Updated at: 22-11-2022 - By: cnbusinessnews

You are aware of how crucial it is to store your wine in the optimal conditions. Do you realize, though, that various wines require different temperatures? It has an effect on the wine’s flavor and aroma, and it also aids in its aging. Keeping wine at the ideal temperature requires no special skills provided you have a good cooler.

Today’s market offers a wide variety of cooler options. It’s important to pay close attention to the specifics and have a firm grasp on the distinctions between the many products on sale. Getting yourself a superb wine fridge for a nice price is like getting yourself a wedding present. So don’t hesitate to shower yourself with presents. Read our article to find out what types of fridges there are, why you should pick KingsBottle, and what temperatures are best to store your wine collection.

Optimal Wine Storage Conditions

You have a few cases of wine to stock your cellar with. But there are various foes that might ruin your wine, so bear in mind:

  • heat;
  • natural light;
  • humid conditions;
  • shaking.

Of course, you have probably already been made aware of all of the above, but it never hurts to review the most significant risks once more to jog the memory and perhaps learn something new. Does the term “shake” ring a bell? Keep reading and we’ll get back to this later.

What Temperature Should A Wine Fridge Be? - Wineries Guide & Wine Tips

Now, we’ll go over some fundamentals of wine storage that will end up saving you time, wine, and a social gathering.

  1. Do not refrigerate your wine, but serve it at room temperature. The ideal serving temperature varies for each variety of wine. Not to fear, though; we have a table of temps coming up. The data you require will be available to you right now. For the time being, just remember that red wine and white wine require different storage temperatures than your typical refrigerator foods. For the time being, a temperature range of 45° F to 65° F is ideal for your cooler.
  2. Avoid having large temperature changes by planning ahead. Doing so could force the cork out of the bottle of wine. On the other hand, don’t fret. During transport from the vineyard to the retailer, the temperature of all wine bottles is guaranteed to fluctuate wildly. This has no effect on flavor or other characteristics.
  3. Make sure the wine fridge’s bulbs are working properly. Wine exposed to direct sunlight quickly ages and is damaged by the sun’s rays. You should equip your fridge with incandescent lamps. They create much less ultraviolet light as opposed to fluorescent bulbs.
  4. Humidity is an additional factor that should be thought about. If the proportion is off, the cork may dry out and allow air to enter the bottle. Do you really need us to describe the flavor when it arrives? Raise the humidifier’s setting to at least 70% and you’ll be OK. By doing so, oxidation is prevented.
  5. A bottle’s orientation plays a significant role in its effectiveness. Do not stand your bottle vertically. Experts claim this is the best way to keep the cork from drying out because the wine will always be washing it. In contrast, the wine’s orientation is of little consequence if you want to consume it within a few days. Another thing, you don’t have to keep the cork-like plastic or rubber one in a horizontal position if you don’t want to if you have a different kind of one.
  6. You should also stay away from any vibrations. Especially if your cooler is full of vintages that are worth collecting. It can enhance the flavor of foods and speed up certain chemical reactions. And this is definitely not something you want to happen to your vintage wine. In other words, it won’t be damaged by the occasional tremor.

Ideal Temperature to Store and Serve Wine

The general consensus is that wine is best kept in a standard refrigerator at whatever temperature is most convenient and then served at room temperature. To further chill their wine, some drinkers will even add a few cubes of ice. But at what temperature should wine be stored and served? The following wine storage temperature recommendations has been compiled to assist you in ensuring the optimal conditions for your wine collection.

In order to keep the appropriate temperatures in mind, please find a compact table below that you can copy, print out, and post on your fridge. You may fix the temperature once and forget about it if you only have one sort of wine, such as red or white. Below the table, we’ve included some suggested temps for serving red and white wines. If you have a refrigerator with separate cooling zones, you may use this chart to select the ideal temperature for each zone so that you can enjoy your wine at its peak flavor.

How to Store Wine in a Wine Refrigerator?

KingsBottle carries a wide variety of wine chillers to suit the needs of any vino connoisseur. A range of sizes and qualities available at a fair price.

If you’re just getting started with your wine collection, here’s some advice on how to keep your bottles safe in a fridge with just one temperature zone.

