October 2016 - CoolerVino

Guide to Wine Serving Temperature

Why is wine serving temperature important to get right? Over the ages, wine connoisseurs have discovered that different kinds of wine are better enjoyed at different temperatures. Just like with any other food fare, this makes complete sense. For example, you wouldn’t want to eat a cold hamburger or drink a hot beer, and the same principal holds true here as well. In fact, the temperature of the wine can have just as much effect on the taste as almost anything else, sometimes in a remarkable way.

Even though you’ll sometimes hear differing opinions on the subject, there are still some great rules of thumb when it comes to serving temperature for your favorite wine. In almost every case, you also don’t need to use your regular refrigerator to chill your wine unless you need some extra-special chilling. Instead, a wine cellar-cooler can do the trick nicely. And along with this guide, you’ll know exactly what temperature to serve your wine at. This will lead to a better and more enjoyable experience for all.

Full Bodied Red Wines – 62-64°F (17-18°C)

Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Shiraz

Cabernet Sauvignon
As a full-bodied red, Cabernet Sauvignon should be served at about 62 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps enhance and complement its full body, but there’s a bit more to it than just that. While you may hear that serving it at room temperature is the way to go, a slight chill is perfect for this one’s acidity.

Medium Bodied Red Wines – 57-61°F (14-16°C)

Burgundy, Sangiovese, Chianti, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir

Merlot
The ever well-known Merlot is best served at around 57 degrees Fahrenheit and you can even dabble in a little higher, say around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature not only compliments that body of this one, but is best for bringing out the deep cherry flavors that make it popular.

Light Bodied Red Wines – 50-54°F (10-12°C)

Beaujolais, Bardolino

Bardolino
This light, fruity Italian red wine benefits from a slightly cooler temperature than most reds. The acidity becomes more prominent, while the alcohol taste is slightly diminished.

Full Bodied White Wines – 50-54°F (10-12°C)

Oaked Chardonnay, White Burgundy

White Burgundy
With its rich, complex flavor White Burgundy is best served at a warmer temperature than standard white wines. You can go as high as 54 degrees F, putting it at the same temperature range as light bodied reds.

Medium Bodied White Wines – 48-52°F (9-11°C)

Chardonnay, Chablis, Semillon

Chardonnay
For this tasty white wine, a cooler setting is needed. Go for temperatures around 48 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit to capture everything about this bottle. Whether it has an oak-forward taste or more citrus notes, the dryness is well appreciated in this cooler temperature zone.

Full Bodied Dessert Wines – 46-54°F (8-12°C)

Oloroso Sherry, Madeira

Madeira
This is one of those sweet red wines that pairs best with desserts. For a young Madeira, a good serving temperature to aim for is 54 degrees F. In the case of a more mature bottle, the complex flavors could benefit from letting it warm up slightly higher even.

Light Bodied White Wines – 43-46°F (6-8°C)

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio

Riesling
Like many other dessert-style wines, Riesling should be chilled to about 46 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is right for enhancing the flowery notes, but also the higher acidity of the wine. This is also the right temperature area to add that degree of balance between the acidity and the sugar that make this wine famous.

Pinot Grigio
This popular white is also best served around the mid-40 degree Fahrenheit range. Aim for a steady 45 degrees Fahrenheit to really draw out its crispness, but also its clean apple notes that give it its distinct flavor. You’ll also find that a better focus on the crispness of Pinot Grigio is present in this temperature range.

Sauvignon Blanc
As a light white wine that also has many citrus notes, Sauvignon Blanc should also be chilled to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Like with our Pinot Grigio, this temperature is better at drawing out the more citrus aspects of this wine without sacrificing any of the dryness that defines it.

White Sparkling Wines – 43-46°F (6-8°C)

Champagne
This choice is probably the one that gets the most questions. How cold is too cold when it comes to champagne? A nice, chill 43 degrees Fahrenheit is best for really showing off the qualities of the drink in its fullness. Even though there are many varieties of champagne, this lower temperature really highlights the effervescence of any bottle.

Light Bodied Dessert Wines – 43-50°F (6-10°C)

Trockenbeerenauslese, Sauternes

Sauternes
This sweet white wine from the Bordeaux region can best be enjoyed at a serving temperature of 45 degrees F. It should be chilled, but don’t serve it directly from the refrigerator. Instead, allow about 15 minutes for it to breathe after uncorking the bottle. This gives the complex flavors time to develop.

