What makes a wine cooler

The British, on the other hand, use the term wine cooler to define a bucket-like vessel which is filled with ice and used to chill a bottle of wine before serving. In the hospitality sector, this vessel is usually called a wine bucket to make a distinction between the vessel and a refrigerator. In fact, the last definition of the wine cooler comes from the hospitality sector. Needing to make a clear difference between a container filled with ice and a refrigerator built specifically to preserve and chill wines, the restaurateurs often call the wine refrigerator a wine cooler.

This also makes a distinction between the different refrigerators present in an industrial kitchen. The wine coolers - the appliances - can be either single or dual zone and can use either a thermoelectric element or a standard compressor system to chill the wine.

Advanced models come with complementary features, such as the possibility to regulate the humidity. The name of a wine cooler is quite self-explanatory. A single zone wine cooler is an appliance that has a single refrigeration zone. The temperature is maintained at the same level in the whole environment and these models are usually preferred by those who want to preserve their collection of wines - rather than chilling the beverage before serving.

This is explained by the real cellar conditions. Things are slightly different if you want to chill the wines before serving. Reds and whites have different serving temperatures, and in this case, a dual zone wine cooler gives you two environments that can be adjusted to separate temperature levels.

On the market, there are dozens of models of single and dual zone wine coolers for all budgets and needs. Another distinction can be made between the thermoelectric and compressor wine coolers. Most wine lovers consider the former better than the latter, but things are more complicated than this. Thermoelectric wine coolers use thermoelectric technology to keep wines cool, but they do a rather poor job in chilling the bottles. This technology uses a fan system that expels warm air from the refrigerator, keeping the internal environment colder than the room temperature.

Chefs around the country are putting their spins on classic Thanksgiving dishes — and putting them in to-go boxes for you to feast on at home. As new, cool food brands have popped up all over Instagram, so have brick-and-mortar stores dedicated to collecting them all in one place.

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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Filed under: Drinks Ask a Somm Wine. Pocket Flipboard Email. Shutterstock Welcome to Ask a Somm , a column in which experts from across the country answer questions about wine. More From Eater. Sign up for the Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email required. Encourage the slow, progressive, and natural aging of wine.

Will cool wine below its ideal temperature, greatly slowing the maturation of wine. Available with both thermoelectric and compressor systems. Some experts define long term wine storage as anything over 6 months and short term as anything less than 5 years. At Vinotemp, we define long term storage as anything over years and short term as anything less than 3 years.

If you only collect one type of wine red or white , then a single-zone cooler should suffice. If you have an equal love for both red and white wines, then a dual-zone cooler will benefit you since you can set one zone at a lower temperature than than the other.

Additionally, dual-zone coolers present the option to set one zone to storage temperature and the other to serving temperature.

If you anticipate you will be uncorking a bottle in the near future, you can simply move your wine from the storage to service zone for about 30 minutes to an hour. If a unit is listed as single zone, that means it has only one interior storage space with no partition.

A single temperature will be maintained to cool all wines to the same level. The efficiency depends on whether it is a thermoelectric or compressor-based system. Great for those building a wine collection with one type of wine. Best for only one type of wine. Excellent at maintaining one steady temperature. Cheaper than multi-zone coolers. You may need to purchase more than one cooler if you are trying to store different varieties one for red, one for white, etc. If a unit is listed as dual zone, this means the cooler has two independent storage spaces.

These refrigerators are designed with a partition in the middle which may be horizontal or vertical. Each zone can maintain a separate temperature, with one zone for white wine and the other for reds. If the refrigerator is designed with a compressor-based system, there are usually two separate mechanisms.

With thermoelectric units, there is only one mechanism. Perfect for those who enjoy collecting a variety of wine. Second compartment becomes inefficient if you are storing only one variety of wine.

Separate compartments hold different wines safely at their ideal temperatures. Cheaper than other alternatives such as purchasing a second wine cellar. While cheaper than some alternatives, it is still expensive and has more energy consumption than the single-zone units. How does a wine refrigerator cool your wine?

Wine coolers use either thermoelectric or compressor technology. A compressor system uses gas to lower the temperature. Thermoelectric coolers use a module that controls fans. There is more information on thermoelectric vs. The chart below shows a comparison of the 2 different kinds of wine refrigerators.

One kind is not necessarily better than the other. Your personal preference, budget, and the needs of your collection will be important factors that help you choose which kind of cooler is best for you.

The best metaphor would be to say if you are in your car with the air conditioner on, its cooling like a compressor. If you use the fan without the coolant, that is just the fan. Thermoelectric is quieter, and compressor pulls down the temperature more efficiently. This type of wine cooler operates similar to a standard refrigerator. Air is compressed and then released to reduce the temperature of the interior.

This process helps to reduce the temperature significantly. The compressor wine cooler contains the refrigeration chambers in which a compressor is used to compress refrigerant molecules electronically. This increases the temperature of the particles. The particles are then released suddenly which in turn decreases the temperature of the air.

This cold air is blown through the interior of the cooler using a small fan. Heat is expelled at the back of the unit. This makes it very important to follow all clearance guidelines to ensure the unit functions properly. As soon as the internal temperature begins to rise, the compressor kicks back on and works to cool to the preset temperature. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the compressor will turn off to prevent freezing the contents of the refrigerator.