Wine Storage Cabinets

When it comes to wine storage options, the most common temperature controlled units available are wine cabinets or wine refrigerators. While controlling for temperature, humidity, light and vibration are critical to managing the long-term storage of a wine collection, wine cabinets are set apart from the basic wine refrigeration units by their ability to offer more detailed climate control by including standard settings for humidity levels. Humidity levels are critical determinants in allowing a wine to age properly, too little humidity in a storage environment and you've increased your chances of drying out a wine's cork and allowing air to penetrate the bottle, wreaking considerable havoc on the juice inside.

Considerations for Wine Storage Units

There are always individual considerations to keep in mind when shopping for an appropriate wine storage unit. For most, the number one consideration is price. If you are on a tight budget, then the wine storage unit you'll want to look into first is the wine refrigerator. Considerably cheaper than the wine storage cabinet, for reasons we'll look at next, the wine refrigerator comes in as small as a 6-bottle capacity for the entry-level models on up to refrigeration units that handle hundreds of bottles of wine. Keep in mind that once you have a proper means of storing your wines, you'll likely fill up your refrigerator much faster than anticipated, so if possible trade up to the next bottle capacity if you can afford it. If you have the funds and an age-worthy wine collection, then you'll definitely want to look into wine cabinets to ensure ideal aging conditions.

Key Wine Cabinet Questions

What is your wine storage budget?

How many bottles do you currently want to store?

What bottles sizes will the wine cabinet accomodate?

How easily accessible are the wine bottles?

What kind of warranty (especially cooling system) does the wine cabinet offer?

Where will the wine cabinet be located within the home or restaurant?

What kind of electrical specs does the wine cabinet require?

What's the Difference Between A Wine Refrigerator and a Wine Cabinet?

In most wine storage circles, the top distinction (besides price) between a wine refrigerator and a wine cabinet, is that the wine cabinet allows for humidity settings to be completely controlled within the unit, usually by the touch of a button. While wine refrigeration units, are just that, mini-refrigerators intended to keep wines cool, without the capability to adjust interior humidity levels. This inability to establish proper conditions for humidity within the wine's storage environment, disqualifies the basic wine refrigerator unit from storing wines for long-term aging.

When you are ready to start comparing various wine cabinets and wine refrigerators, take a peek at our wine storage unit reviews and recommendations here.