7 best wine fridges, coolers to buy in Australia
From drying out corks to creating unwanted odours, our expert reveals why a regular fridge isn’t the best place to store bottles of wine.
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It’s always wine o’clock somewhere, and having your favourite bubbly on hand for surprise guests (or just an after work treat) gives you one less thing to check off your list.
That’s why Head Winemaker at Millon Wines, Angus Wardlaw, believes wine fridges are a great way to ensure your bottles mature at the right temperature and humidity. They’re also the best solution to tackling one of the biggest enemies of wine – temperature fluctuation.
“You will want to store the wines somewhere with consistent temperature that is not too hot,” he explains.
“Generally speaking, you want to store at the temperature you will be serving the wines at. Ideally red wines are served at around 12 degrees Celsius and white wines around eight degrees. So you will want to store them at those temperatures for convenience for when you want to drink them at the perfect temperatures.
“The fluctuations of temperatures will do more harm to the wines over a long period time than the temperature itself. Having a wine fridge will help maintain that consistent temperature as opposed to a kitchen fridge that may experience more frequent changes in temperature.”
Certain bottles of wine can even benefit from being stored in the fridge for 10 years, according to the expert. But this does depend on the wine – some varietals are designed to be consumed sooner and don’t age gracefully at all - and your level of self control, too.
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So, what should you consider when buying a wine fridge? “Stable and consistent temperature control” are a must, says Angus. Humidity and odour controls are also handy additions.
Check out our top picks from brands such as Hisense, Vintec and LG below.
*As always, please note: prices are correct and products in stock at time of publishing. We’ll do our best to keep this story updated, but be aware products move fast during sales events.
BEST WINE FRIDGES BUYING GUIDE
BEST SMALL WINE FRIDGES
Black+Decker Bottle 6 Wine Cellar BD60316, Amazon Australia, $743.09
For a sleek and contemporary look, this compact Black+Decker model boasts a mirrored glass solid door plus two chrome shelves and touch controls so you can set your preferred temperature.
“I was looking for a small countertop wine cooler for my small condo. This is perfect. Easy to set up and makes no noise,” a customer posted.
“The temperature has stayed just as I set it. I opted for the mirrored front and am glad I did. It was securely packed and arrived undamaged. Very happy with my purchase.”
PROS:
+ Fits six wine bottles.
+ Interior light.
+ Adjustable levelling legs.
+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime.
CONS:
- Some reviewers complained the appliance was fairly noisy and had fiddly controls.
Devanti 34 Bottles Wine Cooler Fridge WC-34B-BK, Myer, $610.95 (down from $719)
Wine bottles come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so finding a wine fridge that can accommodate every single one is definitely handy. This Devanti fridge has enough space for 34 bottles, pullout wine racks and removable shelving to suit larger drinks. You can also expect the usual features, such as adjustable temperature control (five to 18 degrees Celsius) and a no frost cooling function.
PROS:
+ Insulated with a UV-resistant and double-glazed door, and a 30mm thick foam wall.
+ Touch control panel.
+ Built-in LED lighting.
+ Child lock.
+ One-year warranty.
CONS:
- Noisy.
Hisense 30 Bottle Wine Cellar HRWC30, The Good Guys, $549
Only keen on having white wine? This mid-range wine fridge from Hisense keeps storage simple. It offers single-zone cooling and features attractive wooden shelves, interior LED lighting and a nice black finish.
“Wanted a small wine fridge and this fit the bill. It was simple to set up and looks the part,” a reviewer posted.
“I’ve had this wine fridge running for 2 months now without a hitch. It’s super quiet and has plenty of room for my bottles of red,” another commented.
PROS:
+ Fits 30 bottles.
+ Compact size.
+ Three-year warranty.
CONS:
- Keep in mind it’s a single zone unit, so all wines must be stored at the same temperature.
BEST LARGE WINE FRIDGES
Vintec 170 Bottle Wine Storage Cabinet V190SG2EBKLH, The Good Guys, $3,827 (down from $5,499)
For serious wine lovers who want to “add a touch of luxury” to their home, this Vintec wine cabinet holds up to 170 Bordeaux bottles. Bordeaux bottles have high shoulders and a straight, tall and slim design, and are typically used for wines such as sauvignon blanc, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The refrigerator’s standout feature is its True Multi-Temp Climate Mode, which lets you store a variety of wines at different temperatures. It also offers flexible shelving, allowing you to remote and reposition shelves to fit larger bottles or create more stackable space.
PROS:
+ Can use Multi-Temp Climate Mode to set different temperatures, or Single-Zone mode to use the same temperature throughout.
+ Wine can be displayed upright (‘Hospitality Mode) or stacked neatly.
+ Adjustable temperature range between six and 22 degrees Celsius.
+ Two-year warranty.
+ This wine fridge is left-hinged, but a right-hinged model is also available.
CONS:
- Expensive.
- Online reviews suggest it’s likely to hold around 100 when storing bottles of different sizes.
