Wine Cabinets - A Buyers Guide

Your wine collection deserves to be stored in the best possible way, and a wine cabinet can provide the perfect storage space for your favourite wines.

Keeping your wine at a certain temperature can ensure that your wine stays fresh for longer, as well as retaining its natural flavours, textures, and aromas.

It’s not just temperature that can affect the quality of your wine - vibrations, sunlight, and humidity can also reduce the drinkability of wine, and a quality wine cabinet might just be the perfect solution.

But what exactly is a wine cabinet, and how do they protect wine? And how do I know what to look out for when purchasing a wine cabinet? Keep reading to find out!

 

What Is A Wine Cabinet?

A wine cabinet is a piece of furniture that stores your wine in the correct conditions to ensure that your wine collection stays fresh for longer, and tastes as great as it should.

Wine should be stored at anything between 11 and 14 degrees celsius for optimal freshness and should be kept out of direct sunlight to prevent the wine from tasting bitter and from becoming discoloured.

A quality wine cabinet will ensure that your wine is kept at the right temperature, will minimise any disruptive vibrations, manage humidity levels, and shield your wine collection from sunlight.

Some wine cabinets allow you to control the temperature, and some have multiple temperature zones meaning you can store different bottles at separate temperatures.

This is helpful for opened bottles or if you want to have bottles ready for serving.

Wine cabinets also allow you to store wine accessories, such as wine glasses, glass holders, and other stemware.

You’ll find that wine cabinets can come in different shapes and sizes, so you’re sure to find the perfect wine cabinet for your requirements.

 

Is A Wine Cabinet The Same As A Wine Cooler?

Most people think that wine coolers and cabinets are the same things, which is an easy mistake to make.

However, there are a couple of subtle differences - the first being size. Wine coolers are generally more compact units that store fewer bottles, whereas wine cabinets tend to be larger.

Wine cabinets are typically more expensive and sophisticated pieces of furniture that are more fitted to larger wine collections.

You can store wine in both the short term and long term using a wine cabinet, whereas many wine coolers will often be for short term use only.

If you have an extensive wine collection that you want to proudly display, then a wine cabinet may be the best option for you - it’s the next best thing to a wine cellar.

 

How Do I Choose A Wine Cabinet?

As wine cabinets can come in various shapes and sizes and can have different features, it can be difficult to know what to look out for.

Keep reading for our buyers guide to help you choose the best wine cabinet for your collection.

 

Temperature Zones

As you know, storing wine at the right temperature is important if you want your wine to taste as fresh as it should - but did you know that some wine cabinets can offer several temperature zones?

Most wine cabinets have single temperature zones, which means that your entire collection is stored at the same temperature.

This is perfect for long-term wine storage, as you can keep your wine storing in the long term without interruption.

Single temperature wine cabinets come in all shapes and sizes, and the storage capacity varies from model to model.

Some wine cabinets offer dual or multiple temperature zones, which is perfect if you have a larger wine collection.

If you choose a 2 or 3 temperature zone wine cabinet, you’ll be able to store different bottles at separate temperatures.

For example, you can store your reds at one temperature, your whites at another, and your sparkling at another, which is perfect if you have an extensive collection.

You can also choose the temperature zones based on how long you plan on storing the bottles.

You can have bottles of wine stored at one temperature ready to be served, and then other bottles stored at a different temperature to be left uninterrupted storing in the long term.

Multi-temperature wine cabinets are similar to 2/3 temperature wine cabinets but offer more temperature options.

This type of wine cabinet is generally more expensive and is fitting for those who have a large wine collection.

If you don’t have a wine cellar but are looking for something similar, then a multi-temperature wine cabinet is by far the next best option.

To learn about the difference between single and dual zone wine coolers, click here. 

 

Design

The main three designs of wine cabinets are freestanding, built-in, and fully integrated. Freestanding wine cabinets are the most common, and they’re also the most versatile.

You can place them anywhere you like - whether you want to place it next to your fridge or freezer, on top of a cabinet, inside a cabinet, or on display in your dining room.

Freestanding wine cabinets can accommodate over 250 bottles depending on the make, which is perfect if you’re a wine lover with a large collection.

Built-in and integrated wine cabinets can either fit in seamlessly with your interior or can stand out and proudly display your collection.

Fully integrated wine cabinets are generally more expensive than freestanding units at more work is required to integrate the unit into your interior.

Due to the fact they are designed to fit into certain spaces, they generally store fewer than 50 bottles, so if you have a large collection, a freestanding cabinet is most likely your best option.

 

Extra Features

If you want to display your collection as well as store it at the best temperature, then you may want to choose a cabinet that has LED lights to create a display of your favourite bottles.

Another thing to look out for when browning wine cabinets is shelves - most cabinets have fitted wooden shelves which allow you to position your bottles horizontally.

Others will have sections for you to store some opened bottles vertically.

Some cabinets will also have sliding shelves, which you can rearrange to accommodate larger bottles.