If you don’t have much room and need a tiny, space-saving fridge for your collection, a single-zone model is what you’re looking for. Don’t worry; when your collection expands, you’ll be able to upgrade to a larger, dual-zone refrigerator. The primary distinction is that a single-zone refrigerator has just one temperature setting, which means that all of your wine will be subject to that one temperature. You may recall from the first table that different wines are served at different temperatures. Temperatures at 12 degrees Celsius (or 54 degrees Fahrenheit) should be fine.

Similarly, dual-zone refrigerators are larger than single-zone models, but they offer the unique feature of allowing you to independently control the temperature in each compartment. You can set the temperature to 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius) in one and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) in the other. What a wonderful thing! The dual-zone wine cooler allows you to customize the temperature for each zone, making it ideal for storing wine of varying temperatures. For red wine, aim for a temperature between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (11 and 18 degrees Celsius), whereas white wine is best served at 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (7 and 10 degrees Celsius).

With a dual-zone wine refrigerator managing your wine cooler temperature for multiple wines becomes easier and more convenient.

1. Keep it cool

Having a dual-zone wine fridge makes it much simpler to maintain the ideal temperature in your wine cooler for a variety of bottles.

2. But not too cool

Wines can be safely stored for a few months in the fridge, but storing them there for longer is risky. The normal refrigerator has a temperature that is much below the 45° F threshold required for the safe storage of perishable items, and the lack of humidity poses a risk to wine since it can dry up the corks and allow air to leak into the bottles. Additionally, avoid storing your wine in a location where it could be exposed to freezing temperatures (an unheated garage in winter, forgotten for hours in the freezer). The cork might be forced out if the liquid begins to freeze.

3. Steady as she goes

Avoiding the traps of rapid, dramatic, or frequent temperature changes is more important than fretting about hitting 55 degrees Fahrenheit exactly. The liquid inside the bottle may expand and shrink, cooking the flavors and maybe forcing the cork out of the bottle or causing seepage. Aim for consistency, but don’t get paranoid about minor temperature fluctuations; wines may see worse in transit from the winery to the store. (Even if heat has caused wine to seep out past the cork, that doesn’t always mean the wine is ruined. There’s no way to know until you open it—it could still be delicious.)

4. See things sideways

The conventional wisdom holds that storing bottles on their sides prevents the cork from drying out because the liquid is constantly pushing against the cork. If you’re planning on drinking these bottles in the near- to mid-term, or if the bottles have alternative closures (screwcaps, glass or plastic corks), this is not necessary. We will say this, however: Horizontal racking is a space-efficient way to store your bottles, and it definitely can’t harm your wines.

5. Not a whole lot of shaking

It has been hypothesized that vibration may be harmful to wine since it hastens the liquid’s chemical reactions over time. Although there is no data documenting the effects, some dedicated collectors worry about even the subtle vibrations created by electronic items. Significant vibrations could possibly disturb the sediment in older wines and keep them from settling, potentially making them unpleasantly gritty. Unless you live above a train station or are hosting rock concerts, is this likely to be a problem for your short-term storage? No. (But don’t go shaking your wines like a Super Bowl MVP about to spray a bottle of Champagne around the locker room.)

What Temperature Should a Wine Fridge Be?

Some researchers believe that prolonged exposure to vibration could be harmful to wine since it has the potential to hasten the liquid’s deterioration through chemical interactions. There is minimal research documenting the effects of electronic appliance vibrations, yet some dedicated collectors worry about even the slightest of these. Disturbing the sediment in older wines and preventing them from settling can make them unpleasant and gritty if the vibrations are strong enough. Is this likely to be an issue with your short-term storage unless you live over a train station or host rock concerts? No. (But don’t go rattling your wine glasses like a Super Bowl MVP about to pour Champagne all over the locker room.)

The wine fridge temperature controls on each fridge are there to help you get things just right. When stored properly, wine can last for generations, even making it to the wedding of your great-great-grandchildren.

The white wine refrigerator temperature and the red wine cooler temperature should be brought up again to stress their significance.

An ideal temperature range for white wines is between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (4 and 7 degrees Celsius), whereas the ideal range for red wines is between 11 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (50 and 18 degrees Celsius).

Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar - Wine Enthusiast

Why KingsBottle Fridges?

What we do is also what we love, therefore we do it because it’s important to us. That pretty much sums up our product in a nutshell. We care about every little thing and believe that the devil is in the details. This simply allows us to name our wine fridges the best on the market so far. Each chiller is made with premium materials from wooden shelves to our compressors. The volume of the noise is insignificant so it won’t bother you and we know how it is important to keep the thing quiet around the house.

