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Your guide to wine coolers and drinks chillers

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You can take your dinner parties and family gatherings to the next level by serving wine and champagne at exactly the right temperature.

Finding space in the fridge alongside all your foodie treats isn’t easy. So if you're a wine lover, you might want to invest in a wine cooler designed specifically for storing wine at the right temperature. You’ve got the choice of wine coolers and drinks chillers designed to sit under a counter, built-in, or as standalone appliances.

What's different about wine coolers?

Wine coolers are specifically designed to maintain the integrity of wine. So whether your drink of choice is Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or a bottle of bubbly, you can be sure it's chilled to perfection.

You can buy coolers designed for storing one type of wine, or go for versatile ones that can hold red, white and champagne.

Key cooler considerations:

When you’re deciding on which is the best wine cooler for your home, here are some things you might like to consider:

  1. Type of cooler
  • Worktop: Ideal if you've only got a limited amount of space, although this offers the smallest capacity.

  • Integrated: Installed under a kitchen worktop, with models offering a range of capacities and features.

  • Freestanding: Taller wine coolers can store more than 200 bottles at different temperatures.

Whichever type you choose, your wine will be stored horizontally, preventing the cork from cracking and air entering, which can damage the wine.

  1. Capacity

Don't buy a wine cooler that’s way too big for you. There's no point having a freestanding set up that can hold more than 100 bottles if you only enjoy the occasional glass of wine with special dinners or when friends visit.

On the other hand, if you’re a wine buff aiming to build a collection then you're going to want as much space as you can get.

Think about how often you drink wine. Do you entertain often or seldom? Are you interested in building a collection or more concerned with having a bottle available at the right temperature at short notice?

  1. Temperature

The difference in temperature is very important - wine is not supposed to be served at the same temperature as beer or soft drinks. That’s why it’s usual for wine coolers to run at a higher internal temperature of between 6 - 8 degrees, compared with a food refrigerator which typically runs at between 1- 4 degrees.

Recommended serving temperatures:

  • White wine - 7-14°C

  • Red wine - 10-19°C

  • Rose - 7-13°C

  • Champagne and sparkling wine - 6-11°C

Single-zone coolers are for storing one type of wine, with one constant temperature throughout. So if you only drink red wine, for example, you’ll only need a single temperature chiller.

Dual-zone coolers offer two temperatures, so are ideal if you regularly enjoy different wines. White and red wines don't have the same optimum temperatures, so going for a dual-zone cooler will make sure they taste perfect when you come to pour a glass.

3 wine coolers that we love

  • UV-protected glass doors: This will keep your wine in good condition by keeping out the sun's rays.

  • Anti-vibration technology: Too much movement can ruin your wine - changing how it tastes and looks. Anti-vibration technology will keep it nice and still.

  • Adjustable shelves: These are handy if you want to store bottles that are bigger than standard, such as champagne. They also make it easier to load bottles and take them out.

  • Charcoal filters: These remove odours from the air that might harm your wine.

3 wine coolers that we love:

1. CDA Wine Cooler - affordable option for one type of wine

Looking for an affordable single-temperature cooler? The stainless steel CDA FWC302SS Wine Cooler has a 20-bottle capacity and five wooden shelves. Plus, the double-glazed glass door is smoked and UV-protected to prevent damage from sunlight.

2. Caple WI6127 Built-In Wine Cooler - store red and white together

If you want to keep both red and white wine in premium condition in the same place, try the dual-zone Caple WI6127 built-in Wine Cooler.

Use the clever refrigeration tech to set one temperature zone to suit white wine (7-10°C) and the other to suit red (10-18°C) - maintaining the optimum levels for all of your bottles.

Its contemporary styling will slot in nicely to the most stylish kitchens, while its quiet running won't disturb the calm of your kitchen.

It also boasts UV-protected glass to prevent your wine being damaged on a sunny day, and anti-vibration tech to keep your plonk still.

3. Caple WF1546 Wine Cooler - 100+ bottles and 3 temp zones

This is a serious fridge for the serious wine enthusiast. The tall, free-standing cooler will be a real talking point in your kitchen - with its glass doors revealing as many as 132 bottles to your guests.

The wooden shelves on the Caple WF1546 can be moved around to accommodate bottles being laid flat or stood vertically - they're non-scratch too, just in case you scrape a bottle as you pull it from the shelf.

It offers three different temperature zones, so you can store rose or champagne alongside your red and white wine.

The door can be locked too, while low vibration technology means will keep your wine in tip-top shape.

See our range of wine coolers

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Chill!