Sub-Zero Wine Storage Units: Innovation from the the Refrigeration Experts

Ever since Westye F. Bakke built the first freestanding freezer in the basement of his home in Madison, Wisconsin, over sixty years ago, the company has set a standard for refrigeration innovation. Last year, it was named one of the top ten Green Brands in the US and the UK. It is know wonder then that wine connoisseurs would expect SubZero to create the definitive wine storage unit.

“All of our wine storage units are manufactured with the same standards and the same basic principals as our larger refrigeration units,” says Paul Leuthe, corporate marketing manager for Sub-Zero. Those refrigerators have a unique dual refrigeration system with two distinct temperature zones that ensure the freshest food and energy efficiency. Electronic controls allow the homeowner to maintain a separate temperature and humidity within each section. These unique zones are maintained by two independent compressors. This also prevents odor transfer.

With that kind of technology in place and the dedication to protect what homeowners place in these units, it was easy for Sub-Zero to conceptualize a design for wine storage units. Currently, they manufacture five units for the dedicated wine consumer and oversee another. They also have one other additional unit used as a beverage center.

“Each one of our models has two separate zones,” says Leuthe. One space holds a third of the unit's capacity, and the other space holds thirds. With these two distinct zones, a wine collector can store reds in one section and whites in another. “What we have found out is that people generally, and this is a generalization, drink more red than white,” Leuthe continues. “So, if you want to store one third of whites and 2/3 reds, you can to that.”