Our goods are imported from the country of origin. Thus, we are able to offer you more affordable prices while maintaining the highest quality standards.

So where should I keep my bottles?

Even if you don’t have access to a cellar, you may store your wine in a cool, dry spot with some basic racks. Keep your wines away from the oven, dishwasher, or boiler room, and try to find a spot where they won’t be directly exposed to sunlight. For the same purpose, you might invest in a compact wine cooler: The wine refrigerator’s energy consumption can be reduced by placing it in a cool location.

Is there a spare room or unused closet that could be converted into a wine cellar? To store wine properly, it needs to be kept in a cool, dark place that doesn’t become too hot or cold, so if you have such a place, but it’s too warm, you may want to consider purchasing a separate cooling unit. There are some budget-friendly options for apartments, but beyond that, you’re looking at the realm of specialized wine storage.

When should you invest in better storage? The question you should be asking is how much money did you spend on wine in the past year. You should give some further thought to purchasing a $1,000 cooling unit if it costs less than 25 percent of your annual wine-buying budget. It makes sense to safeguard your capital.

Collectors also say that you should double the amount you come up with for a bottle’s volume. It’s difficult to quit buying wine with the intention of drinking it later once you’ve started.

If I want to buy a wine cooler, what should I look for?

A wine cellar can be as simple as a cabinet or as complex as an entire room, but both types of storage units are designed to keep wine at the ideal temperature and humidity for long-term aging: about 55 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity control and some way to keep the wine away from light and vibration.

When deciding between different units, think about how well you can see what’s inside and how easy it is to retrieve a bottle when you need it. Are the bottles stacked? Are there shelves that slide out? Consider the size and shape of the bottles you collect, and the way the bottles fit into the racks—are they very wide, tall or unusually shaped, if they’ll even fit at all?

Consider how clearly you can see what’s inside, and how easy it will be to grab a bottle when you need it, as this will vary from unit to unit. Can I see if the bottles are stacked? Can shelves be retracted? Think about the width, height, and shape of the bottles you collect, as well as how they will fit into the racks.

Multi-temperature zones, which can be found on more expensive models, are ideal for storing reds at one temperature and whites at a colder, more drinkable temperature. Humidity regulators are useful as well. You might be shocked at how noisy these can get, so try to locate a relatively quiet one if at all possible. The more you spend, the better the materials should be, such as aluminum shelves that will conduct cool temperatures better than plastic ones, or a rough interior that will be better for humidity than a smooth one.

The 8 Best Wine Fridges, According to Experts

Best Overall: Frigidaire 38-Bottle Wine Cooler

Pros

  • Absolute precision in temperature
  • Separate areas for the white and red teams
  • New collectors can easily afford it.
  • Also works great for beer cans.

Cons

  • The continuity of the wooden shelving units might be improved.
  • Buzzing sound
  • Only holds 26 bottles, not 38

Berrigan favors drinking wines at serving temperature, so dual-zone refrigerators are her go-to (meaning, she likes her whites to be cooler than her reds). The frostless, UV-protected tinted glass window, stainless steel frame, reversible door, LED lighting and display, and energy-efficient fan system of the Frigidaire 38-bottle cooler come highly recommended by her.

All these features and the two temperature zones were praised by our test subject because they allowed her to keep her bottles at just the right temperatures (55 to 64 degrees for reds and 41 to 54 degrees for whites). Beer, sodas, and other beverages can all be safely stored in the refrigerator, she remarked. While our reviewer praised the unit’s contemporary style, she found a few design issues. The seven shelves didn’t slide out as smoothly as promised, and the racks were too small to accommodate the tester’s wide-shouldered wine bottles.

Storage Space for 38 Bottles | Size: 33.875″ x 21.50″ x 22.375″ We’re talking about a 41-54 and 55-64 degree temperature swing.

