Wine Coolers For Cool Wine
(In More Ways Than One)

Wine coolers and wine refrigerators and can be a great addition or a substitute for wine racks. If your living quarters are not conducive for a wine rack or wine cellar due to space or environment, a wine cooler may be what the doctor ordered. In fact, this is the only way to store wine in the kitchen.

But, don’t confuse these with your food fridge. Those are much colder. While wine racks are subject to the environment of the room, you can control the environment of the refrigerator. The wine fridge can be regulated by temperature, humidity, and light. Like racks, they come in many sizes, shapes, and styles. Some can hold 6 bottles. Some can hold 600. The downside is that they can get pricey.

By the way, what’s the difference between wine coolers and wine refrigerators? Nothing, really. I’ll use the terms interchangeably.

So, let’s look at what all you need to consider for buying wine coolers. After you have an idea of what you want, check out Wine Enthusiast. They have a good selection of wine refrigerators and cabinets. Also they have great deals on clearance items.

• First, how large of a wine refrigerator will you want? Same as wine racks, buy for about 40% more wine than you plan to buy. It’s like taking money on a vacation - take twice as much as you think you’ll need. For small wine collections or limited space or tight funds, coolers that hold 30 - 50 bottles will be fine. Or a mini-cooler that holds 6 bottles of your best wine may also work. It’s up to you.
• Second, what kind of cooler is most suitable? There are three kinds:
  
  
  • Counter-top. Best for tight quarters and limited funds.
  • Under the counter. These can fit in on the floor somewhere in your kitchen or home bar much like a dishwasher. Get the right size and it blends in very well.
  • Free standing floor models. These will go into the same space that you would use for wine racks or cabinets. Many of these and other coolers can be found at Amazon.
• Third, consider which style you like. Wine coolers with glass doors always look classy. Or you can get one with wooden or stainless steel doors. They, too, look good. It’s a matter of personal taste and the surrounding décor.
• Fourth, there are two types of wine coolers with regards to cooling methodology. One cools by a conventional compressor not unlike your fridge. These cool very well but there is one downside. The compressor will occasionally vibrate and thus is not suitable for long-term storage of delicate wines.

  The other type is a thermoelectric cooler. These are quieter, more efficient, and vibration free but less powerful. Better suited for red wines, these may not get cool enough for white wine storage.

• Fifth, there are several features to consider. Some are personal preference and some are functional enhancements.
  • Temperature zones. You can have different temperatures for your reds and whites.
  • Sliding racks. Nice feature to pull out your wines.
  • Interior lighting to view what you have in there. No, this light does not go off when you close the door.
  • Doors that lock. Good for highly valuable wines or keeping them out of the reach of children.
  • Humidity controls. Keep those corks moist.
  • UV Glass. Filters out long term effects of outside light on the wine.

One more thing. A fancy gadget for the wine lover who has everything is a wine dispenser. Some bars and restaurants have these as well. It is a refrigerated unit with two individually controlled compartments - one for whites and one for reds. You open the bottles and hook them up to a dispenser at the top. They have several neat advantages:

• The wine temperature is constant so even the whites will remain cool.
• Nitrogen is pumped into the bottle as the wine is poured, thus preserving it. You do not have to drink the entire bottle at once (but if you do, don’t let me stop you).
• No need for a wine pourer to avoid that annoying little dribble down the side of the bottle.
• The wine is nicely displayed.

So bring on that cool wine.

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