Paul Metcalfe
07-08-2014, 11:25 AM
What is the difference between a wine fridge, wine cooler and wine cabinet?
The answer is that it depends on the temperature of the unit inside the product and how many other functions it performs. For example, you would serve white wine from a wine fridge. The word fridge implies it is cold and indeed, for white wine service, this is ideal. The term cooler is more appropriate for short term wine storage or wine service, as you want to keep your wine cool (not cold), usually at split temperatures for different wine types and without humidity controls. The word cabinet is used by manufacturers and retailers who want to differentiate the higher end products from a mere cooler or fridge. Wine cabinets may heat as well as cool, so that they work well in a cold garage, they may be naturally ventilated for higher humidity and ideally one temperature, top to bottom inside, for perfect wine storage.
A kitchen fridge is colder at the top than at the bottom due to the way it is manufactured and most wine fridges are an adapted kitchen fridge. A wine fridge or wine cooler is designed to keep white wine at a cold serving temperature (8ºC - 10ºC) and red wine at a serving temperature of 16ºC – 18ºC which is colder than room temperature, hence the term ‘wine cooler’. Neither of these wine service temperatures is ideal for storing wine, as wine is ideally cellared and allowed to mature at 12ºC - 13ºC. Wine stored for any length of time longer than a few months is preserved rather than matured.
So, buy a wine fridge for chilling white wine. A wine cooler for serving wine or keeping it over the short term. A wine cabinet for correct wine storage and maturation.
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The answer is that it depends on the temperature of the unit inside the product and how many other functions it performs. For example, you would serve white wine from a wine fridge. The word fridge implies it is cold and indeed, for white wine service, this is ideal. The term cooler is more appropriate for short term wine storage or wine service, as you want to keep your wine cool (not cold), usually at split temperatures for different wine types and without humidity controls. The word cabinet is used by manufacturers and retailers who want to differentiate the higher end products from a mere cooler or fridge. Wine cabinets may heat as well as cool, so that they work well in a cold garage, they may be naturally ventilated for higher humidity and ideally one temperature, top to bottom inside, for perfect wine storage.
A kitchen fridge is colder at the top than at the bottom due to the way it is manufactured and most wine fridges are an adapted kitchen fridge. A wine fridge or wine cooler is designed to keep white wine at a cold serving temperature (8ºC - 10ºC) and red wine at a serving temperature of 16ºC – 18ºC which is colder than room temperature, hence the term ‘wine cooler’. Neither of these wine service temperatures is ideal for storing wine, as wine is ideally cellared and allowed to mature at 12ºC - 13ºC. Wine stored for any length of time longer than a few months is preserved rather than matured.
So, buy a wine fridge for chilling white wine. A wine cooler for serving wine or keeping it over the short term. A wine cabinet for correct wine storage and maturation.
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