The easiest way to serve wine at the proper temperature is to keep it stored in a dedicated wine refrigerator. While you could try popping a bottle in your regular food fridge for 20-60 minutes to try to cool it down, this isn’t really the best method. It’s always going to be a guessing game as to whether you’ve cooled your wine down to the right temp. The best wine fridge models, on the other hand, all have digital temperature settings to get the temperature precise.

If you mainly stick to one favorite type of wine, then a single zone wine cooler will be sufficient. But if you’d like to store both red and white wine at their respective serving temperatures, then you should consider a dual zone cooler with individual digitally controlled cooling areas.

As a final note, don’t be afraid to step a degree or two outside some of these temperature ranges. While the general rules hold fairly constant, every year and vintage can differ slightly. At the end of the day, trusting your palette is what makes wine drinking one of the best experiences in the world.

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Wine Tasting for Dummies – How to Understand Wine Reviews

When you’re new to wine tasting, it can sometimes feel like you’re entering a whole other world. Varietals, vintage years, viticulture. There are so many terms to learn, and that’s just a few starting with “V”! The list goes on and on and can often seem never-ending. Wine reviews also appear like they’re packed full of jargon and complex analysis. Even when you have the wine they’re reviewing already poured in front of you, it’s easy to get lost in it all. How do you manage to keep up?

Never fear, because we’re going to walk through wine tasting step-by-step. We’ll learn about understanding wine terms like those above.

Armed with this guide, you’ll be able to talk at length about what you love best (and least) of all the wines you taste.

Not only that, you’ll be able to read those wine reviews with ease.

Next time you have your favorite varietal (a wine created from one type of grape), you’ll know if it’s a vintage year (grapes mostly grown and harvested in a specific year) and the viticulture (the science of growing grapes for wine) that made it happen.

Putting Your Next Wine Tasting into Perspective

While you’ll see many reviews that have new terms and ways of looking at wine, you’ll want to keep things in perspective. Wine tasting is absolutely about a personal journey.

What this means is that every person has different perspectives and experiences. Although there’s plenty of overlap, it’s not about knowing it all. Instead, it’s about sharing the knowledge and growing in your understanding of wine.

At the same time, never be afraid to go out on a limb and try something new or look at things from a different angle. If you’re tasting something particular in a wine, speak up and let others know. You’ll find that being open minded like this leads to everyone having a better experience.

Determining a Wine’s Appearance

Let’s starting at one of the easiest places when it comes to wine: how it looks. You probably know that there’s red and white wines, but appearance goes a bit further. Even though this aspect of tasting is often overlook, it remains an important one.

After you’ve ensured that you have a crystal clear glass and proper light, pour your favorite wine and note a few things about it. For example, you’ll see wine reviews talk about the depth of the color. What is the opacity or clarity of the color?

While some tasters often won’t include color strictly in appearance, it’s perfectly fine to ask what the exact color of the wine is. You’ll also want to watch the wine’s legs, or in other terms, the way it clings to the glass when swirling it. It’s also possible to determine the wine’s age, as reds will steer more brown with years and whites will become darker in appearance.

Taking on a Wine’s Aroma

The first big term to learn when enjoying the aroma of your wine is “on the nose.” Put simply, it’s how the wine affects your sense of smell alone, separate from the tongue. Another important term is bouquet. Both of these are meant to capture the entire experience of the aroma.

Before you sip, enjoy how the wine’s aroma interacts with your senses. If necessary, let the wine breathe, which is the process of leaving the wine exposed to the open air. Many additional terms are meant to describe the complexity of the aroma. For example, a dense aroma is one that possess concentrated smells, while a subtle aroma might be more muted.

Going Beyond Mere Taste

As we move on to actually tasting your wine, there are a few more essential terms to know. While you’ll hear intuitive flavor words like cherry, currant, or tobacco, there’s more than just flavor to note when the wine is in your mouth.

Probably the three biggest are the body, the mouthfeel, and whether or not a wine is long in the finish.

We’ll start with the body. For every wine, there is an impression of how full the wine is. You can think of this one exactly like you do weight, ranging from heavy, full-bodied wines to less full, lighter bodied wines.

On mouthfeel, you’ll find that it’s all about how the texture of the wine manifests on your palette. Is it soft or fat? Or perhaps it’s chewy or meaty?

