Whether you are an avid wine lover or just beginning to build the palate for drinking wine, you might want to consider getting a wine cooler. This might be surprising to you if you are a beginner, but you can also have a small under-the-counter wine cooler for starters. This is perfect if you love to entertain your friends in your home.

But if you need a bigger wine cooler, for example, if you have a restaurant, you might want to consider getting bigger ones or having a wine cellar using cooling units.

How to Choose a Wine Cooler

There are various ways for wine lovers to store or age, but the most ideal choice is by getting a wine cooler. The question is, how do you choose the best wine cooler perfect for you? Here are the 4 things you need to consider before buying your own wine cooler, whether for your home or business.

What Do You Need and Budget

You need to be realistic when you choose your wine cooler. If you love entertaining and receiving guests at your place, it is better to choose bigger. At least 50 bottles up, depending on your budget. Here are 3 wine coolers worth checking out:

And if you are looking for smaller and compact wine coolers, 50 bottles below, here are some worth it appliances:

But if you are an avid wine collector or you have a restaurant or business where you need to stock a lot of wine, you might want to consider a wine cooler with a minimum capacity of 150 bottles. Here are some of the best ones:

We know wine coolers are not actually cheap, but if you love collecting or have a lot of wine, having one is one of the greatest investments you can ever have. Don't forget to always consider your budget before you click that buy button.

Wine Coolers vs Standard Refrigerators

When you are starting and experimenting with wine, you might think that your standard refrigerator is enough to keep your wine chilled. Yes, it can cool your wine.

But the question is, are you cooling your wine to its ideal temperature? Are you helping your wine taste better? Or are you slowly turning it into vinegar?

You have to keep in mind, a wine --- red or white --- can lose its vibrancy, both flavor, and color, when oxidation happens. This usually occurs in unopened wine bottles when the cork dries out. And having a refrigerator specially made for storing or aging wine can lessen the chances of this happening.

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Space and Size

You'll need to consider where your cooler will stay. Its size can be a huge factor when you have a fully functioning kitchen. But if you are building your kitchen from scratch, this might not be a huge problem for you. 

Wine coolers come in many variations, sizes, and bottle capacity. Of course, the more the wine bottle capacity is the bigger the wine cooler will be. 

Built-In

Built-in wine coolers are refrigerators installed into the cabinetry while still following specific clearance to ensure proper exhaust. Before you set up your cooler, you have to check the guidelines on how to properly install it.

You have to keep in mind, each wine cooler has a unique specification. So, it is better to check out its manual first before you start your remodeling. It is best to talk to your contractor when you want to have a built-in wine cooler in your home.

Standalone

Standalone wine coolers shouldn't be recessed to any cabinetry. The exhaust is located at the rear of the fridge. Better check the refrigerator's manual for proper positioning and exhaust. This type of wine fridge is very convenient because you can put it almost anywhere in your home without having to renovate it. 

Freestanding wine coolers tend to be less expensive compared to built-ins. Also, there are a lot of sleek and fashionably designed fridges to choose from. Some may even look like furniture or home decor.

Temperature

The ideal temperature for storing all your wines is 45-65°F while the best one is 55°F, which about the same as the all-year-round underground temperature. We all know the first-ever wine storage space is a cave or wine cellars, but this day, we have wine coolers, more accessible for a lot of people.

When wine is kept at 55°F, the aging process of your wine slows down significantly. So, you do not have to worry about your wine losing flavor, color, and aroma.

You can adjust the temperature of your cooler based on your personal preferences. Wine varieties have various serving temperatures. White wines are usually served chilled while red wine is a bit warmer. This is where dual zone wine coolers come in. 

Dual-zone wine coolers are fridges with two spaces equipped with separate temperature controls. You can store white wines at the bottom and red wines at the top. This is just the suggested way of storing your wines, this is not mandatory. Basically, all varieties of wine (red, white, fortified, sparkling, etc) should be stored between 45-65°F.

Choosing Wine Coolers

We know that wine coolers are a big investment. But it is a great one if you love drinking wine and entertaining family, friends, and guests in your home.

Some wine coolers have added features like a digital thermostat, UV ray protection, LED lighting, rack material, sleek aesthetic, etc., which is definitely worth looking into.

You can look into Allavino Wine Coolers and their features as well. They have a wide array of wine fridges to choose from.

Before you buy your own wine cooler, keep in mind the space and size of your home, temperature, how many bottles of wine you usually have at a given time, what you need, and, of course, your budget. You do not have to break your bank account just to get a wine cooler. There are less expensive ones but still have great features and perfect for your needs.

Whether your goal is to store wine bottles for decoration, for peak freshness, or for it to be more accessible to you and your family, the right wine cooler will surely be worth it.