The best on the market for budding sommeliers.
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Can you really consider yourself a wine connoisseur if you don’t own a wine fridge? Those with a soft spot for specialty vino understand that bottle storage is no laughing matter, and that maintaining temperatures is key. Which is why a regular fridge doesn’t tend to cut the mustard when it comes to keeping your bottles safe and sound long-term – regularly opening and closing the doors of your fridge sees temperatures fluctuate (a big no-no for wine).
Enter the stable temperatures of the wine fridge – we’ve gathered 5 of our favourites below…
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Best for the entertainer
Vintec 100 Beer Bottle Beverage Centre, $1996, Harvey Norman
If you’re just as interested in beer as you are wine, give this Vintec creation a whirl. The beverage centre is not designed for long-term hosting, but will keep 100 bottles of beer cold at 2-5 degrees, and your whites and Champagnes chilled for your next barbecue. And while it’s not the cheapest wine fridge on the market, the brand comes with a good reputation – Vintec cabinets integrate internal and external fans to promote constant air flow, and a carbon filter (in some models) to prevent any external odours getting in.
Best built-in
Kleenmaid Built In Beverage Serving Cabinet, $1999, Myer
If you have a soft spot for not just wine but design, this integrated wine fridge is right up your alley. This suave addition to any kitchen is specially crafted to slip seamlessly into your existing space, and host a collection of 24 wine bottles (or whatever drink takes your fancy). It’s not just easy on the eye either – beechwood shelves slide out for easy access, and mingle with a specialty glass which provides superior insulation and avoids condensation build up and UV degradation. Plus there’s an internal charcoal filter to prevent mould or bacteria.
Best for those on a budget
Devanti Wine Cooler 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Chiller Storage Fridge, $243.95, Myer
Whoever said you had to spend a small fortune to get your hands on a wine fridge hasn’t yet met this simple offering from Devanti. Hosting a collection of 12 bottles at a time, this specialty fridge boasts thermo-electric cooling technology and a touch control panel which makes maintaining exact temperatures easy. As an added bonus it stretches just 25cm in width, making it perfectly sized for slotting into small spaces.
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Best for fans of both red and white
Vintec 50 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cabinet, $2299, Bing Lee
Can’t pick a favourite wine? Then a dual zone is what to look for when it comes to wine fridges. This Vintec offering embraces two separate zones within the one space – it’s an easy way to keep your whites and reds separate and each at their optimum drinking temperatures (we’re talking 6°-8°C for whites and Champagne, and 16°-18° for reds). If you’re entertaining you can also choose to set one compartment at serving temperature, and keep the other side cooler, to serve as the cellar.
Best for compact spaces
Hisense 30 Bottle Wine Cellar, $549, The Good Guys
Just because you have a tight space doesn’t mean you miss out on having a boujee wine fridge, as this offering from Hisense proves. Fitting 30 bottles into a slim 47cm-wide frame, this compact wine fridge has ample space to keep those bottles perfectly chilled while being flexible enough to fit in an array of spaces thanks to its reversible hinge door. Six wooden shelves will hold a variety of bottle sizes and shapes making this free-standing fridge a versatile household appliance.
Best for the collector
Liebherr 168 Bottle Wine Storage Cabinet, $3299, Bing Lee
Generally wine fridges host between 50 and 100 bottles of wine, but not this Liebherr offering which boasts the ability to handle an impressive 168 bottles of your chosen vino. This stand-alone cellar is not only impressive with its large capacity but its specialty features which promise to maintain perfect air quality, humidity, and interior temperature no matter your drop of choice.
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