Often, these sensation are influenced by either the acidity of the wine or the wine’s tannins, which are a puckering agent that comes mostly from the skin and seeds.

Finally, the length of a wine’s finish is an important way of measuring its quality. Terms like short, medium, or long are often used, but the main point is that the final finishing tastes linger in a healthy, delicious way.

For your wine tasting experience, this guide is just the start. But now, you’ll be able to understand those wine reviews that you love to read. Best of all, you’ll also have a more enhanced experience when you enjoy that next bottle of red or white.

FireBird 28-Bottle Freestanding Thermoelectric Wine Cooler Review

If you are the type of person who looks forward to a glass of wine at the end of a busy day, you know how important it is to keep that bottle at the right temperature. A wine that is too warm or too cold could ruin the entire experience. Subtle notes and fragrances only come out when the wine is stored properly.

A good wine cooler is essential to making sure your wine is always presented the right way. The 28-Bottle Freestanding Thermoelectric Wine Cooler by Firebird is one possible choice for all those who love their wine. This review will go over all the features of this product so you can decide for yourself if it is for you.

Product Details

The developers at Firebird realize the important role temperature plays in a good glass of wine. They have equipped their cooler with an easily accessible touch pad for temperature control. The clear display on the LED screen lets you know that the cooler is always at the correct setting.

The thermoelectric fan cooling system is quiet and able to reduce vibration.

This model is made to accommodate 28 standard sized wine bottles.

There is a sleek black and silver finish that will be able to blend with almost any decor. This is a company that knows exactly what every wine enthusiast needs in their home.

Pros

This fridge is both stylish and compact.
The fan is amazingly quiet.
The temperature settings are clear with the digital screen.
Great value at a reasonable price.
Excellent customer service for anyone who has questions and concerns.

Cons

The location of the fan causes wine on the top shelf to be cooler than those below.
The shelves will need to be adjusted for any non-standard bottle sizes.
The temperature settings do not go below 54 degrees.
The shelves are made from lower quality materials.

Final Thoughts

Keeping the temperature of your favorite wine will improve the flavor and make the wine taste the way it meant to. The 28-Bottle Freestanding Thermoelectric Wine Cooler by Firebird has many good qualities and some aspects that are slightly problematic.

If you are passionate about your wine and feel the need to purchase a cooler, this model may be just what you need. Keep in mind that there are temperature limits and the cooling is not always distributed evenly. For the price though, this is one of the better coolers you will find.

It is quiet, efficient, and uses quality technology for the screen and settings.

While the needs of many wine lovers will be met with this product, those who are more detail oriented may feel like it falls short of expectations.

All-in-all this is a well-made wine cooler, but may not be for everyone. From all I have seen, this cooler does merit a test run as long as you are okay with a few minor inconveniences.

AKDY 28-Bottle Single-Zone Freestanding Wine Cooler Review

Wine cellar fridges are awesome to have if you want to keep your bottles at drinking temperature. They’re also nice to have if you simply want an efficient way to prolong the life of your wine without dedicating an entire room to becoming an actual cellar. If you’re looking to store and cool more than 20 bottles of wine at once, one product to consider is the AKDY 28-Bottle Single-Zone Freestanding Wine Cooler.

This model is a really great value. And I dare say it might be the best wine fridge available for under $200. Here’s more info to tell you why:

Details

One of the stand-out features of this AKDY wine cooler is that it holds 28 bottles of wine, which is significantly more than some other wine cooler models I’ve reviewed at this price point. Its wire racks are stable, securely hold the wine, and slide in and out easily. The machine uses a thermoelectric cooling system that’s fairly quiet the majority of the time, and it also rarely vibrates.

The design of this cellar fridge is energy efficient, and it also has a neat touchpad that controls the temperature inside. An LED display clearly shows what temperature the cooler is set to, and you can move the temperature up or down with the touch of a button.

Another nice thing about the AKDY 28 Bottle cooler is how nice it looks. The profile is attractive and the black color ensures it can easily sit on display anywhere in your home and look great. This model is also a good pick if you don’t want a wine fridge that takes up tons of space, as it’s just 20 inches by 16.9 inches horizontally and 28.6 inches in height.

Pros

Wine enthusiasts will appreciate the excellent features of this cooler:

It’s very sleek looking and will fit well into most decor.
The wine cellar really does get down to 54 degrees and will stay cool.
The touch screen controls are super easy and convenient to use.
If you have a lot of wine bottles, this can be your one place to store them all. Of course, if you keep more than 28 bottles on hand you’ll need to either buy two coolers or find an alternative storage solution for your other bottles.

