If you’re a wine enthusiast or even just someone who enjoys the occasional glass, you might be considering investing in a wine cooler.

Wine storage is crucial for the taste of the wine. Whether you love to buy good quality wine, store it and bring it out for special occasions, or you buy a bottle to enjoy within a day or two, a wine cooler will not only maximise your refrigerator space but will also maintain a constant temperature for your wines so they are ready to serve any time.

The purpose of a built in or freestanding wine cooler is to create the ideal storage conditions for any wine and there are a number of factors that will be worth considering before you make your decision…

What benefits do wine coolers have?

Convenience/space

Instead of taking up much needed space in your refrigerator, a separate wine cooler will keep all your wines in one place. You can choose to have a freestanding wine cooler, somewhere within the dining room, or maybe within a utility room or garage area if you are lucky enough to have one, or an integrated option within your kitchen counter.

Choosing an integrated wine cooler is great as that kitchen counter is already there, you are simply utilising the space in a different way, just like you would with any other cupboard. A wine cooler can also often hold a lot more bottles of wine than your fridge may be able to.

Focused on the best conditions for your wine

Wine is best being stored at certain temperatures, depending on the kind of wine you like to drink. If you store your wine at a temperature that is too high, then you risk the ageing of your wine becoming poor. It can also cause your wine to have unpleasant smells and even affect the taste.

Similarly, if your wine is kept at a temperature that is too cold then it is at risk of freezing and losing its natural flavours. This can be easily done within a normal refrigerator as it is set to suit other drinks and foods, meaning you can’t put your focus on the condition of your wine.

Wine coolers store your wine at the correct temperature. Most coolers will have a range between 4°C and 18°C, with the main function of keeping your wine cool. Some wine coolers have dual temperature zones, which enables you to store both white and red wines at different temperatures within the same cabinet. It enables you to keep your wine undisturbed in order to continue the ageing process.

Protection

UV rays from sunlight and other forms of light can be harmful to your wine. If they are left out on the side or on a wine rack within a room it can again change the condition of your wine and cause it to age quicker.

Wine coolers can protect your wine from these harmful rays. Even though most wine coolers come with windowed doors, these doors are usually UV-treated or tinted to prevent any UV doing damage to your wine. If the door is left open, some wine coolers, such as this one from Caple, includes an alarm to alert you when you need to close door!

Appearance

One of the best things about the wine coolers we sell, and many others in the market, are they are sleek and stylish and look great within any home. There is the option of having them as a freestanding standout piece or a smaller, integrated option that you barely know is there.

The way the wines are displayed on the shelves allow you to proudly show off your favourite (or most expensive) wines. The attention to detail on the look of these shelves is also important to the brands we sell, helping to create a really decorative look.

Versatile

Although these wine coolers are specifically made for wine, you don’t just have to store wine within them. If you have space in your wine cooler, you can store numerous items in there – from cheese to cans, wine coolers provide a great environment for many different items.

Even skincare items that are recommended for cooling, this could be a great place to store them. Within a normal refrigerator this may seem a little odd to mix something like a face cream with your food and drink (plus there is always the risk of a pot of moisturiser becoming a nacho dip…), however within your wine cooler it is the perfect place to store your skincare products without spoiling anything.

How much do they cost to run?

Money is of course a concern for everybody at the moment, and especially when it comes to energy bills. As a rule, the cost of your wine cooler of course depends on the size, the temperature settings, efficiency and the cost of your electricity in general.

Wine coolers are likely to have a wattage between 85 and 240 watts. In order to calculate how much your wine cooler will cost to run you can do the following:

Wattage (W) x Hours of Daily Usage x Days In A Year / 1000 = Annual kWh consumption

(This will depend on the amount of hours your wine cooler runs for, for example if your wine cooler is thermostatically controlled then the cost will be less, so there are various elements to consider when calculating)

The solution to this sum will, however, help you to understand what your annual energy consumption might look like but there are of course ways you can run your cooler efficiently.