Best Compact: NutriChef 15-Bottle Refrigerator

Pros

  • High-performance cooling system
  • Works well in small spaces
  • Excellent for use in confined areas

Cons

  • Limited storage

Limited storage

Fewer places to put things

Short on space

Best Single-Zone: Kalamera Built-in Wine Cooler

Likes and Preferences

  • Ingenious Air Conditioning System
  • Putting the lock on the door
  • Shelving that may be rearranged in various configurations

Disliked Features

  • No savings in energy efficiency

A single-temperature refrigerator is ideal if your wine collection is predominantly red. Keep in mind, as Tilden points out, that “all wine,” including red, white, sparkling, and fortified varieties, ages correctly between 53 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

Simply said, a single-temperature refrigerator will do the trick if aging rather than serving temperature is your top concern. The 18-bottle, single-zone wine fridge by Kalamera is both aesthetically pleasing and incredibly functional, thanks to its superior cooling technology, digital controls, double-pane locking glass door, and six adjustable, beech wood shelves that won’t scratch your bottles. The refrigerator can be set to a minimum of 40 degrees and a maximum of 66 degrees. With the front vent, you can install it flush with your counters or leave it as a freestanding piece.

18-bottle capacity; 33.9 x 11.6 x 22.4-inch dimensions; 40°F to 66°F operating temperature range.

Best Built-In: Wine Enthusiast Vinotheque Café

Pros

  • Stylish layout
  • Choice of right- or left-hinged door hinges

Cons

  • Single thermostat for both zones
  • space requirements are extremely high

Tilden recommends installing a wine freezer inside the cabinets as part of the wine cellar’s design.

Because its fan is in the front, rather than the back or sides, this refrigerator doesn’t need any extra space for ventilation when placed under a table or countertop. Wine Enthusiast’s Vinotheque Café model, with its two independent climate zones, has several convenient features, including a front vent, beechwood racks, a touch screen with a hygrometer, and more.

With its high-performance inverter compressor technology, it maintains a steady temperature and can store up to 46 bottles safely out of the way of light, moisture, vibration, and heat. This fridge has a locking stainless steel door with a UV-protected glass pane, full-cabinet LED lighting, and is energy-efficient thanks to a charcoal filter.

Dimensions (in inches): 34.25 x 24 x 24; Capacity (in bottles): 46; Temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit): 41° to 54° and 54° to 68°

Best Features: Ivation Built-In Wine Cooler

Pros

  • Handling the temperature is a breeze.

Cons

  • Shelves can be removed, however they are not adjustable.

Ivation, a well-known brand in home appliances, has a wide selection of elegantly crafted wine refrigerators. This built-in model maintains temperatures between 40 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit and includes a thick double-pane glass door to shield bottles from harmful ultraviolet radiation. It has a heavy-duty compressor and a thermally insulated single-zone chamber that can accommodate up to 31 bottles, so you can rapidly test out recipes from wine industry leaders or a wonderful wine book that a friend or you were given.

The soft interior LED lighting can be turned on or off digitally via the LCD control panel, as can individual zones. This powerful yet quiet cooler features vibration-suppressing technology to keep your bottles from settling out of the cold. With its front-venting design, this built-in refrigerator can be installed in virtually any room, and its slim profile and compact size make it ideal for integration into preexisting cabinets.

Ample room for 31 bottles; measures 34x15x21 inches; Lows of 40 degrees and highs of 66 degrees Fahrenheit are possible.

Best Slim: EdgeStar Built-In Wine Cooler

Pros

  • Perfect for tucking away a small collection of rare bottles

Cons

  • Minimal available space

EdgeStar’s seven-bottle, single-zone wine cooler is compact and space-efficient enough to fit on any counter or in a closet. The refrigerator’s front-venting design also permits installation either above or below the counter.

In addition to keeping your wine at the ideal temperature (between 40 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit), this unit has a digital temperature readout, six metal racks that pull out, LED lighting to show off your bottles, a built-in lock, and a door that can be opened from either the left or the right side.

It can store seven bottles, measures 34.3 by 20.4 by 5.8 inches, and can be set between 40 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Best Large: VinoTemp 141 Bottle Single Zone Freestanding/Built-In Wine Cellar

Pros

  • Preservation of Investment

Cons

  • needs a lot of room

While it may seem backwards to invest in a large single zone wine cooler as a collection expands, Michael Kennedy, proprietor of Vin Fraîche and Gagnon-Kennedy Vineyards, says it is a good idea.

As Kennedy explains to Liquor.com, “in reality, you can store anything at roughly 55 degrees.” This is why he recommends single-zone coolers. In my experience, cheap dual-zone coolers tend to fail far more quickly than single-zone ones since the more moving parts there are, the more likely something is to go wrong. “Until you reach into the 300-bottle range, you should continue using a single-zone system,” he advises.

