The 7 Best Wine Fridges and Coolers for 2023

Our top picks feature reliable cooling systems that resist fluctuating ambient temperatures and functional designs to accommodate different bottle sizes.

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If your wine stash regularly includes a half-dozen bottles or more, consider investing in a wine fridge. Sometimes referred to as a wine cooler or wine cellar, it's different than your standard kitchen refrigerator. This appliance has a higher temperature range, is higher in humidity, and isn't usually opened as often, keeping your precious bottles away from damaging light.

"Wine is a living consumable that needs a light-, temperature-, and humidity-controlled environment to thrive," says Melissa Smith, founder of Enotrias Elite Sommelier Services. "Wine fridges are designed to take all three of those into consideration."

Whether you're enjoying a daily glass of Chardonnay or starting to amass a collection of age-worthy Bordeaux, a dedicated wine cooler will ensure the proper, pro-level care of whatever you're drinking. The best wine fridges accommodate multiple bottle sizes, have a reliable cooling system, and stand up well to ambient temperature fluctuations, according to Smith. Read on for a list of the best wine fridges for your home.

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It has excellent capacity, accurate temperatures, and removable shelving.

It's made for freestanding use only. The LED lighting seems dim.

For nearly 40 years, Wine Enthusiast has provided information on wine and spirits, as well as the adjacent subjects of travel, hospitality, and food, so it's no surprise that our top pick comes from this trusted brand. Designed with wine aficionados in mind, this freestanding model is ideal for a smaller collection.

This quiet, energy-efficient wine cooler holds up to 32 standard Bordeaux bottles and is equipped with four scalloped wire racks that hold the wines in place. It features two temperature zones that can be set between 41 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, controlled by a touch panel with an LED display. The larger lower section can be used for longer-term aging and the smaller top section can be utilized for bottles that will be served in the near future. The glass door allows you to see what's inside, and the LED interior lighting helps illuminate the contents for easier identification.

Most importantly, this model performs brilliantly — it holds a fairly constant, steady temperature with minimal vibration, two elements that are crucial to wine storage. The compressor unit on this fridge also works well in a larger range of ambient temperature than many other models on the market, keeping bottles cool even when the room it's in is approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Price at time of publish: $549

Wine Enthusiast

Each feature is designed with wine collectors in mind, which makes it a great fit for home cellars and restaurants alike. It remains cold even in ambient temperatures up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

It's a hefty initial investment, even with its 72-bottle capacity.

A favorite of serious collectors, EuroCave engineers its coolers to mimic the climate of a French wine cave, complete with perfect humidity and temperature. We recommend the Premiere S model to those who want to invest in a professional-grade fridge for their home or small restaurant. Yet, entry-level buyers would also benefit from features that keep bottles clean and secure for short- and long-term aging.

This freestanding cellar has a customizable interior with adjustable main du sommelier (hand of the sommelier) shelves. Their design cradles each bottle and prevents it from rolling, which lessens the chances of breakage or label damage. The Premiere S also has a singular temperature control that ranges from 48 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit, closer to a natural, subterranean cave, allowing age-worthy wines to last longer while bringing ready-to-drink wines closer to serving temperature. This model is quiet; its LED interior lights can detach; and it has UV-resistant glass doors (with an option for solid doors) to keep light exposure to a minimum.

With the expanded external temperature threshold, this wine refrigerator can keep your wines at the ideal coolness, even in ambient temperatures ranging from 32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Since temperature control is of the utmost importance, an alarm will sound if the door is left open or if the temperature starts to creep out of the desired range. All in all, if you're collecting bottles valued at hundreds of dollars, this is a smart choice to keep your wines safe and secure (it has a lock). For a larger, more commercial option with the same features, EuroCave also offers the Premiere L Wine Cellar, which holds up to 178 bottles.

Price at time of publish: $2,295 with solid door

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It has a sleek silhouette, removable shelving, and good capacity. It's also Energy Star certified.

The compressor turning on and off may seem noisy to some.

If you want a wine refrigerator that offers fantastic features for a more palatable price, this model by Ivation may fit the bill. Sleek in design with its black finish and tinted UV-resistant glass door, it has a fairly small footprint that won't overwhelm your space.

