Tips for Purchasing a Wine Refrigerator

If you occasionally drink wine, a wine refrigerator can come in handy no matter where you are.

You don’t have to live on the desert to be able to appreciate having a unit to cool your wine to its finest drinking temperature.

Technically, a wine refrigerator is not the best place for storing wine long term. You’ll want to use your unit for wine that you plan to consume and replace within about a year or so. To age wine for a couple of years or more, you’ll want to rent a locker in a long-term storage facility.

More than 70 percent of bottled wine is ready to drink the same day you buy it. Most wines in liquor stores, restaurants, and bars are sitting on the shelves at about 72 degrees. Temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees are perfectly fine for short-term storage. For many folks, there’s little difference between racking it in your kitchen and putting it in the refrigerator. Optimally, however, wine should be consistently kept between 55 and 57 degrees for storage.

When you go to buy your wine refrigerator, it might be wise to stick with quality brands with proven service histories and good warranties. Just about any wine refrigerator built in the U.S. is a good choice. Some top companies include Marvel, U-Line, Sub-Zero, and Viking. Imports made by Haier, Avanti, and Danby have excellent records. Some imported units, however, are of generic manufacture and offer no service histories, warranties, or mainstream vendor support.

Reprinted with permission of www.galtwine.com

Food & Wine Resources

Home Decor & Furniture Guides:
Remodeling with new designs • Design furniture • Your cabinets • Comfort and your home • Cleaning stains