Guide to wine refrigerators

If you are going to invest in a wine refrigerator, you should pay attention to the following factors to find the right cabinet for your needs.

What do you need the refrigerator for?

Wine. Yes, of course. But wine is not just wine. So if you plan to store different types of wine, such as red, white and sparkling, you need three different wine coolers , each set to the appropriate temperature. Otherwise, you will need to find a wine cooler with multiple temperature zones .

How long should you store wine?

For many, wine is a passion, and therefore they like to invest more in the refrigerator than in the wine to be drunk. You don't want to ruin the good wine. But remember that if you don't intend to store wine for more than a few months, it is not with the aim of aging the wine, but rather to have the wine ready for the day it is to be drunk. If you have very expensive wines that are to be stored for several years, it is of course important that you invest in a good wine refrigerator or even a wine cellar.

Light and sunlight

If you store your wine in a place where it is exposed to a lot of light, especially sunlight, you should consider finding a refrigerator with UV protection.

This gives the wine better conditions to preserve and enhance its flavor. If you don't do this, the oxidation process will slowly start. In addition, a cabinet with an active carbon filter is also an advantage, as it purifies the air that enters the cabinet, so that foreign odors do not affect the wine.

Correct humidity

Humidity is also important to control, and it is typically recommended that it be between 60% and 75% and preferably as close to 70% as possible. If the air is too dry, the cork can dry out, thereby increasing the risk of the wine aging too quickly, and in the worst case, the wine can oxidize. If the humidity is too high, the label can become damp and moldy, which can draw into the cork and ruin the wine. The vast majority of cabinets are preset for this.

The capacity

How many bottles you need to store is of course an important factor, and here it is crucial to look at the capacity. If you have space problems, some may be inclined to buy two smaller cabinets and place them on top of each other. This is rarely a good idea due to the vibrations in the cabinet. Even minor shaking in the refrigerator can cause the turbidity at the bottom of the bottle to rotate and this can negatively affect the taste if this happens over time. Therefore, a low-vibration compressor is also an advantage for long-term storage of wine.

What temperature should the cabinet be set to?

The most important thing is that the temperature in the cabinet is stable if you want to store expensive wines for a long time. That's why it's important to find a reliable refrigerator. In general, you should store wine at a temperature of 12ºC to 14ºC. If the temperature is too high or too low, it affects the development of the wine. If the temperature is too high, the wine ages too quickly, and if it's too low, it loses its flavor. Here, it helps if the cabinet has ventilated cooling. But you should also be aware that the fan in the refrigerator makes a slight hum and possibly some small vibrations, which is not good for vintage wine.

Cheaper wine that is not to be aged should generally be stored cool to limit the aging process.

If you are only using the wine cooler to cool the wine down so that it is ready to serve, you should set the white wine zone to between 7ºC and 12ºC . A better wine can typically handle a slightly higher temperature. But it also depends on whether it is served in an ice bucket to keep the temperature down.

Red wine is typically served between 12ºC and 16ºC , but it is a matter of taste and depends a lot on the wine.

Possible functions in wine refrigerators

• Carbon filter (To purify the air in the cabinet)
• UV filter (Wine cannot tolerate sunlight)
• Low-vibration compressors (avoid shaking)
• Pull-out shelves with stops (easier to remove)
• Display shelves (If you are going to sell wine)
• Ventilated fridge (So the temperature is the same)
• Low DB (Max. 40 DB when placed in a private home)
• Heater (If the model is to be placed in cold rooms – cannot be placed in an uninsulated garage
• Multiple zones (So you can store multiple types of wine at once)
• Humidity control (Only if you are a wine specialist)
• Adjustable feet (Necessary if the floor is uneven – this causes vibrations and noise)

It can be difficult to choose a wine cooler, so it might be a good idea to look for the best wine coolers in tests .