This wine cooler features removable wire racks that hold up bottles measuring up to about 3 inches in diameter and 13 inches in length. The compressor and fan give this wine fridge a temperature range of 41 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit, low enough for sparkling white wines and just under room temperature for ready-to-drink reds. Available in both single and dual zone versions, you have options with this affordable cooler — and both models come equipped with a lock to keep your wines safe. While less expensive wine fridges tend to have issues with noise, this one has a fairly quiet motor, rated at 36 decibels (dBA). All in all, it's a nice choice for performance and value.

Price at time of publish: $380

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With a compact design, it works as a freestanding or built-in cooler. It features reversible door hinges.

It may seem small to some, and storing larger bottles will cut the number it fits nearly in half.

Dual zone wine coolers are fantastic for those who like to keep ready-to-drink wines on hand at all times. This version from Smith & Hanks offers enough space for 32 standard Bordeaux bottles laid out on the wood-accented metal racks.

The temperature display can be set to either Celsius or Fahrenheit and can be adjusted with a touch of the buttons on the control panel. Set one zone to chill white wine and Champagne and the other to keep reds at their ideal serving temperature. The thermostat is wonderfully reactive and keeps the internal temperature stable as you open and close the fridge door.

This model is essentially ready to use out of the box. It functions as a freestanding fridge, but it can also be used as an under-counter model for those looking for a built-in version for their kitchen.

Price at time of publish: $679

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This well-built fridge operates quietly and offers a streamlined look that goes with just about any kitchen decor.

The wooden shelves are bulky and may impact how many bottles you are actually able to store.

The Kalamera 46-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator is a top-selling built-in wine cooler, featuring dual temperature zones and a capacity of 46 standard Bordeaux bottles. With a few clicks of the touchpad, set the upper zone between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for whites and rosés, and the lower zone between 50 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit for reds.

Five beechwood shelves slide in and out for easy access to your wines. The interior is gently lit by an LED light, which is strong enough to illuminate the labels to read but won't cause damage to your wines. Further protection is provided by the door's double layer of tinted, tempered glass, which keeps out ambient light and also helps to further insulate the cooler. The hexagon bolt lock ensures your collection will be safe, and the entire unit is very quiet with minimal vibration from the compressor.

Price at time of publish: $959

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This mini wine cooler is quiet and a great value.

It's not suited for warm ambient temperatures, and it may not fit larger bottles.

This compact wine cooler by Cuisinart is the only thermoelectric option on this list; it's quieter and more energy-efficient than similarly sized coolers that use a compressor. Since thermoelectric cooling doesn't require as much movement, it generates less heat and vibration, making it ideal for any fridge that is going to sit in plain sight — say, on top of the kitchen counter.

Holding just eight bottles, it's an excellent choice for a casual wine drinker who likes to keep a few bottles ready but is limited in space. Adjustable feet ensure that your fridge stays level, and it contains three metal racks and a bottom shelf to hold two standard Bordeaux-style bottles each, though it may be a tight squeeze for thicker or taller bottles.

The triple-pane glass door helps to keep the temperature steady. Thermoelectric coolers, however, are only able to cool about 25 to 30 degrees below room temperature, so consider this if your home tends to stay above 70 degrees.

Price at time of publish: $200

Wayfair

This model offers plenty of storage and has an embedded carbon filter.

It's expensive and takes up a lot of space.

For households that like to keep an array of drinks cold, a combination beverage and wine cooler is a thoughtful addition. This stainless steel beauty from Titan can be a freestanding fridge or a built-in under a countertop. Door stoppers keep this fridge's lockable tempered glass doors from swinging out past 135 degrees, and the hinges lay completely flat for installation.

The features of this Titan cooler ensure convenience and versatility. Three adjustable shelves in the beverage zone hold up to 64 individual cans, and the six stainless steel wire shelves in the wine zone can hold about 20 bottles of wine. Each zone has its own temperature control, adjustable from 38 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. In the event that the cooler loses power, the Smart Memory feature helps it return to temperature after a restart, protecting your wine from heat. As an added bonus, an alarm will alert you to an abnormal rise in temperature or if the door is left ajar.

