October 7, 2019 Wine Coolers

4 reasons why a wine cooler is an essential buy.

Red, white, pink or sparkling – there’s a wine to suit all tastes and to match all kinds of food, which is a good thing considering around 960 million gallons of it was consumed by Americans in 2017, (the latest year figures are available for), alone.

Unlike many alcoholic drinks which are quite hardy when it comes to storage wine is a little more demanding, and if you really care about the end result of the drink you pour then simply chilling it in a regular fridge is never going to lead to the optimum results.

Dedicated wine coolers are what you need to look at, whether you enjoy wine at home or serve it as part of your business. But hold on – don’t go rushing in and buying the first wine cooler you come across in the store or online.

Stop!

Take the time to learn a little about why a wine cooler is so important, as well as the key features a quality wine cooler should have. This should help you make a wise investment that will pay for itself in no time.

4 reasons why a wine cooler is worth the investment

• It’s a good way to store a valuable collection of treasured wines, most of them will need to be stored in a specific way or they risk being spoiled.
• Wine coolers gradually adjust temperatures as required, while maintaining the correct humidity levels – something a regular fridge cannot even dream of doing. Storing wine in a standard fridge will expose it to temperatures which are to low and poor humidity so the corks are more at risk of drying out.
• There’s no risk of other, strong tasting food, influencing the taste of the wine.
• Most wine coolers have special absorption systems to cut down on the typical noise and vibrations of a regular fridge, both of which spoil the way wine matures.

Getting ready to choose the perfect wine cooler (fridge)

By now you should be convinced that buying a specialist wine cooler is the only option if you want to store and serve wine ether for your own drinking pleasure or as part of a business like a restaurant, wine bar or cafe.

That means all you need to do now is focus on picking out the right model. There are a surprising number of angles to think about when choosing a suitable wine cooler for your needs – so you should find using this handy top tip guide to shape your shopping will help you secure the perfect product.

Tip #1   Get the size right

Obviously the size of wine cooler you settle on will be guided by the space you have available, but with so many different shapes and sizes on the market it’s worth looking at all the options before making a final decision. Both under counter and upright standalone styles are popular, and so long as you allow for at least 50mm of space around the unit for air to circulate, and buy something that will fit through your doors/corridors then all should be good.

Tip #2   Is there enough capacity?

Light home drinkers or small businesses with a low turnover of wine may decide to go for a smaller model, but it is wise to not underestimate space needed. Think strategically about things like future plans to expand or develop a wine tasting hobby. It’s also good to remember that some types of wine (such as Burgundy and Champagne) are bigger than standard bottles.

Tip #3 Don’t skimp on insulation

Insulation plays a vital part in getting wine too, and keeping it at the perfect temperature for as long as you need it to be stored. As a bonus effect good insulation means lower running costs too.

Tip #4 How many doors do you need?

Larger units which are designed to be quite wide may have two doors, or be taller and only have one door; while the largest units have three! Establishments serving a wide range of wines may prefer the ease of a three door fridge for easy access to the type of wine needed.

Tip #5 Do you need a dual temperature model?

Red and white (or fizzy) wines obviously need to be kept at different temperatures, so you can either buy two fridges to accommodate this, or go for something fancy enough to have two sections – each capable of managing a different type of wine. If you go for the latter make sure the control panel and thermostat are easy to see and control.

Tip #6 Look closely at the shelves

The best wine coolers have adjustable shelving so you can customize it to suit your needs. Make sure the shelving is strong as well, to avoid any terrible accidents.

Tip #7 Is the price fair?

You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a good wine cooler as there are plenty around at different price points. Having said that it’s probably wise to avoid the cheapest styles if wine is a key part of your business, unless you really want to gamble with reliability and consistency.

Tip #8 Look at the wine coolers other people recommend

If you would like recommendations from genuine buyers who have tried out different wine coolers look around for online reviews. Famous names, like Edgestar Wine Coolers with a long history of delivering great products are always a solid purchase.

Tip #9 Don’t settle for a weak warranty

There are no set guidelines for what a wine cooler warranty will cover so you need to check out what each model offers to see what works okay for you. Some manufacturers only cover parts, others cover labor too. They may also vary in length, and obviously a longer warranty is better. Considering a working wine cooler may be crucial to your lifestyle or livelihood it pays to make sure you are able to deal with any malfunctions quickly and efficiently.

Whether it’s for your kitchen or your business – if you deal with quality wine then a wine cooler is an essential purchase,; but buying the right model is equally important so don’t make a rash decision when a little research could lead you to the ideal wine cooler for your needs.

Subscribe to Industry Today