Cons

There are some concerns about this wine fridge, but few are total deal breakers:

If you want to store a lot of sparkling or white wine and you prefer to drink it around 46 degrees Fahrenheit or so, this may not be the best cooler to get. At best, it cools down to 54 degrees F. If you aren’t willing to chill sparkling and white wines in the fridge before serving, this isn’t the cooler for you.
Sometimes this model will make a noticeable humming noise, but it usually only happens when the weather is hotter and it has to work harder to cool the bottles.
The 28 bottle capacity will work well for casual wine drinkers and those who keep 28 bottles or less on hand, but those who have expansive wine collections will need more space.

Summary

For a convenient, easy to use, and space saving way to store your wine, the AKDY 28-Bottle Single Zone Cooler is a great choice. It’s attractive, works well, and its sub-$200 price point is a bargain. To store more than 20 bottles without spending a bundle, this wine fridge is well worth a look.

Igloo 8-Bottle Wine Cooler Review

The Igloo 8-Bottle Wine Cooler is a wine cooling system with adjustable temperature designed to keep your wines—white or red—at your desired temperature. The 8-Bottle Wine Cooler is relatively compact (22″ deep, 16″ wide), while adding a level of class and sophistication to your kitchen or dining room. Any dinner guests or friends you have over will be impressed with your care and your treatment of wine. This is also one of the most affordable models on the market.

The 8-Bottle Wine Cooler is able to hold a total of—you guessed it—eight bottles of your favorite wines. And the wire shelves are also able to slide right out.

This wine cooler has a one-button temperature regulator, so there is absolutely no learning curve to using this wine cooler. And the white interior light gives you an almost intrusive view into your wine bottles’ contents, allowing you to judge for yourself the quality of the wines you have in stock almost instantly.

But for a more in-depth analysis of this product, let’s look at the pros and cons of this model.

Pros

The design of the 8-Bottle Wine Cooler is simple, compact, and generally will be an unobtrusive addition to your kitchen and/or dining setup.
I like how quiet it is for keeping wine cool.
You will definitely save on the amount of electricity used over the bigger wine cooling systems.
8-Bottle Wine Cooler is portable for the most part. It is compact and can be store in a variety of places. This is NOT JUST for kitchen use. You can store it in the bedroom closet or even use it for the camper. All you really need is an outlet.

Cons

You are obviously limited to 8 bottles. For many people this is plenty, but if you’re a wine collector, then you’ll want to move on to a larger model.
I heard that the product may eventually overheat, and become loud over a period of a year and a half or so. But it really depends on how well you take care of it.

Overall, the Igloo 8-Bottle Wine Cooler is not a bad model when you consider its low price. Some buyers, however, might like to spend just a little more to get comparably sized unit with added features such as wooden shelves or different styling.

Koldfront 24-Bottle Freestanding Dual-Zone Wine Cooler Review

The Koldfront 24-Bottle Freestanding Dual-Zone Wine Cooler is designed to cool your red and white wines simultaneously. That is because it contains two compartments that enable it to cool the wines to their perfect storage or serving temperatures. It can hold 24 bottles, which is a good medium capacity size if you are storing wines for use at your home.

Product Features

Thermoelectric Cooler

The Koldfront 24 Bottle Wine Cooler uses thermoelectric cooling technology. This technology allows the system to run quietly and without any vibrations. It also saves you on energy. That means your electricity bill will not shoot up just because you bought this wine cooler.

No Vibrations

The thermoelectric cooler does not vibrate like a regular refrigerator does. That is a plus for wine storage since vibrations degrade the quality of wine. Vibrations disturb the wine sediments and spoil the taste. With this cooler, you can be confident that will not happen.

Silent Operation

The Koldfront 24 Bottle Free Standing Dual Zone Wine Cooler runs silently due to its thermoelectric cooling system. If you like silence at night, that is a plus. You will also be happy to know that it does not run continuously but only when the temperature rises. That mostly happens when you open its door to take out your wine.

Two Cooling Compartments

I like that I can store both red and white wines in separate sections. Ideally, they should get cooled to different temperatures. When storing in a regular cooler that has only one compartment, you’ll always have to chill your white wines additionally before serving. But this device will allow you to keep your white wines cooler than your reds. The top compartment gets cooled to a temperature range of 54 to 66°F, while the bottom one can be set within a temperature range of 46 to 66°F.

