THE BEST VINOTECAS
Vinoteca – Buying Guide, Opinions and Analysis
It is well known that wine is a living liquid, it is made up of tannins and other enzymes that degrade when they come into contact with oxygen and that change due to the effect of temperature. The wine must always be stored at a suitable and stable temperature, in addition to keeping the bottles horizontal, to improve the oxygenation of the liquid. In this article you will find information about wine cellars such as the Orbegozo VT 1210, with 5 chrome shelves and a capacity of 35 litres, or the Klarstein Winehouse Minibar, which is somewhat more compact and quiet.
The 9 Best Wine Bars – Opinions 2022
Wine cellars are equipment designed to store wine safely, maintaining a suitable and stable temperature. In the market, there is a large number of wine cellars with very different capacities and consumption, each one of them will be adapted to specific demands and needs. Below you will find our recommendations.
Orbegozo wine cellar
1. Orbegozo VT 1210 Wine cellar 12 bottles
The Orbegozo wine cellar has a capacity for 12 bottles or about 35 litres. It has low energy consumption, with Class A efficiency and a power of 70 W. It has a temperature regulator, so you can choose the one that best suits the wine you are going to store, between 12 and 18 degrees.
Orbegozo could be the best brand of wine cabinets, as it has a very attractive design, with interior LED lighting and five curved stainless steel support trays. It is a very quiet unit, with an automatic defrost function, which will prevent the formation of frost inside.
It has an interior touch control panel and a digital display that will allow you to choose the most suitable temperature for preserving your wine.
Pros
Design: The design of this wine cellar is one of the most beautiful you will find on the market, it is an elegant appliance, ideal for any space in the house.
Control: The adjustable temperature control is another of its strong points, since it allows you to choose the most suitable temperature for your wine.
Cons
Temperature: The temperature, even in its lowest position, is not the most suitable for white wines, which require temperatures below 12 degrees.
small wine cellar
2. Klarstein Winehouse Minibar Wine cellar Beverage fridge
This small wine cellar has a high quality design, with a double glass door that allows you to keep the cold inside better and allows you to quickly see how the wines are arranged on the shelves, and a stainless steel casing, which is perfect for placing in any space. It has a total volume of 17 litres.
It could be the best wine cellar to place in the living room, since in addition to its attractive design, it is silent and has a consumption of 60 W, with energy efficiency class A++. The temperature can be set between 8 and 18 degrees Celsius through its touch control panel.
We also mention that the interior of the wine refrigerator is very easy to clean, thanks to the fact that the support shelf is made of glass and can be removed.
Pros
Design: It is a small wine cellar with a very attractive design, which is perfect to place in any space, such as the living room or the kitchen.
Silence: With a total noise of 38 dB, it is a very silent cooling system, which you can have on at all times without being disturbed.
Cons
Size: It is a very small wine cellar model, so it may be fair if you intend to store many bottles of wine.
Built-in wine cellar
3. Cavevinum CV 24 CE Built-in Wine Cooler
The Cavevinum built-in wine cellar has a capacity for 24 bottles of wine. Its design is one of the most elegant and with a size of 564 mm wide, 460 high and 600 deep, it is an integrable wine cellar that you can install on kitchen columns or on a piece of furniture, inserting itself into any environment without being too flashy.
The door is triple tempered glass and pull-down opening like an oven. Inside it has three sliding shelves with wooden notches, which will allow you to organize the bottles and it has a temperature setting with a range between 5 and 22 degrees with a silent working function.
If you are thinking about which wine cellar to buy for your designer kitchen, this may be your best option. It is a low-consumption refrigerator with an interior LED control panel with which to adjust the temperature very easily.
Pros
Built-in: It is a built-in wine cellar that can be installed in any space in the kitchen or in any piece of furniture in the living room.
Temperature range: With a temperature range between 5 and 22 degrees, it is capable of maintaining any type of wine, including white and cava.
Cons
Price: It is a wine cellar with a high price, which can be a problem for some users, but they have cheaper options at their disposal.
Liebher Wine Cellar
4. Liebher Vinoteca Wtb4212 410 L
If you are wondering what is the best wine cellar for a restaurant, the Liebher wine cellar could be your best option. It is a large and highly capable unit, with a cabinet-type design, which has a height of 165 cm, a width of 60 cm and a depth of 73.9 cm.
It has a capacity for 200 bottles of wine, far superior to any of the cheaper options, and a consumption of 168 kW, with energy efficiency class A. The six interior shelves are made of oak, very solid and elegant with grooves to stabilize the bottles from shifting, while the casing is made of black stainless steel.
