Buying a Wine Cooler? 6 Tips You MUST Know Before Buying A Wine Fridge!

Enjoy the show? We're independently owned and produced and would LOVE your support! You can also watch ad-free! www.visforvino.com/vino-vip
If you're thinking about buying a wine cooler, there are 6 factors you need to consider before you pull the trigger! There are so many different wine fridges out there, and they all have different features. It's not just a matter of buying a "good" one that's well-reviewed: you need to make sure it's right for YOU! This means making sure the fridge has the proper capacity, deciding whether to buy a built-in or free-standing fridge, making sure the door opens the right way, having the right shelves and zones, and making sure it gets cold enough for your needs! Watch this video for all my tips when buying a wine fridge!
VIDEOS MENTIONED:
Proper Wine Serving/Storage Temperature: • The Proper WINE Servin...
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:29 1. Capacity
01:29 2. Built-In
02:10 3. Reversible Door
02:42 4. Zones
03:34 5. Shelves
04:18 6. Cooling Method
05:13 Other Tips
___________________
ABOUT V IS FOR VINO: Wish learning about wine was easier? It's fun AND easy with your personal sommelier, travel guide, and host, Vince! Join him as he travels the world of wine - eating, drinking, and breaking down wine topics for you up close and personal!
Want to know more? On each episode of V is for Vino, you'll:
- Meet a winemaker and learn their story. One of the best parts of drinking wine is getting to know the place where it came from and the people who made it!
- Learn about the grapes. Vince breaks down wine topics easily, making them fun and easy to understand!
- Visit the region. Not everyone gets to travel to wine country as much as they'd like, so experience the beauty and culture firsthand with Vince. Travel the world and sip along from the comfort of your couch!
- Cook dishes that pair at a local restaurant because what's good wine without good food? Luckily, the world of wine is full of amazing chefs and restaurants ready to serve up something delicious to pair with the wine you just learned about.
___________________
And just because an episode ends doesn't mean the fun stops there. Next, you can:
SUBSCRIBE to our KZbin channel! bit.ly/3xxH7eT
JOIN VINO VIP to watch episodes ad-free, get early access to new videos, exclusive VIP members-only content, virtual zoom wine tastings with Vince, and fun giveaways! www.visforvino.com/vino-vip
Follow us on Instagram!
/ visforvino
Let's be friends on Facebook!
/ visforvino
© 2023 V IS FOR VINO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

[@samanthag.5025]

Excellent tips of things to consider. 👍🏽

[@tst7328]

Great video 🎉 I have two wine fridges, due to warm air rising I place my reds in the upper parts of the fridges and the white at the bottom. Keep enjoying your wines!

[@visforvino]

Good call!

[@anneellis2362]

Great advice! We hadn’t thought about some of the things you mentioned- good to know! 👍🏻🍷

[@visforvino]

Any time!

[@davidcampos5506]

Excelente tips

[@theukyankee]

I didn't see this before we redid our kitchen and I'm glad that my research fit with your advice. We have one very similar to yours with the dual temps. We're using ours a bit for longer term but it's primarily for regular drinkers.

[@visforvino]

Glad I could affirm the purchase!

[@ludovicdebord5520]

Thank you for the video 🙏🏻 I've a double zone fridge. But my coolest part (in mine it's the bottom part) doesn't make it cold enough anymore. Idk why. So I set it as a single for reds only. I think it's a thermostatic system. Any ideas why doesn't work properly anymore? :/ thank you 😅

[@visforvino]

I just had an old fridge stop getting cold enough for me as well. Try taking apart and cleaning the fans; they get dust and stop working as well!

[@jonathanwilliams1974]

If you want a wine fridge on a budget, find an old refrigerator (many times free) and buy a $30 Inkbird temperature controller and set it to 55. I have one in my garage I use for cellaring bottles I'm laying down for years. I found an Amazon wine rack that fits inside that holds 36 bottles. Plus I can put about 10 below it and a few in the door. If I build a shelf above it I'll be able to hold another 10 bottles.

[@visforvino]

nice tip!

[@travisthompson9104]

I love my “52 bottle” 😂 Vino temp but as everyone else has said drawer size is an issue for H & W. I’d love to know if there is a fridge out there that has solved this issue. I’ll be getting a second similar sized fridge in the spring when we redo our bar area and I’m hoping to find the perfect fridge by then. Orrr I’m just going to start storing all my burg and PN in a dark room.

[@visforvino]

I know, so many fridges claim they protect labels but don't!

[@MarkAuchtung]

I would also add that you consider one with moveable hinges or hinges that allow it to open towards that wall not from it like he shows. His door is backwards. That must be frustrating.

[@visforvino]

Good tip! This fridge actually has this feature and we did this intentionally. Otherwise, the handle hit the window sill.

[@joeydecarlo2532]

Tell us about your long term storage! Is it off site somewhere? What kind of collection do you have? What are some of your special wines you're aging? That'd be super fun and interesting to hear about.

[@visforvino]

I have a separate fridge for long-term storage...maybe the next video I'll go through it!

[@bhrry4149]

The wood shelves are good or bad because of the temperature? Are affected in any way?

[@visforvino]

I don’t think they matter so much other than the fact that if they aren’t reinforced or heavy duty, wood has trouble supporting the weight.

[@JA-tv5nv]

If a free standing cooler has ventilation in the front, can it be put in a cabinet keeping the vent clear?

[@visforvino]

When you say IN the cabinet…you can’t close the door. The heat would build up. The front needs to be exposed. Otherwise, yes.

[@ivoted7199]

Dual door would still not solve your problem of pulling shelves out. FYI ;)

[@JPVLDRodrigues]

Is there any solution to keep reds at the right temperature when outside is colder than that? I have that problem with my reds in the winter.

[@visforvino]

Hm. Is the house temperature controlled? Or is the fridge in a garage or something?

[@JPVLDRodrigues]

Usually we only fire up the heating when we are in, and mostly in the living room... Not really the kitchen. If we are not at home, then the temperature slowly drops, frequently below 16ºC @@visforvino

[@jimdandy6452]

Just moved to Arizona last year and bought an 80 bottle wine fridge (single zone) i keep it at 55 degrees and about 95% of my wines are red. The only thing im nit happy about is are what i call the LABEL SHREDDING drawers....

[@visforvino]

I know! Nothing worse than these companies not understanding Burgundy bottles' width!!!

[@joeydecarlo2532]

The "designed for Bordeaux bottles" thing is so annoying! I have a lot of burgundy shaped bottles with scraped labels because of this with my larger fridge 😑

[@visforvino]

Exactly, so annoying!

[@user-db5be4ir3n]

Thermo-electrics don't have very long lifespans either so take that into account. A proper compressor based fridge will last years.

[@visforvino]

Oo, good tip! Appreciate it!

[@numanuma20]

I have three fridges just to keep all my wines. I don’t have a system.

[@visforvino]

Yes, I've accumulated a few over the years as well!

[@ayhuiojg]

You didn’t recommend and brands or provide referrals to reviewer websites that you trust. Can you please provide some resources so we can get comparative recommendations on specific brands/products that meet these standards?

[@visforvino]

Unfortunately, I've personally had poor experiences with anything that wasn't significantly expensive, so I'd recommend the big names. This is one of those "you get what you pay for" categories. Eurocave, Sub-Zero, and Vinotemp are great. I've heard the Wine Enthusiast fridges can be good too. Hope this helps!

[@JPVLDRodrigues]

46 bottle capacity? So just barely enough for the weekend?! Joking... I'm Portuguese so you know how we roll when it comes to wine...

[@visforvino]

hahaha