Digital Control

Most regular refrigerators only provide a dial knob for setting the temperature of the internal compartment. This wine cooler provides you with a digital control pad. That means you can set the precise temperature that you want for your wine collection. And each zone can be set individually. The digital control system also includes a microcontroller to monitor and keep the internal temperatures in control. It is the perfect internal temperature control for temperature sensitive items like wine.

Sleek Design

The Koldfront 24 Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler aims to amaze in its appearance. It has a metallic handle, black cabinet, with a stainless steel front door, blue interior lighting, and a slim vertical design. It is the kind of appliance you want to decorate your living space.

Pros

It has two compartments for cooling red wine and white wine
Digital temperature control
Silent operations
No vibrations
Energy efficient
Cools the different compartments to different temperatures

Cons

The only real negatives are minor points to consider when operating this model.

Do not keep opening the door, as it strains the cooling system.
Hold the tray with both handles when pulling it out. Otherwise, it will drop to the compartment below it.
The door must be opened to 180 degrees in order to pull out the storage trays. This means that you essentially need to place this unit in a spot where there is empty space directly to it’s right.

Summary

I like that this wine cooler enables me to store both red and white wines at their perfect temperatures. It’s a little pricier than some comparable models, however, the dual-zone cooling in a medium-capacity cooler is something that will appeal to many buyers.

Kalamera 80-Bottle Freestanding Compressor Wine Cooler Review

The Kalamera 80 Bottle Freestanding Compressor Wine Cooler uses advanced compressor technology to cool your wine. I like how it can cool my wines to temperatures as low as 40°F. Unlike regular refrigerators, its compressor runs quietly without causing vibrations. It can store up to 80 bottles of wine. That makes this the natural choice if you’re looking for a wine cellar cooler to grow a large collection with.

Product Features

Cools All Bottles Evenly

The Kalamera 80 Bottle Freestanding Compressor Wine Cooler has slat-styled shelves that allow air to flow freely throughout this wine cooler. That allows all the wines to chill to the desired temperature irrespective of their location in the cooler. I love wine that is chilled properly. That is why I like the fact that with this wine cooler, I can enjoy wines that are as cold as 40°F.

Digital Temperature Control

Setting the temperature of this wine cooler is a breeze. It has a digital control panel for you to raise or lower temperature using up/down arrows. The desired temperature is then displayed, and the cooler’s advanced compressor will work quietly to achieve that temperature. The digital display and blue interior light give the nice digital look to this 80 bottle wine cooler.

Quiet Compressor

This wine cooler uses an advanced quiet compressor that allows it to run quietly. It does not make that sharp noise that most refrigerators are prone to making. That allows it to stay in your kitchen or living room without drawing any unnecessary attention due to its noise. I prefer storing my pricey wines in the bedroom where I can quickly take inventory whenever I want at the end of the day. A quiet compressor is therefore very convenient for me.

Freestanding Design

The freestanding design of this wine cooler makes it easy to store in any room at home. You do not need to place it on top of the kitchen counter or shelf. Its tall, slim design makes use of vertical space. It is perfect for any situation where you want to take advantage of vertical space to avoid clutter. Whenever I have had to manage my living space, I have come to learn that if you stack some items upwards, you end up with some much needed space left. This wine cooler takes care of that.

80 Bottles Capacity

Most wine coolers designed for use at home hold less than 20 bottles. That means you sometimes cannot store enough wine bottles as a collector. This model allows you to grow a large collection over time. The reliable cooling mechanism allows you to store your wine precious vintages at optimal temperature without worrying about them spoiling. And with the even cooling throughout, any one of those bottles will be ready to drink when you’re in the mood.

No Vibrations

This wine cooler uses a compressor that runs not just quietly but also without noticeable vibrations. That is important because vibrations disturb the sediments in wine, ruining its taste. The ability to chill wine to 40°F without causing vibrations is not something that is easy to find in a wine cooler.

Pros

Energy efficient, it is designed to use less energy when cooling your wines.
Stores 80 bottles, which is enough for home wine storage.
Runs quietly and it is totally silent at a distant of 10 feet.
Does not vibrate when operating.
Free standing and makes use of vertical space.
Very affordable for its capacity.