The door is made of transparent glass and has a temperature control, although it is designed for red wines and not for whites, since the temperature is not low enough.
Pros
Size: This is a large wine fridge, ideal for restaurants, as it allows you to store a large number of bottles on each shelf.
Consumption : The wine cellar has a really low consumption, with class A energy efficiency.
Door : The door is made of transparent glass, which allows you to see the bottles from the inside.
Cons
Temperature: The wine cellar is designed for red wines, since the temperature does not drop below 12 degrees and is not suitable for white wines.
Wine cellar 12 bottles
5. Proficook GK 1164 Wine cellar 12 vertical bottles
Proficook’s is a wine cellar for 12 bottles of 0.75 cl, with a compact and elegant design, which allows you to place the bottles two by two. It has a total capacity of 32 litres.
It could be the best price-quality wine cellar, with reduced consumption and an energy class A rating. It has touch control with a blue illuminated LED screen and electronic temperature control, configuration and temperature display via digital display.
It allows you to adjust the temperature between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius, with the ability to switch each of the 5 removable chrome shelves separately, so you can store different types of wine on each shelf and set separate temperatures.
Pros
Design : The vertical design is one of its strong points, since it allows it to be placed in a living room, without being cumbersome or annoying.
Consumption : It has low consumption and high energy efficiency, so you will not notice its use in your electricity bill.
Cons
Temperature: The interior temperature is always 15 degrees lower than the exterior, which can be a problem in places with very high temperatures.
Wine Cellar 8 Bottles
6. Cecotec Wine cellar with 8 bottles with a capacity of 25 L
This 8-bottle Cecotec wine cellar has an interior capacity of 25 litres. It has an elegant and compact design, with a double-insulated FullCrystal door with a mirror finish, 180-degree Full Open side opening and a self-locking security system to prevent temperature variations.
If you want to buy a compact wine cellar, this could be the best wine cellar of the moment, since it has an internal temperature regulator, with low consumption LED display and Motionless technology to avoid vibrations, together with an Autodefrost function, which allows keeping the interior free of frost at all times, these are all high-quality options that cheaper equipment doesn’t have.
It allows you to adjust the temperature between 8 and 18 degrees Celsius, so you can keep white wines and even cavas.
Pros
Design: It is one of the wine cellars with the most elegant design, thanks to its front digital display and the double-glazed FullCrystal mirror screen.
Functions : With functions such as the Autodefrost that eliminates the frost or the Full Open of your door, it is one of the most complete on the list.
Cons
Temperature: As it is an electrothermal wine cellar, the interior temperature depends on the exterior temperature, so it may suffer variations in the set temperature.
Wine Cellar 6 Bottles
7. H. Koenig AGE6WV Wine Cooler 6 Bottles Stainless Steel
The H. Koenig AGE6WV 6-bottle wine cellar has a refrigeration area with a total interior capacity of 17 litres. It has three resistant wooden shelves, without undulations, with holes to place the bottles so that they do not move, which improves the quality of the wine when consumed.
This could be one of the best wine cabinets of 2022 for small spaces, as it has a very compact and elegant design. It is extremely quiet thanks to its thermoelectric technology and an anti-vibration system that ensures that neither the motor nor the bottles will vibrate and, therefore, it will make less noise. In addition, it includes an internal temperature adjustment LED display that facilitates configuration.
The door has a very attractive design, with smoked colored glass, to protect the bottles from UV rays and light.
Pros
Design: It has a very attractive compact design, made of black steel, with very elegant wooden shelves and a slightly smoked door.
Efficiency : Its consumption is very low and with high energy efficiency, so it will cool the bottles without increasing electricity consumption.
Cons
Capacity: If you are a great wine fan, a capacity of only 6 bottles may be somewhat scarce.
Wine Cooler 4 Bottles
8. Nuitab 4 Bottles Wine Cooler for Drinks
The Nuitab 4-bottle wine cellar is a very compact model, in which you can store four bottles in a vertical position. It is an ideal model for homes with little space, since it can stand on its legs or it can be installed under the kitchen counter.
It has an LED control to set the temperature between 11 and 18 degrees, which will allow you to store red and rosé wines, as well as any other drink that requires a constant temperature. Thanks to its Super LowNoise technology, this fridge does not make noise during operation, so it can be installed in any living room.
With its interior LED and transparent glass door, you can check the status of all your wine bottles at any time, without having to open the wine cellar.
Pros
Glass: The glass of the door is Anti-UV, which allows the refrigerator to be placed in a place with direct sunlight, without affecting the bottles stored.
