Find the right wine cooler for your kitchen
Investing in a wine cooler is a mark of luxury and sophistication. It provides the ideal environment for storing your wine collection, ensuring they are always at the perfect temperature when you're ready to savor them. Explore how to select the right wine cooler for your kitchen, tailored to your preferences and requirements.
Inspiration
Why choose a wine cooler?
A wine cooler offers the ideal environment for your wine. Wine requires continuity, the right temperature, and humidity - three things that a wine cooler can ensure.
A good wine cooler also protects against light and UV rays and has vibration-dampening compressors that protect against disturbances.
In addition, a wine cooler is aesthetically pleasing and allows for a beautiful display of your wines. Especially if you have the option of a built-in or integrated wine cooler in your kitchen, it will be an attention-grabbing element.
Inspiration
Walk-in wine cellar
Should your wine collection become a decorative element?
Transform a part of your space into a dedicated wine storage area by using sliding doors to create a separate section. This allows you to design your own customized wine cabinet.
With a walk-in setup, you can store both upright and horizontal bottles, and even incorporate wine coolers if you wish. It's like having a wine room within a room, designed just the way you like it.
4 things to consider
Selecting the right wine cooler depends on your specific requirements. Here are four factors to take into account when choosing a wine cooler:
1. Capacity
The size of your wine collection matters when it comes to bottle capacity. Wine coolers can hold anywhere from 20 bottles in a compact cabinet to over 300 bottles in a large freestanding wine cooler.
2. Temperature zones
If your wine collection includes a variety of wines like reds, whites, and champagne, you may require multiple temperature zones and greater flexibility compared to a collection consisting solely of red wines.
3. Design
Design considerations encompass both the interior and exterior of the cabinet. This involves elements like the frame and glass door's colour, the shelf material, and the handle's placement.
4. Special features
If you're seeking additional features, think about whether the wine cabinet should include functionalities like app control, a presentation shelf, a built-in sommelier set, or room to chill your champagne and white wine glasses.
Get valuable advice from the kitchen experts
When choosing a wine cooler for your kitchen, you'll have many decisions to make. Our kitchen experts are knowledgeable and experienced with appliances and kitchen solutions. You can schedule a free consultation to get help in finding the right wine cooler for your needs.
Find your nearest HTH storeTemperature zones in the wine cooler
The number of temperature zones in your wine cooler depends on how you plan to use it. Will it primarily be for storing wine, serving wine, or a bit of both? If you have a variety of wines in your collection, it's a good idea to go for a wine cooler with two or more zones. This way, you can ensure the perfect conditions for white wine, champagne, dessert wine, and red wine – all within a single unit.
Multi-zone
A multi-zone wine cooler features a single spacious compartment with a temperature gradient from top to bottom. This design allows you to establish various temperature zones within the same cabinet. For example, you can set it to 16 degrees at the top and 7 degrees at the bottom, creating a versatile wine cooler.
Dual-zone
A dual-zone wine cabinet has two separate zones, each separated by a partition. This configuration allows you to set distinct temperatures in the upper and lower sections, making it suitable for various wine storage and serving needs.
Single zone
A single-zone wine cooler, as the name implies, maintains a consistent temperature throughout the entire cabinet. This type of wine cooler is most suitable for larger wine collections with uniform storage requirements or for smaller collections where all the wines have similar storage needs.
Inspirations
Choose a wine cooler
with adjustable shelves
Create extra space in your wine cooler by choosing shelves that can be customized to accommodate bottles of varying sizes. This ensures that wine and champagne bottles with different shapes can be securely stored in the wine cooler.
Freestanding or built-in
When deciding between a built-in or freestanding wine fridge, consider your aesthetic preferences and practicality. Price-wise, there isn't a significant difference between the two options. However, a built-in wine fridge may reduce storage space in your kitchen.
Regardless of your choice, it's essential to ensure proper heat dissipation. Without it, your wine fridge may generate noise and eventually malfunction. For a freestanding wine fridge, leave 2-3 centimetres of space on the sides and back for ventilation. If you opt for a built-in or integrable wine fridge, select a purpose-built model with a built-in fan to manage heat effectively.
Freestanding wine cooler
Freestanding wine coolers with exposed sides are a popular choice because they offer flexibility and convenience. You can place them wherever you like, whether it's in the kitchen, living room, or utility room. Plus, they are easy to move if you decide to change your room's layout in the future.
Built-in wine cooler
A built-in wine cooler offers a seamless and premium appearance for your kitchen. It's designed to align perfectly with standard kitchen modules, typically measuring 60 cm in width, ensuring a precise and integrated fit in your kitchen design.
Interior design in large and small kitchens
Creating space for a wine cooler in your kitchen can be achieved in various ways. If you're in the process of planning a new kitchen, consider integrating the wine cooler into your design right from the beginning. Here are three interior design concepts that incorporate built-in wine coolers.
Large kitchen
Optimize your space by installing a built-in wine cooler within a tall cabinet or wall, seamlessly integrating it into your interior design as a refined and opulent feature.
Adding a wine cooler to your kitchen island
Elevate your kitchen island by incorporating a built-in wine cooler, an exclusive solution that not only adds to the aesthetics but also enhances the overall kitchen experience.
Small kitchen
A smart solution for a compact kitchen is to install a built-in wine cooler beneath the countertop. While it may occupy some storage space, the convenience it offers can make it a worthwhile addition.
Wine cooler
The ideal wine storage temperatures
Ensuring proper storage for good wine is crucial. Along with maintaining the correct temperature, it's essential to maintain a high humidity level of 65-75%. If the environment is too dry, it can lead to cork drying out, resulting in wine oxidation and spoilage.
Additionally, it's important not to overcrowd the wine cooler beyond its recommended bottle capacity. Overloading can disrupt adequate air circulation and temperature consistency, affecting the wine's quality.
Temperatures
Recommended wine storage
temperatures by wine type
• 8-9°C Light white and sparkling wines (sweet, light dessert wines)
• 9-12°C Fino Sherry
• 10-11°C Full-bodied white and sparkling wines (Champagne, Cremant, Cava)
• 12-13°C Full-bodied white wines (Chardonnay, Burgundy)
• 14°C Port wine
• 14-15°C Light, young red wines (Beaujolais, Pinot Noir)
• 16-17°C Young, complex red wines (Burgundy, Saint Emilion, Pomerol, Chianti, Barbaresco)
• 18-19°C Full-bodied, mature red wines (Rhone, Bordeaux, Barolo, Rioja)
Designing a stunning wow kitchen
Need a kitchen upgrade or designing your dream kitchen? Our experts know the latest trends in appliances and design. Contact us for help in finding the ideal wine cooler for your kitchen.
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