Price at time of publish: $1,939

Wine fridges are available in just about every price range and size, from lightweight countertop models to heavy-duty cellars with locking doors and temperature alarms. We found that the Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler offers a nice balance of function and value for those who regularly enjoy wine. For a value purchase, the Ivation 28 Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler Refrigerator performs well.

According to Smith, one of the foremost things to consider when buying a wine refrigerator is whether or not you're storing the wine for everyday drinking or for investment. "If you are buying wines meant to age you will want to invest in a quality wine fridge that can accommodate all bottle sizes," says Smith. "You can get away with one of the smaller wine fridges that you transfer daily drinkers into if you have a larger unit dedicated to long-term storage."

Most wine fridges base their stated capacity on a standard Bordeaux bottle, which has a 2.75-inch diameter and is 11.75 inches in length. The actual capacity will largely depend on the makeup of your collection — Champagne bottles take up more room with a 3.25-inch diameter and 12.25-inch length, while Burgundy and Pinot Noir bottles measure 3.2 inches in diameter with a length just shy of 12 inches. Depending on the rack spacing, you may find your actual capacity to be bigger or smaller than the bottle count advertised.

This refers to whether or not the cooler is meant to be used as a freestanding or built-in unit. Some models can do both, but always double-check to be totally sure the wine fridge you choose is compatible with the installation type you desire as some models require extra clearance around the unit to ensure proper airflow and ventilation.

Wine fridges are typically offered with single or dual-zone temperature control. As the name suggests, single-zone refers to one temperature setting for the entire unit; dual-zone has separate controls for either side-by-side or top and bottom sections of the fridge. Single-zone options are fine for those who want to keep all their wine at the same temperature, a typical choice for collectors who are aging their wines. Dual-zone gives you the option to keep whites and sparkling very cold while keeping reds just under room temperature (that is, their ideal serving temperatures), allowing you to have bottles ready to drink at any time.

Refrigerators emit vibrations, which, if loud enough, can bother some people. Standard "silent" refrigerators have noise levels of around 39 dBA (decibels), whereas quiet rooms average about 40 dBA. All but one of the fridges featured here comes in at fewer than 39 dBA, whereas the Smith & Hanks 32 Bottle Wine Refrigerator reaches a mere 40 dBA. In addition to choosing a fridge with fewer decibels, wooden shelves will also help mitigate noise by absorbing vibrations.

Wooden shelves are more desirable than most metal shelving, as wood tends to be gentler on labels. Whatever the shelves are made of, ensure they are sturdy and can be pulled out so you have easier access to your bottles.

"Glass is more likely to break and cause greater susceptibility to temperature fluctuations," says Smith, who encourages choosing a solid, insulated door for maximum protection. If you must choose a glass door, go for multi-layered tempered glass with a UV coating that helps shield your wines from ambient light, which can degrade your wine.

Our writer both drew on her own experience and consulted a wine storage expert to determine what makes a great wine fridge, then selected several options that were among the most popular brands in this field. After reading through existing online reviews of these products, she selected those that met or exceeded expectations for quality of construction, value, and performance.

Unopened bottles of wine can last anywhere from weeks to decades—it depends on the wine. An opened bottle can typically last for about 24 hours after uncorking, but after that period of time, there will often be a noticeable deterioration of the wine's taste and aromas.

A bottle can typically go from room temperature to serving temperature in about two and a half hours for reds, and three hours for whites.

For single-zone fridges, keep your wines at close to 56 degrees Fahrenheit ("cellar temperature" according to Smith), which is also suitable for longer-term storage."If you have a fridge with dual zones, you will want to have your whites and sparkling perfectly chilled—at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit—and your reds closer to cellar temperature," says Smith. If the wines are kept colder, then it will retard the aging process, but if that is your goal, you can certainly opt for that lower temperature.

It depends on the size of the fridge, but typically a wine fridge will run on less electricity than a standard kitchen refrigerator. The average home refrigerator runs anywhere from 300 to 800 watts, while a wine fridge will run between 90 to 200 watts.

Bernadette Machard de Gramont is a freelance writer specializing in food, wine, and kitchen products. She has worked in the wine industry since 2009, and uses her expertise to advise clients on how to collect, store, and sell prized vintages. She interviewed Melissa Smith for this piece, the founder of Enotrias Elite Sommelier Services, who specializes in cellar management in addition to wine education and appraisal.