Wine coolers is just one of the many terms used to refer to a variety of containers and small to large appliances—all intended to keep your wine at the appropriate temperature for optimum drinking enjoyment. There's also wine caves and refrigerated wine cabinets. It can be very confusing as these words are often used interchangeably and essentially refer to the same thing. Even the traditional concept of a 'wine cellar' is changed to include portable units produced in a size much better suited to our modern lifestyle.
We can divide all the different wine cooling products into two categories:
- simple portable containers that chill approximately 1to 6 wine bottles to the appropriate serving temperature just prior to drinking
- refrigerator-style, temperature-controlled appliances that hold from 6 to 500 wine bottles designed for mid- to long-term storage
Let's look at the variety of wine chillers and coolers available—for more information, visit
wine refrigerators and
wine cellars.
Portable Wine Coolers & Chillers
A wine cooler or chiller is designed to chill your wine to the perfect serving temperature just before you enjoy it. Wines are typically stored at approximately 55° F (13°C), but many wines taste better when they are cooler when served. Often, white wine is put into the kitchen refrigerator to chill before serving, but this may not be ideal, depending on the temperature setting and stability of the refrigerator. The idea of the wine cooler is to keep the wine at a constant chilled temperature prior and during serving. A portable chiller means you can keep the wine bottle handy for serving rather than having to constantly return to the refrigerator.
Wine coolers can be casual or elegant
Because they are portable and intended to be used close to the serving area, wine chillers and coolers are designed to compliment a wide variety of indoor and even outdoor decor. From traditional Italian terracotta to classic French polished pewter or stainless steel to high-tech computerized wine coolers—the selection is exceptional. You may need one or two for different uses such as a fun copper party-cooler for casual outdoor get-togethers and a sophisticated crystal 'wine bucket' for elegant dinner parties. Then, don't forget the handy insulated single-bottle wine chillers for summer picnics!
