Wine Racks Vs Wine Coolers

You need a place to store your wine, but a dedicated wine cellar is out of the question, and you're already well aware of how harmful a regular refrigerator can be to your collection. So what do you do? Well, as far as more affordable options go, the most popular are wine racks and wine coolers. Both are fine choices, but at the end of the day, it ultimately comes down to what's best for your wine. We're here to clear the air and decide once and for all which is better when comparing wine racks vs wine coolers. But to start, we must first define the differences between wine racks and wine coolers so we can better understand the advantages of each.

A wine rack is much like a piece of furniture, functioning as a shelving unit designed to hold bottles of wine. Wine racks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some freestanding units, as well as wall-mounted units. The number of bottles a wine rack can hold may vary, so the wine rack you choose (if you decide a wine rack is right for you) should be selected based on your space and needs. Wine racks are most frequently found in kitchens, but may also wind up in wine cellars where the environment can be regulated in a way that is ideal for wine. Outside of a wine cellar, there is no guarantee that the environment is suited for the wine on your wine rack. This can be a serious issue for collectors and connoisseurs.

A wine cooler is another alternative for wine storage. Think of a wine cooler as a specialty refrigerator with built-in wine racks. That's somewhat of a simplistic explanation, because there's a lot more to wine coolers than that, but it should give you an understanding as to why many wine enthusiasts choose to store their wine in a dedicated wine cooler vs stand-alone wine racks. The advantages of a wine cooler are plenty. Within the unit, you have an environment that's perfectly suited for wine storage. In most cases, you can even adjust the internal temperature to appeal to the specific wine you're storing (for instance, reds and whites are best kept at different temperatures). So that raises yet another question:

Ultimately, the decision to go with a wine rack over a wine cooler leans heavily on whether you're able to create an ideal environment for storing wine within your home. Building a dedicated wine cellar or wine room can be quite expensive, but it's one of the best ways to store your wine if you have an exceptionally large collection consisting of dozens upon dozens of bottles of wine. For the rest of us, a wine cooler is the preferred alternative. They're ultimately much more affordable than a custom wine cellar and are built for the sole purpose of wine storage.

Refrigeration: The biggest advantage of a wine cooler over a wine rack is refrigeration. Wine coolers are designed to chill wine at the perfect temperature. In some cases, wine coolers may include multi-zone controls, meaning you can store both red and white wine within the same unit at the optimal temperature. Storage: While both wine racks and wine coolers are great for wine storage, premium wine coolers have a few advantages most wine racks lack. For one, wine coolers often have lockable doors, meaning you can prevent unwanted access to your collection. Many wine coolers also have see-through glass doors, which allows you to view your collection just as you could with a wine rack. The benefit here is that many wine coolers feature glass that's been treated to prevent UV rays from ruining your wine. Vibration: Most wine coolers are built to reduce the amount of vibration that affects wine while wine racks include no such technology. Why is vibration bad for wine? It disturbs its sediment and the natural chemical reactions going on within the bottle. This could have a negative impact on how the wine ages, affecting the flavor and ruining what might have been a very expensive bottle of wine. If you're especially concerned about vibration, consider a thermoelectric wine cooler. Location: While a wine rack and a wine cooler can both go in many of the same places, there are some advantages here, as well. For instance, you don't need to wall-mount a wine cooler, as most of them are freestanding and not easily knocked over. Of course, if you want something a bit more concealed, many wine refrigerators can be installed under a counter (just make sure it's a front-venting unit). This allows you to keep your wine in your kitchen or under a bar without worrying about other environmental influences like heat or sunlight.