Selecting the Right Wine Storage Unit

by Maria Ross

What’s in a wine fridge? Well, wine, naturally. But how does one make a decision on whether to buy a standalone cooler or shell out big bucks on a tricked-out, built-in wine storage system? There are a lot of things to consider about size, scale and quality – not to mention price – when it comes to properly storing your precious vino. Here is some great information to guide your decision.

Wine Coolers versus Wine Storage Systems

First off, let’s start with the difference between a wine cooler and a wine storage system. A cooler is usually the stand-alone or built-in “fridge” we often see in people’s homes or apartments.

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According to Paul Leuthe at Sub-Zero, these are really just glorified refrigerators, which is fine if all you want to do is chill wine. But remember, different wines need different temps – at least between reds and whites – to really bring out their full flavor. Chilling a Chardonnay to death is actually overkill and all you will taste is cold. Top quality wine storage systems do much more. They control humidity and light and are essential if you want to age wines or have expensive wines that need to be served at optimum conditions. A wine cooler is fine if are just buying and drinking wines that are moderately priced and meant for immediate consumption.

Marcus Graziano of Capitol Cellars Diamond Creek has spent 25 years consulting with customers on the right wine storage solutions. He says customers should be wary of wine units sold in bulk at places like Lowes, Home Depot or COSTCO – many take advantage of consumer ignorance and may spoil your wine.