Australia has become a wine drinking country. Our home grown varieties now stand proudly amongst the list of the world's finest wines. We still like our beer, but when it comes time for a dinner party, we go for the fruit of the vine. Aside from soaring wine sales, the increased popularity of wine cabinets is proof that Australians have developed a taste and appreciation for fine wine. Wine cabinets were almost unheard of in Australia until recently. Today, while they are not as common as microwaves, wine cabinets in the home no longer raise eyebrows and the envy of neighbours as much as they used to.

Unlike other appliances that have innumerable settings and specifications, wine cabinets only have to do two things - keep wine at a constant temperature and at a constant level of humidity. This makes buying wine cabinets a little easier than buying fridges, stoves or microwaves, but there are still some things you need to look out for.

Wine Cabinets Climate Control

If you are looking into wine cabinets for storing wines long term, remember that wine should be stored at a constant temperature of between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius, with a humidity level of about 70%. Wine matures faster or slower depending on its temperature. If the temperature is too warm, the wine may age too quickly. If the temperature is too cold, sediment will develop.

Ideal temperatures for storing red and white wines vary. Whites can be stored down to 10C and reds up to 16C. Some high end wine cabinets have separate temperature controls for storing both reds and whites in the same cabinet. Your claret goes on the top shelf, while your champagne stays well-chilled down below.

While there are ideal temperatures for wines, most wine cabinets have a temperature range of between 5C and 18C. A nice feature to look for is an electronic temperature display, so you know for sure that your wines are at the right temperature.

How to Choose Wine Cabinets

Wine cabinets are basically refrigerators and like all refrigerators, the key to their efficiency is in insulation. Just like your fridge, poor door seals are the main cause of air leakage. Most wine cabinets are made for discerning buyers, so insulation should not be a problem, but keep it in mind. If anything seems amiss with the door seals, do not just shrug it off. Order a replacement or a different model while the warranty is still in place.

How many bottles do you want to store at a time? Will 30 bottles be sufficient or are you looking for wine cabinets that are almost like mini wine cellars, holding 150 bottles or more at a time. This is the range you have to choose from. Since it is much cheaper to buy one 120 bottle cabinet than to buy a second 50 bottle cabinet after you have filled the first, give the storage capacity some careful thought before you choose your wine cabinet.

Wine Cabinets Storage

The storage capacity of wine cabinets can be confusing. The interior space is measured in litres. One wine cabinet may have 153 litres listed on its specifications, but it will only store 32 bottles of wine. Another appears to be about the same size, but will hold twice as many bottles. The secret is in the shelving system.

High end wine cabinets designed for storing quantities of wine for longer periods of time will have very closely packed shelves. In order to make it possible to find the bottle you're looking for, their shelves will roll out and retract smoothly. Interior lights will also help you locate your wine.

Wooden shelves that cradle bottles separately are a nice feature to look for and most of the better wine cabinets feature these. Wood holds its temperature very well and also protects glass better than other types of shelves. 

Where to Keep Your Wine Cabinet

Generally, wine cabinets come in two heights, with slight variations. Many wine cabinets are designed to fit under a bench or counter top. A typical 40 bottle cabinet will be 820mm high by close to 600mm wide. If you want to store larger quantities of wine, you will need to look at taller units. A 170 bottle Vintec wine cabinet, for example, stands just over 1.8 metres tall.

All wine cabinets should be kept somewhere where they are not exposed to direct sunlight. Ideally, they should also be kept in a room that maintains a fairly constant temperature. These points are doubly important with glass door wine cabinets. They become even more important if you are storing wines for long periods of time. Many wine connoisseurs keep two wine cabinets. If they don't have a wine cellar, they store the larger cabinet in a special area with limited light and keep the smaller, glass door fronted cabinet in their bar.

Wine Cabinets in Brief

Briefly, these are the things to look for in all wine cabinets:

1) Good Insulation
2) Tight Door Seals
3) UV Light Protection on Glass Doors
4) Smooth rolling shelves in wine cabinets designed for large numbers of bottles
5) Internal Lights for easy viewing
6) Electronic temperature control and LCD display
7) Dual temperature control if you want to store and drink reds and whites in the same wine cabinet
8) Most users prefer wooden racks
9) Lockable wine cabinets are a good idea, especially if you are storing fine wines

Other than these considerations, there is not much else to worry about with wine cabinets. All of them are stylish looking, though some look better than others.

We suggest you base your decision on how passionate you are about your wine and whether you are looking for long or short term storage. Finally, after you have looked at all the wine cabinets on our site and purchased yours, don't forget to open a special bottle of wine and reward yourself for your efforts.