Cons

Cools your wines slowly.
It needs some effort to take out the shelves when surrounding shelves are full.
Small feet, the door, might rub the floor if placed on a carpet.

Summary

If you intend to start a wine collection, this is the best wine cooler to have. It will cool your wine and easily hold its temperature within a range of 40°F-66°F. It will not cause any vibrations, meaning it conserves the quality of your wine. Finally, it runs quietly to make sure that it does not cause any disturbance. I would not hesitate to recommend this wine fridge to my best friends if they were interested in seeking a large capacity cooler.

Avanti 12-Bottle Thermoelectric Countertop Wine Cooler Review

The Avanti EWC1201 12 Bottle Wine Cooler is a unique wine storage appliance designed for use at home. It runs quietly and efficiently. Its interior allows you to store wines both in a horizontal and vertical position to accommodate four open bottles. It is environment-friendly, and I love the fact that it uses a digital controller to regulate its internal temperature.

Product Features

No Vibrations

The Avanti 12 Bottle Wine Cooler operates without any vibration because it does not use a compressor. There are no moving parts inside except for small fans that circulate the cooled air. It uses a thermoelectric design to cool its interior. It is the kind of cooler that is pleasant to use at your home because of its silent operation. I find the quality of the wine after being stored inside it to be similar to what you get from use of an actual wine cellar.

Classic Cabinet Design

Its classic design looks great on the kitchen counter or in the bedroom. It has just enough decoration to make it blend with other electronic appliances. Its digital display panel gives it a look of a modern kitchen appliance designed to perfection.

Compact Design

The compact design which takes more vertical space than horizontal space means that you do not waste much of your kitchen counter space. If you have an open kitchen, you will love showing off this unique wine cooler.

Silent Operation

I like the fact this wine cooler does not make any noise when working to cool your wine. I enjoy the fact I can have it in my bedroom and forget it is even there. If you like to meditate or do other activities that require a silent environment, then you will love this wine cooler. It cools your wine and stays silent at the same time.

Power Efficiency

Without the use of a compressor, they were able to not only avoid vibration and noise—they lowered its power consumption as well. You can rest assured your energy bill will not shoot up because you bought this great wine cooler.

Environmentally Friendly

No compressor means this wine cooler has no Freon in it as well. I find that to be a great relief when buying it. It just feels good knowing that you are not polluting the environment at the same time that you indulge yourself.

Pros

It is efficient. Your energy bills will not be affected much.
It is easy to operate and allows storage of four bottles vertically and eight horizontally.
Blends well with other kitchen appliances.
Operates silently, you can sleep with it in your bedroom. Great for those living in a studio apartment.
Does not vibrate when in the running. Your wine’s sediment, therefore, remains undisturbed just like in a wine cellar.

Cons

The door is a little fragile. You have to open it with care to avoid making it come off the hinges.
This is not a chiller. You can only use it to store wine down to 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Fine for reds, but whites might need extra chilling before serving.

Conclusion

Even though you will not be able to use this model to chill your white wine, you can happily use it to store both reds and whites without ruining their unique character. I like it that I can have a micro wine cellar at my kitchen counter. And the vertical orientation of this unit gives it a very small footprint on your countertop. The ability to store 4 open bottles upright is another unique feature that will appeal to some. It would make a special gift for any wine lover you know.

EdgeStar 36 Bottle Built-In Dual Zone French Door Wine Cooler Review

Like many people, I enjoy a nicely chilled bottle of wine occasionally. It is also nice to have a variety to choose from because I don’t always like to drink the same thing. It can depend on the time of year, the type of food I am consuming the wine with, or even what my guests prefer. If you want to have ready access to a large variety of red and white wines, you should consider getting a dual-zone wine cooler. I decided to give the EdgeStar 36 Bottle Built-In Dual Zone French Door Wine Cooler a try to see if it lives up to my needs and expectations.

Features

I gave the cooler a through inspection upon buying it. The first thing I noticed was the modern design. The stainless steel and glass construction has the ability to blend into just about any decor. This EdgeStar wine cooler has a 36 bottle capacity which is plenty of room for storing a wide variety of both reds and whites.

It has french style doors and two different zones for greater temperature control. If for instance, you wanted to chill red and white wine at two different temperatures then you could do it with no problems.