Like Kennedy, sommelier Jamie Trott of specialty importer JP Bourgeois prefers VinoTemp single zone wine coolers, and he maintains his at a constant 55 degrees. Given his positive experience with the VinoTemp, he recommends thinking of it as a long-term investment, similar to a bed or a piece of office furniture. You can sell it off for a profit when you’re ready to upgrade in the future.

Room for 141 bottles | 73.875 x 23.875 x 28.75 inch dimensions | 41° – 64°F temperature range

Best Splurge: EuroCave Premiere Double L Wine Cellar With Display Presentation Shelf

Pros

  • Having security features such as locks and alarms
  • Conserving energy

Cons

  • space requirements are extremely high

Expensive wine refrigerators are widely available; one can easily spend several thousand dollars on a top-tier one with all the bells and whistles. However, where do I even start? EuroCave’s Premiere line is a sure bet, according to Vito Palumbo, brand manager for Italian wine label Tormaresca.

As Palumbo puts it, “they are outstanding quality and [are] great for those collector bottles that you want to retain in immaculate shape” (Eurocave is offered exclusively in the United States through Wine Enthusiast). With its ultra-low noise output, integrated locking handle, adjustable shelves, detachable light system, and more, the EuroCave Premiere Double L Wine Cellar is a great option for the more discerning wine enthusiast or collector. There is a one-year warranty on components and labor, and a five-year warranty on sealed parts for this freestanding, dual-zone cooler that can store up to 356 bottles (parts only).

Refrigerator has a 356-bottle capacity, measures 71.26 by 53.5 by 28.46 inches, and can maintain temperatures between 48 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

10 Best Wine Fridges 2022 - Top Wine Coolers to Buy

What to Look for in a Wine Fridge

The size of your wine collection is the most important consideration when shopping for a wine refrigerator, followed by the constraints of your living space and your own aesthetic tastes. For those with limited space who still want to cellar a few exceptional wines, compact models are worth considering; you’ll also need to choose between freestanding and built-in placement for your wine fridge. Bottle capacity, locks and alarm systems, numerous temperature zones, and other factors should all be taken into account by people with extensive and expensive collections. The increasing availability of models with energy-efficient systems is another factor to consider; so is noise level; in general, a quieter alternative is always preferable, regardless of the location of your wine refrigerator.

FAQs

Should you put wine in the fridge?

In general, experts agree that 55 degrees is the sweet spot for serving most wines. Because of this, a wine fridge is an excellent choice for storing your white wine, red wine, or any other kind of wine you intend to preserve for an extended period of time. For the times when you can’t get your hands on a wine cellar for an extended period of time, let’s just say they come in useful.

How long does wine last in the fridge?

Unopened wine bottles can age for quite some time under the right conditions. If you want to save the rest of an opened bottle of wine in the fridge for later, you should use a bottle stopper that provides a tight seal, as bottles are typically stored horizontally in wine refrigerators, and you shouldn’t let the wine sit for too long before drinking it all up. If you want, you can “tap into” your bottles (metaphorically speaking) with a system like Coravin and drink the wine inside for months (or perhaps years) to come.

How do you put wine in the fridge?

Store your wine bottles on their sides, never upright. The idea is that the continuous contact between the cork and the wine in the bottle will keep the cork from drying out. Because oxidation is one of the main reasons a wine will get “corked,” which is never good, if a cork is left to dry out, oxygen will make its way into the bottle.

What temperature should a wine fridge be?

If you need a point of comparison, the typical temperature of a cellar is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, which is much cooler than the ambient air outside. The ideal temperature for storing red wines is between this (although, as Berrigan notes, anywhere between 50 and 68 degrees is a safe zone). The ideal storage temperature for white and other chilled still wines is between 42 and 50 degrees, which is higher than the typical refrigerator temperature. Tilden recommended keeping all wine between 53 and 57 degrees, so if you only have one area to deal with, that’s where you should put your bottles.

In Conclusion

We highly recommend purchasing a wine cooler if you share our passion for wine. No need to stock your cellar with expensive bottles, but you are destined for sophistication. One more way to show yourself some love is to invest in a wine chiller. Envision yourself unwinding in your house and reaching for your wine fridge. The wine is served at the perfect temperature, allowing full aroma and flavor to develop. All you have to do is put your wine in the fridge at the ideal temperature for it to perform its magic.