Our aim at WineRefrigeratorReview.net is to provide you with independent reviews of wine refrigerators, wine coolers and wine cellars, together with ratings, and comparisons to help you make a decision about which wine storage unit to buy.

There are many beverage cooler and wine refrigerator brands to choose from as well as a wide variety of size and capacity.
Here you can compare the major features, price and energy consumption of wine refrigerators in order to make an educated buying decision based on reliable information. As well as wine storage appliances we have information on how to build your own wine cellar from scratch or by using custom wine cellars.

Let WineRefrigeratorReview.net be your one-stop source for information on home wine storage including electric wine coolers, wine refrigerators, beverage coolers and home wine cellars!

Baby boomers are leading the charge into home wine storage as they near retirement with plenty of discretionary income to spend on items like wine, however, wine lovers of all ages should consider a wine refrigerator to store their wine in appropriate conditions.

If you are just starting out, consider a smaller wine refrigerator (40-50 bottles), but nothing too small or your wine collection will outgrow the fridge very quickly. A useful rule of thumb is to buy a wine cooler that has double the capacity of what you think you will use.

Your wine fridge must have quality insulation to keep your bottles at a constant 55 degree temperature and at about 50-70% humidity levels.

For humidity control and maintenance, try to find wine refrigerators with a pebbled interior finish. Many wine coolers come with glass doors so the owner can view the wine or show it off to his/her guests. The doors should seal tightly.

Most wine coolers or refrigerators should be considered a short-term storage appliance. Their purpose is to store wine at proper serving temperatures which range from 40 to 65°F depending on the wine type.

A wine cellar or high-end wine cabinet is intended for longer-term storage and is designed to keep wine at its optimum aging temperature (55°F for all wines). A quality wine refrigerator must also minimize temperature fluctuations, create a relative humidity of about 70% and protect against ultraviolet light and vibrations.

So how long should you keep wine in a wine refrigerator? A wine fridge should be used to store ready-to-drink wines at their ideal serving temperatures, not age wine for ten years. However, the line between wine refrigerator and wine cellar has become blurred because many people use wine refrigerators as a low cost substitute for high-end wine storage cabinets like Eurocave and Vinotheque.

Those do this are setting themselves up for disappointment. First, most brands of wine refrigerator are notoriously unreliable; many only last around five years, sometimes less.

Second, the cardinal rule of long-term wine storage is maintaining a stable temperature. While manufacturers like Eurocave produce wine cabinets that can maintain temperatures +/- 1°F, even wine cooler manufacturer Vinotemp states that it is normal for the temperature in its compressor-based models to fluctuate +/- 5°F.

Most wine refrigerators will have temperature fluctuations like this and vibration can also be a major problem in all but the high end models. Many wine coolers do not provide adequate humidity; often their relative humidity level is around 40%.
Always check the capacity when buying a wine refrigerator. Some models can hold up to 800 bottles but note that some manufacturers’ suggested bottle capacity can be misleading and the racks may be smaller than you require. Champagne and Rhone bottles are larger than Riesling bottles!

Remember that the way wine is stored has a direct impact on the way it ages. Wine not stored in ideal temperature and humidity conditions will not develop as the winemaker intended and may age too quickly destroying the taste and beauty of the wine along the way.

So, if you don’t have the space to build your own wine cellar to properly store your wine you’ll require a top quality dual zone wine refrigerator, refrigerated wine cooler or wine cabinet.