The glass that forms the front doors is a tempered glass that has a black dot pattern. The cabinet part of the cooler is black with the stainless steel featured on the front. There are locks on each of the doors and matching stainless door handles. The dimensions for the cooler are 34 1/8″ H x 23 1/2″ W x 22 5/8″ D.

Inside of the cooler, there are wooden shelves that feature stainless trim. There is a total of ten slide out shelves for the unit.

Pros

This is a very stylish and sleek wine cooler. I love the way it brings a touch of sophistication to the area that you will be using it in.
It has a compressor but it runs quietly and smoothly.
It also gives you the option of using it as a built-in unit or a freestanding unit.
There’s also a double digital thermometer on the front so that you can see the exact temperature on each side.
The blue interior light gives the unit ambiance.
It also does a good job of keeping the temperature stable on both sides once it is filled.

Cons

The few drawbacks to this unit are quite minor.

If you want a completely quiet unit then I would suggest looking elsewhere. Even though it is quiet compared to other coolers with a compressor, it still makes some noise.
The light looks great inside but it does little to give you visibility when looking at the labels on the wine bottles.

Overall

If you are looking for a versatile and stylish wine cooler with plenty of features the this is the wine cooler for you. You will, however, have to be willing to look beyond the dim lighting and the slight noise that the compressor makes but if that is something that you can live with, you will be delighted with this purchase. It’s especially good for those who want a built-in model to go under the counter with dual-zone chilling for a collection of reds and whites.

Igloo FRW133 12-Bottle Wine Cooler Review

The Igloo FRW133 12-Bottle Wine Cooler is the perfect wine cooler for storage of a modest wine stash at home. I like it that it can hold up to 12 bottles and cool them down to 52 degrees. It does that without making any noise like a regular fridge does. I find its unique compact design blends very well with my other kitchen appliances.

Product Features

Holds a Maximum of 12 Bottles

This wine mini cooler is everything you need at home for storing your wines. It can cool them down to 52 degrees Fahrenheit, which is below the recommended temperature of 55°F for storing wine. So you can safely store your wines for as long as you want. For many casual wine drinkers, this 12 bottle capacity is plenty.

Digital Temperature Control

It uses a micro-controller to keep its internal temperature in check. That is helpful when you are looking for a stabilized temperature to store your wine. All I have to do is set the right temperature on its digital display panel, and then the micro-controller will do the rest. It does not cool the wine instantly. However, it does hold the temperature constant once it reaches the temperature you have set.

Adjustable Interior Space

I found out that you can take out the shelves to increase the interior space of a row if you need to. That is helpful when you have bigger wine bottles to store.

Double Layer Glass Design

The double layered glass design improves its cooling capability. That is because the gap of air between panes of glass slows heats loss by convection. It also offers addition structural strength to this compact wine cooler.

Thermoelectric Cooling System

The Igloo FRW133 12-Bottle Wine Cooler is environment-friendly. It does not use a compressor to cool its interior. It, therefore, does not pollute the environment with Freon, a coolant in compressors.

Silent Operation

Since this mini cooler uses a thermoelectric cooling system instead of a compressor, it can run more quietly as compared to other cooling systems. You can have it in your bedroom, and you will sleep comfortably without being kept awake by noise. The only moving parts are small fans that help to circulate the cooled air in its interior.

No Vibrations

Another advantage of this type of cooling system is a lack of vibrations. That means your wine’s sediments stay undisturbed for the entire duration of storage. Therefore, when you finally take out the wine, you can enjoy its crispy taste because it will taste like any professionally stored wine. After that, you will not want to store your wines in your fridge again.

Pros

It’s super silent compared to a fridge. You can have it in the kitchen or even in your bedroom.
The compact size of this wine cooler is ideal for conserving spaces in your kitchen.
Its unique design makes it easy to blend it with the rest of the kitchen appliances.
Sufficient capacity for many wine lovers.

Cons

The cooling only goes down to 52 degrees F. So it’s not ideal for chilling white wines down to serving temps.
If you want to take out the shelf, you have to open the door by at least 90 degrees.
Open the door with care. It can come off its hinges if you are not careful.

Conclusion

This wine cooler cannot chill your white wines to 50 degrees F or below. If you, however, want to store your wine, it will do a perfect job. It is environmentally friendly and does not make disturbing noises. I also love its unique design that blends with other kitchen appliances. It is a great small-capacity wine storage device to have at home. I find it to be the kind of wine cooler I would give someone as a gift.