Wine
Refrigerators
Wine
Refrigerators as Cellars
With
so many more people becoming interested wine these days, wine
refrigerators have come to fill the need for storage. Many
of us do not have the space, money, or desire for a full blown
walk-in wine cellar. Wine refrigerators make the perfect solution.
I
especially enjoy the fact that you can drink your whites as
well as your reds without any additional chilling. (I need
to chill even my reds a little because I (like most people)
keep my room temperature warmer than ideal. See my red
wine and white wine pages
for ideal wine drinking temperatures.
The
good news is that you can find these refrigerators (sometimes
called wine caves) for just about any size or price that interests
you.
Some
Things to Consider
There
are a few things to consider when buying a wine refrigerator.
One thing that is important to me is the fact that I drink
both red and white wine. If you do also and you don't want
to further chill your white wine before drinking, buy either
a dual zone refrigerator or possibly 2 smaller ones (one for
each type).
Depending
on the length of time, and the quality of wine you will be
storing, vibration control is a feature you will want to check
into.
Another
factor is humidity. The nicer refrigerators have the ability
to maintain the proper humidity level inside the unit and
still circulate the air enough to discourage mold and mildew.
The
nicer units will have more insulation and specially treated
glass panes to help maintain a constant temperature. This
is especially useful if the refrigerator is placed where the
temperature will fluctuate a great deal (such as in the garage).
The
decor of the refrigerator is something to consider. There
are a wide variety of woods and other decorative features
to help ensure that the unit adds to instead of detracts from
the decor of your kitchen. They even have refrigerated credenzas
and other fine furniture for placement anywhere in the house.
Not
only is decor a factor in your home, but part of the joy that
comes with collecting and storing wine is showing off your
collection to friends and guests.
The
amount of bottles each refrigerator will hold is also a consideration.
If you are new to buying and storing wine, I would recommend
buying a wine refrigerator that has a little more capacity
than you would think you need. If you are limited to size
because of a counter top then you may not have a choice, but
it's always frustrating when you realize you wish you had
a little more capacity.
Consider
your need for adjustable shelving. How often do you plan on
drinking Champagne or other non-standard sized bottles?
Will
the unit be built-in under a cabinet or will it be free standing?
Below
are several examples of the types, sizes, and styles of wine
refrigerators on the market today. If you are interested in
any of these or similar units, they can be purchased at the
Wine
Enthusiast.
Small
Wine Refrigerators
If
you live in an apartment where space is a premium, or you
only want to keep a few bottles around, here are some examples
of small wine refrigerators.
Not
only are the small refrigerators easy to incorporate into
small places, but they are great for someone just starting
a collection.
Need
More Space, but Want to Save $
If
you anticipate the need for more storage and would like to
save some money, try a wine refrigerator that needs a little
assembly when it arrives. This is the most economical way
to have from 110 to 500 bottles of wine stored in proper conditions.
Here are a few of these budget cellars.
You
can follow a few simple instructions and you're competent
with your hands. Go ahead and save yourself some cash and
try one of these budget wine refrigerators.
High
Quality Refrigerators
If
it's quality you're looking for, Eurocave refrigerators deliver.
These refrigerators not only keep your wine in the ideal conditions,
they are handsomely built. These are the next best thing to
having a personal cellar in the basement of your castle.
There
are many more styles, and sizes of these units to fit whatever
need you may have.
Wine
Refrigerators or Furniture?
Believe
it or not, both. There are actual refrigerators that are made
to be super quiet and look like fine furniture. Here are some
examples:
What
better way to keep your collection in any room of your house
with a refrigerated piece of furniture.
The Serious
Collector
Okay,
if you're not playing around and need storage in the range
of 900 to 2400 bottles, then a wine room may be for you. These
are modular rooms built with self contained cooling and humidity
control. They are very economical when you look at the cost
per bottle to store.
They
can be assembled with just a screwdriver and can be sized
according to your needs.
In Conclusion
Now
that you have an idea on what kind of units are available,
you can decide for yourself the storage requirements and other
factors needed to make a decision. Again, click here to see
a full selection of wine
refrigerators and cellars.
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