Liebherr 195 Bottle Wine Storage Cabinet WKB4611, Appliances Online, $2,971 (down from $4,650)
Love to entertain? Capable of holding 195 Bordeaux bottles, this Liebherr wine fridge makes your impressive wine collection even shinier. But don’t worry, it’s not all looks. It also comes with a low-vibration compressor to make sure the vibrations don’t harm the ageing process, as well as active carbon and charcoal filters to neutralise the odours to keep the air clean and fresh for good cellaring.
This product was easy to have installed and just as easy to add your wine bottles,” a reviewer praised.
“The finish of the fridge is outstanding as is the functionality... Probably won’t be like my brother who has three of them but, if I needed another cabinet I would definitely get the same again.
“This is the second Liebherr wine fridge I’ve had and again I am very pleased. Very good value for money,” another commented.
PROS:
+ Can adjust temperature between five and 20 degrees Celsius.
+ Six Beech wood shelves.
+ Reversible door hinges.
+ Has a lockable door, child lock and temperature alarm.
+ Five-year warranty.
CONS:
- Not necessarily a downside, but this is a single zone wine fridge so everything will be stored at the same temperature.
- Expect capacity to decrease when you add a mix of non-Bordeaux style bottles, similar to many other wine fridges.
BEST PREMIUM WINE FRIDGE
LG 65 Bottle Signature Wine Cellar SG-W65TSL, The Good Guys, $8,999
Go big or go home with this LG’s Signature Wine Cellar. It can pack 65 bottles in the wine compartment, 43 bottles in the red wine zone, 16 bottles in the white wine zone and six bottles in the champagne-dedicated space.
Aside from the brand’s highly coveted InstaView function, which lets you peek inside without having to open the door, the fridge also offers humidity control (preserves the wine flavour and label quality), vibration control (helps keep the wines’ flavour profile) and temperature control (reduces temperature fluctuations).
You can even sync LG wine fridge with Amazon Alexa to make voice commands.
PROS:
+ Good four-star energy efficiency rating, which is great for helping minimise running costs.
+ Convenient features including slide-out shelves and drawers, soft close door, Auto Lift Draw, convertible lower fridge/freezer, Express Freeze setting, interior lighting.
+ Love a charcuterie board? Use the lower drawers to store cheese, meats and other goodies.
+ Stainless steel scratch-resistant finish.
+ LG ThinQ and Smart Diagnosis compatible.
CONS:
- Cannot set the temperature to a specific degree in the champagne and sparkling wine compartment – it’s only suitable for drinks that need to be stored between five and eight degrees Celsius.
BEST BUDGET WINE FRIDGE
Devanti Thermoelectric Wine Chiller, eBay, $219.95 (down from $349.95)
Consistency is key when it comes to refrigerating wine, so it makes sense this affordable Devanti appliance uses cooling technology to maintain the set temperature. It also has a double-glazed UV-resistant glass door for better insulation, and a built-in circulation fan to help keep everything perfectly chilled.
Other features include pullout chrome racks, auto-defrost function and child lock.
PROS:
+ Fits up to 12 wine bottles.
+ Can adjust temperatures between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius.
+ Low noise levels between 28 and 32 dBA.
+ Free shipping.
+ One-year warranty.
CONS:
- If you want more space, options for an 18-bottle fridge or 28-bottle model are available.
HOW IS A WINE FRIDGE DIFFERENT TO A REGULAR FRIDGE?
Wine fridges ensure your wine matures and ages in the right conditions, and with minimal disruptions.
“Depending on the make and model of the wine fridge, you tend to have better control over the temperature, so you set it for either white wine or red wine,” says Angus.
“Some wine fridges have dual zones so you can store both white and red wines in there in different temperatures. Other wine fridges may provide humidity control as well, which is an important factor if you are to store the wine for an extended period of time. In addition, wines stored in a normal fridge could pick up undesirable odours from the food and veg in there, where as a wine fridge dedicated to bottled wines wont risk that issue.”
Other factors to consider include:
• Regular refrigerators generally run between 0 and four degrees Celsius, but wine typically needs to be stored between five and 19 degrees Celsius (depending on the type of wine).
• Temperature is likely to fluctuate more in a standard fridge due to the constant opening and closing of the door.
• The difference in humidity can also dry out the cork, and create unwanted odours, while temperature fluctuations can cause the cork to pop out literally spoil the wine.
HOW TO BEST SERVE WINE
It may sound odd, but Angus’ hot tip on serving wine is to use the right glassware.
”[T]he serving temperatures of red and white wines are fundamental. One element that has a surprisingly noticeably effect on the wine tasting experience is the glassware used when serving the wines,” he says.
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“It may seem like a gimmick and a ploy for glass manufacturers to sell more glasses, but the differently shaped glasses have been designed to accentuate each varieties most desirable aromas and profiles; a Chardonnay served in a Chardonnay glass will taste noticeably different (and better) than one served in a Shiraz or riesling glass.”
Still thirsting for more appliances? We’ve got a full platter of buying guides to cover every inch of the home, such as the best air fryers, best coffee machines, best stick vacuums and best washing machines.
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