LowNoise: Thanks to its LowNoise technology you can install the wine cellar in the living room without being bothered by noise.
Cons
Temperature: Having a minimum of 11 degrees, it does not allow white wine to be preserved, since it requires a lower temperature.
Taurus Wine Cellar
9. Taurus PTWC-12 Wine Cooler
The Taurus wine cellar works with thermoelectric technology without a compressor, which makes it very quiet and favors the maintenance and stability of the temperature, while protecting the quality and flavor of the wines in the long and short term.
It has anti-vibration technology that allows the wine to stabilize and age, settling correctly without altering its natural sediments. The special insulation allows a constant temperature to be maintained inside, so the cork does not dry out and prevents air from coming into contact with the broth.
The smoked tempered glass door reflects sunlight, protecting wines from UVA rays. It has a total capacity of 18 bottles and a touch panel to adjust the temperature between 8 and 18 degrees.
Pros
Door: The smoked glass door protects the bottles from direct contact with sunlight and guarantees the interior darkness of the wine.
Anti -vibration: By not vibrating, the wine remains stable and settles correctly without altering its flavor or natural sediments.
Capacity: With a capacity for 18 bottles, you can properly store your favorite bottles.
Cons
Temperature: The interior temperature depends on the exterior, so it is not a good wine cellar to store white wine.
Shopping guide
Continuing with our guide to buying the best wine cellar, we are going to explain the main factors that you should look at and that will make the difference between a good and a bad purchase. Characteristics such as the type of operation, capacity, ease of handling, design or how much it costs, will be essential to make a good decision.
Type of operation and consumption
The wine cellar is an appliance that, like a refrigerator, must remain connected all the time. It is important that, before making a decision, you look at consumption, power and energy efficiency. Our recommendation is that you opt for equipment with the best energy efficiency, that is, class A or higher, since they offer more responsible consumption, with a better response at all times.
They usually have two types of operation: by compressor and thermoelectric. Those that work by compressor are similar to a traditional refrigerator, that is, they have a circuit with refrigerant gas that absorbs heat, which passes through a compressor. These teams are usually noisier, since the compressor when activated produces noise and produces vibrations. These vibrations can be detrimental to the wine, which needs a stable environment for the sediments to settle. However, the most modern models have greatly reduced vibrations and noise.
The thermoelectric ones tend to be more compact, since they do not need a compressor, although there are large capacity cabinets that use this system. The main advantage of this system is that it hardly produces noise and avoids vibrations, so you can have the fridge in the dining room of your house.
This type of wine cellar also offers more stable temperatures, since compressor thermostats usually have a small margin of error. However, the problem with thermoelectric plants is that they depend largely on the external temperature, which is a problem in places where it is very hot.
Design
When making a comparison of wine cellars you should also look at the design. At this point there are wine cellars of all sizes, shapes and colors. The design will be an important feature if you plan to place the wine cellar in a visible place, although if you are going to place it in an area without passage or a room that you do not use, this point will surely not matter much.
There are wine cellars with a very careful aesthetic, with wooden shelves, smoked doors, of a very classic cut, and there are others with a modern design, with light colors and glass or stainless steel shelves.
Glass doors, which used to be a problem because they let in sunlight, now have protection systems against UVA rays, which protect the bottles and insulate them, preserving the wines better. If you want something more discreet, you can always opt for a built-in model, which is placed inside a wall or another piece of furniture.
Ability
Capacity is an important characteristic. In the first place, it will depend on the size of the room in which you are going to install it, since one of six bottles will not occupy the same place as another of one hundred. If you plan to install it in a large place, for example a wine cellar or a large kitchen, our recommendation is that you choose one with a large cabinet-type capacity, since as you buy wine, you will need more and more space.
Do not trust yourself, you may think that you will never fill a wine cellar with capacity for a hundred bottles, but in the end you will, since you will find wines on sale, you will visit wineries or you will expand your purchases on the Internet. Buying a large wine cellar can be a way to save in the long run.
If you are not a big wine fan and you only want a wine cellar to store a few bottles, it is best to choose a smaller model, with a capacity for eight or twelve bottles.
Price
Of course, the budget you have will make a difference. In the market you will find all prices. A good and cheap one, with a capacity for six bottles, can cost less than two hundred euros, while a large-capacity model, with different temperature zones and premium features, can exceed a thousand euros.
More expensive wine coolers will also offer other features, such as thermoelectric cooling that is quieter and vibration-free, or the ability to set different temperature zones, allowing you to store red and white wines in the same fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Q1: How to use a wine cellar?
