Guide on Choosing Your Wine Cooler

Another alternative for wine cellar as a means for properly storing your wine collection is a wine cooler.

Also known as a wine chiller, wine coolers are refrigeration-based units that are installed on either under or over a counter top or by itself  as a stand-alone unit in a bar area or wine cellar of a home.

Wine Coolers are used to keep the wines served in the correct temperature, either chilled or cooled. These coolers come in two styles, namely: tabletop units and refrigerator style units.

Two Styles of Wine Coolers

1.   Table Top Units

These are coolers that are small in size, used to chill a single wine bottle rapidly. This type of unit is particularly good for those types of wines that must be served chilled, like white, sparkling, and rose.

2. Refrigerator Style Units

On the other hand, refrigerator style units are a type of cooler unit that has the capacity to store over a dozen wine bottles at selected temperatures. As it can replicate temperature and humidity levels, this type of cooler can also be used in place of a cellar.

So, if you’re interested in buying a wine chiller, here is how to choose one that is appropriate for your needs:

Know the Types of Wines you'll place in the Cooler

List down the types of wines that you plan to store in the wine cooler. This is done due to the fact that each different kind of wine has its own optimum temperature guidelines and recommendations. There are coolers that may only be suitable for one type and may have one temperature regulation while there are also others that may have a more sophisticated system where different compartments can house different beverage varieties.

Size and Capacity of the Wine Cooler

Wine coolers are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from a few wine bottles to 25 all the way up to hundreds of bottles. If at any given time, you think that only a few bottles of wine will be kept in the wine cooler, then perhaps it would be more appropriate to choose a cooler of smaller size. However, if you only have a limited amount of wine stored at room temperature but need a very large space to house wines that need to be refrigerated, it would be appropriate to choose a larger wine cooler.

Check for the Coolers' Temperature Controls

Make sure that the unit you choose will enable you to regulate the temperature. This is because too low or too high can damage the wine. Take note that serving wines must be kept in a temperature of 50°F for light-bodied white wines and 68°F for full-bodied red wines.

See the Temperature and Humidity Settings

There are some coolers that enable you to store wines by providing dual temperature zones. Make sure that temperature selection should vary from 38°F to about 65°F. With this wide temperature range, it will allow you to either store your wines or keep them in serving condition. On the other hand, make sure also that the cooler must be able to maintain the humidity level of 80%, while keeping the air circulating. This is to prevent the growth of mildew and mold. Check also the humidity, making sure that it can keep the cork moist.

Look for Special FEATURES like Glass Fronts, Stainless Steel Trim and Auto Defrost Facility

Make sure to also look for energy efficient models as well as specialized models that have tinting to prevent sunlight and UV rays from entering and destroying the wine inside.

Consider your Budget

You must always factored into your buying, your budget. Make sure to take a note of it when shopping. And as such check each model for the specific desires and requirements, along with your budget. 

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