• Keep it out of sunlight, not only to prevent harming your wine but also to make sure that it is not hotter that it should be
• Try not to store anything on top of the cooler or around the sides as this can block the vents
• Regularly clean your wine cooler so it works to the best standard it possibly can
• Don’t overfill your wine cooler, as the cold air will stop moving throughout and cause it to run for longer than necessary

Which wine cooler should I go for?

Your choice of wine cooler will depend on the style you want to go for, the capacity you need, not forgetting the size as well, so it can be hard to find the right one. Here at Rangecookers we offer a stunning selection of wine coolers, complementing your appliances in any style kitchen…

Caple

Caple wine coolers are brand new to our website and we are very excited to introduce them!

Caple was established in Bristol in 1995 and is widely regarded as one of the leading privately owned suppliers of kitchen products in the UK. Over the years they have strived to make sure the Caple name is one you can trust and tries to offer a style and price to suit any home and any budget.

Caple aims to continue their creation of extraordinary spaces for everyday living, with an already established reputation for reliability and value for money. Combining intelligent design with some beautiful finishes, Caple wine coolers are built to ensure your wine is kept at the optimum temperature and humidity. There are three different Caple collections you should know about:

• Sense: bringing a sleek and contemporary design with next level engineering, a range that simply makes…sense
• Classic: bringing an understated modern look, with clever technology to help your life run smoothly
• Sense Premium: bringing a range of finely tuned appliances, for those who want the latest style and technology

This 60cm under counter wine cabinet (pictured above), finished in black glass, is designed to fit perfectly into a space under your kitchen counter. Bringing the correct storage conditions for your wine, the no-frost compressor cooling technology maintains a consistent temperature. The shelves can accommodate a maximum of 46 Bordeaux style wine bottles (750ml) – 16 bottles in the upper zone and 30 bottles in the lower zone. The easy-slide beech shelves are non-scratch so won’t damage bottle labels and if champagne is your drink of choice, the slatted design allows you to store larger bottles.

With models offering both single and dual temperature zones, ranging from 5°C-18°C, you can store an array of fantastic wines and the protection of each is at the forefront of the cooler’s technology. A toughened UV protected glass door and UV/heat free white LED lighting prevents any unwanted light affecting the taste of your wine.

Bertazzoni

In keeping with their other appliances, the Professional, Master and Heritage series wine coolers highlight the high quality design from the Bertazzoni team. Behind the stainless steel and glass front doors, with anti UV-light treatment to protect the bottles from light damage, is a spacious cavity which can hold up to 52 bottles of wine.

These 45cm built in wine column’s demonstrate the talent of Bertazzoni’s design team. With two temperature zones for red and white wine, you will have full control to set the temperature between 4°C to 18°C. Alongside this is the side-to-side airflow circulation to maintain the temperature even if the door has been opened and a vibration system to ensure the wine is undisturbed, plus a red wine ageing function that allows the wine to be lay down whilst still being kept in the best possible condition.

In order to use these impressive wine columns, Bertazzoni have included a digital touch control display which enables you to pick the perfect temperature for your wine and control the humidity inside both zones.

Rangemaster

Rangemaster deliver quality, style and great features within all their kitchen appliances and you can store your wine in style with one of their wine cabinets. Available in both 30cm and 60cm widths, and with the choice of either a stainless steel or black door with a stainless steel trim, this range is truly a smart collection of products.

The 30cm wine cabinet has an 18 bottle capacity and 5-glide out premium wooden shelves or easy access. The 60cm wine cabinet also offers 5-glide out premium wooden shelves, but with an impressive 46 bottle capacity.

Dual temperature zones create two different internal temperatures that allow you to store white and rose wines in the upper section (4°C-12°C) and reds in the lower section (12°C-22°C), therefore creating enjoyment of any wine at the right temperature. Bright white LED lighting offers instant illumination as soon as the door is opened, as well as having a door open warning to prevent the door being left open and causing the temperature to rise.

So incase you haven’t noticed, YES a wine cooler is most definitely worth it! To find out more about any of the products mentioned, you can head to our website here.