The first step is to find a place to place the wine cellar, whether built-in or furniture type, you must find a suitable space for it. Once located, you must connect it to the light and verify that it works. It is important that it has a stable electrical supply, without falls or failures, since if there were, it could cause problems in the wine cellar and in the wine.
Once connected, set the ideal temperature for the wine you are going to store. Wines should never be kept above 17ºC, nor below 7ºC, although the correct temperature will always depend on the wine you keep. Some wine cabinets have separate temperature zones, which allow you to set two different temperatures to store different wines.
Once ready, you must organize the bottles. The wine must always be stored horizontally, since in this way the sediments do not concentrate in the lower part of the bottle, the cork will always be moist and the wine is equally oxygenated, preserving its characteristics.
Q2: How to install a wine cellar?
Depending on the size and shape of your wine cellar, you must find a suitable space for its installation. In the past, if the door was made of glass, it was necessary to find a place where it was not directly exposed to the sun. Now, thanks to the lenses with anti UV protection, this no longer matters. Although it is still important to place it in a place with little light, since the wine must rest without light.
If the wine cellar you have chosen is a built-in type, you will need to find a space in which to install it. It is best to do it in the kitchen, since these models are usually designed to be installed in a cabinet column or under the countertop. There are also dining room furniture on the market specially designed to embed these refrigerators.
The most important thing is to connect the wine cellar to a stable power outlet, so that it does not suffer voltage drops or cuts, which could damage the electronic systems.
Q3: How to make a wooden wine cabinet?
To make a wooden wine cellar, the ideal is to use recycled wood. You can opt for used pallet wood, making sure it is clean and disinfected. You will also need to have tools such as a saw, varnish, screws, glue, hammer and nails of various sizes.
Depending on the space you have in your cellar, the wine cellar will have a different size. When you know where you are going to place it, take the measurements and make sure you take them correctly. The ideal is to bet on a medium size, not too big, not too small.
Before you start building it, look for construction ideas and plans. On the Internet you will find many different plans, which will help you build the wine cellar.
Q4: How to repair a wine cellar?
The most frequent problem with a wine cellar is usually that it does not turn on or that it does not cool. In the case of cooling, the problem may be the outside temperature. Electrothermal wine cellars work by adjusting their thermostat to the outside temperature, so if it is very hot it will not cool enough, as they usually work at 15 ºC below the outside temperature. If, on the other hand, it is very cold outside, it may get too cold and create frost.
In any case, when a wine cellar suffers from problems such as turning off, emitting bad odors or a burning smell, cooling too much or too little or causing the differential to trip, it is best to consult the technical service of the brands, since if you try to fix it by yourself, you will break the guarantee seal and, if the problem cannot be solved, the brand will not change the product.
Q5: How do you say: wine cellar or vinacoteca?
The correct name for a display case, a refrigerator or a wine store is “wine cellar”. The vinacoteca is a misconception that arises from the word “pinacoteca”, which would be the place where the painting collections open to the public are permanently exhibited and preserved.
Q6: At what temperature does a wine cellar have to be?
The temperature of a wine cellar will vary depending on the type of wine that is stored. Furthermore, for proper storage, each wine should be stored at a different temperature, although we know that this is very difficult, if not almost impossible.
For red wines without barrel, that is to say those of the vintage, the ideal temperature is between 13 and 16 ºC. For reds that have undergone a certain period of aging, the temperature can range from 14 to 18 ºC. For white wines, the ideal would be a wine cellar that can reach less than 12 ºC.
It must be taken into account that, below 10ºC, the process of maturation and evolution of the wine slows down, while above 16ºC this process is accelerated artificially, which harms quality and flavor. Of the wine.
Q7: How to clean a wine cellar?
To clean a wine cellar you must disconnect it from the light. If you are going on vacation or are going to be away for a long time, it is best to turn off the wine cellar and clean it.
To clean it, the first thing you should do is clean the filter, which you should take out and clean at least once a month. Do it with water and some neutral soap, along with 3 or 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Do not use bleach, ammonia or solvents, use soft fiber cloths or sponges and avoid scouring pads, especially metallic ones.
Q8: Where to place a wine cellar?
Do not place the wine cellar near other appliances, or hit it against a wall, you must leave at least 20 centimeters of separation for proper ventilation.
You must place it in a cool area and it should never be exposed to direct sunlight, or to a continuous heat source. Also avoid extreme temperature changes. Ideally, they should be in an air-conditioned room, but if you are at home, make sure you place it in a well-ventilated area without high temperatures.
