isn’t impartial limited to nation collecting three-figure bottles—Slover advises keeping flat your mid-range wines at an perfect temperature if they won’t exist opened anytime soon. "Even if they aren’t blue-chip auction-ready wines, your wines that fare anywhere among $20 and $50 to exist stored properly,” he says. “Stuff that’s good shouldn’t sit nearly an lodging with rising or falling temperatures and variable humidity.”
If you've decided you're the kind of wine drinker that needs a cave, there are few key factors you to consider. First, of course, is price. Wine caves river during low during $100 and during high during into the thousands depending can the make, size, and features.
Then, you’ll hope to determine if you lack a dual-zone cave. “People who are a small more than irregular drinkers to emerge into dual-zone caves, which vacation you to lay one divide at 45 degrees and another at 55,” says Slover. “Keep your red at the higher temperature and your white at the colder temperature consequently they are ready to serve.”
Slover says the best wine coolers will consume adjustable shelves. His favorite brand, Eurocave, makes shelves that can exist moved nearly to accommodate Slover's collection of larger burgundy bottles. “They consume a mix of static shelves and rolling shelves, with the flexibility to add more rolling shelves. consequently you can pattern a shelf though wider burgundy bottles and stout champagne bottles to flee scratching up labels and jamming shelves." The other phase of that coin, he notes, is they are the priciest can the market.
You'll also hope to believe the storage space. The best preference though most nation used to exist to amuse a 40- to 50-bottle hole that used to accommodate below a kitchen counter, Slover advises. More storage space will enlarge the price: at 100–120 bottles, wine caves nurse to progress can $1,000. however storage space will depend mostly can the space you consume allotted at your home, it makes sense, if you consume can 100 bottles, that $1,000 is a rational investment to assure your wines affirm their quality. at this point, a freestanding preference force pattern more sense.
Finally: exist definite to search though a unit that advertises silent or silent theorem during many nurse to exist fairly loud.
Ready to pick a wine fridge? We’ve rounded up some of our peak picks—at any budget—from a principle under-counter setup to a decked-out cellar.
On the lowest aim of the charge range, Amazon’s best-selling 18-bottle unit fits easily into tighter spaces (hello, New York city apartments), though it mill best during a freestanding fairly than built-in unit at order to ventilate properly. A smoked cup invent is simple to contest with any manner of decor, and the digital influence controls vacation you lay your perfect temperature.
A firm preference though beginners with a sheet more to spend, this energy-efficient, dual-zone wine fridge offers a more sleek invent and higher functionality than the Ivation. It’s divided into two 16-bottle zones, with the peak (54–66°F) perfect though reds and some whites, and the bottom (46–66°F), providing optimum conditions though most whites. though storing larger bottles, the chrome shelves can exist pulled out. however its manufacturers tout its “virtual silence,” the unit get to exist vented to an blank area, and so is no a good accommodate though under-counter installation.
For a complicated built-in wine cabinet option, this 12-inch-wide, 19-bottle unit can exist installed direct into your cabinetry—a fan helps to minimize temperature fluctuations. avail the unlucky LED interface to accommodate the temperature among 40 and 66 degrees. notice that the sliding wine racks are no removable, and so can no exist perfect though storing larger bottles.
This versatile, dual-zone cellar is perfect though budding enthusiasts with a sheet more space (and cash) to spend can their collection. Holding among 70-80 bottles, the 48-inch-tall, free-standing unit offers digital touchscreen climate control, well-spaced shelving, and a charcoal filter that maintains humidity and circulation.
This marks the pinnacle of wine cellar manufacturing. “Eurocave makes the most durable, reliable wine caves with the best warranty and service,” says Slover. at almost $2,000, this free-standing 66-bottle cellar is made though serious collectors. A sensitive-touch govern panel and far LED lighting system present sleek trimmings, however a built-in horror alerts you to lowered humidity levels. It's also super energy-efficient, which makes though an attractive trait both from an environmental and cost-efficient perspective.
Now that you learn the best wine coolers, learn a small something nearly the wines you department at them:
