Vinotemp 7-Bottle Wine Cooler

This can be anywhere from $200 to $9,000+ depending on the refrigerator’s bottle capacity and features. Compared to a traditional wine cellar, this initial buy-in is very cost efficient as a wine cellar can cost upwards of $35,000 to build, not to mention the square footage required. Features such as built-in, dual-zone, thermoelectric, compressor, style, finish, and storage capacity will affect the price of the wine fridge. The second cost is the operation fee or the amount of electricity the refrigerator will consume each year. You can find the wattage used inside the unit’s owner’s manual or on the yellow energy guide that accompanies each appliance. The operation costs of a wine fridge are also considered minimal when compared to a wine cellar. On occasion you may need to have your wine refrigerator repaired, which is usually an additional fee depending on the warranty or extended warranty of your unit. If the wine refrigerator is installed properly and routine cleaning is done, your wine refrigerator can last for many years and require little to no repair.

Some serious collectors opt to have a wine cabinet or wine cellar for wine that must be aged long term and a wine refrigerator for those bottles they plan to serve in the near future. Since most wine lovers do not have the space or budget for a wine cellar, a wine refrigerator is a worthy alternative. It is far better than simply keeping that bottle of wine inside a food refrigerator or pantry as a wine fridge has the proper racking, insulation, and temperature control for the storage of wine.