We recommend the freestanding Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar (which stores wine at one temperature) and the Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone Wine Cellar (which has two sections, for storing wine at different temperatures, and one less shelf). These fridges offer the best combination of storage, features, and price. The Wine Enthusiast line has solid reviews and is recommended by experts, and the line includes smaller fridges, too. Plus, Wine Enthusiast has the best customer service we found, which is key when you’re buying a large appliance that will be a 100-pound-plus hassle to return. For serious collectors, the freestanding EuroCave Premiere S is an excellent basic model from a top brand whose wine fridges are known for their durability. If you’re on a budget but you still want the best, you can also look for a used model (a common practice within the wine community) from someone who’s outgrown their fridge.
After researching hundreds of models, we’ve determined that most entry-level, budget-friendly wine fridges are bad. They don’t last, and they often have a host of issues: noisy compressors, sticking shelves, temperature fluctuations. The Wine Enthusiast fridges aren’t perfect, but we think the brand offers better customer service than you get from most companies or retailers.
Our pick
Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar
If you want to store several cases at a time, the Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar offers the best combination of capacity and price. And this company has some of the finest customer service we found.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,000.
The Wine Enthusiast Classic 80 Wine Cellar offers a winning combination of storage capacity, price, warranty, and features from a trusted brand with great customer service. Because it’s a single-zone fridge (meaning the whole thing stays at one temperature), the Classic 80 can hold more bottles than a dual-zone fridge of the same size (that space is lost to the zone divider). The Classic 80 may seem expensive compared with a regular mini fridge or a big-box-store-brand wine cooler, but it’s still more reasonable than a lot of smaller, high-quality wine fridges we looked at. According to the many wine experts we spoke with, there are a couple of universal rules for buying a wine fridge: Get one that’s double the size you think you want, and keep in mind that fridges will always hold less than promised (due to different bottle sizes).
Like a few big-box appliance retailers, Wine Enthusiast offers phone consultations to help you shop. It specializes in wine fridges and accessories, whereas the other retailers may not have this specific knowledge. Wine Enthusiast offers free shipping on all of its fridges, and white-glove delivery for larger fridges (this service costs extra with the Classic 80, but is included with our upgrade pick; at most other appliance stores, it also costs extra). And, unlike Amazon, Wine Enthusiast has solid customer service and warranty options, which are key when you’re ordering a large and bulky item online.
Also great
Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone Wine Cellar
Not everyone wants a dual-zone fridge, but the Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone Wine Cellar will keep your reds and whites ready to drink at the right temperature. This fridge is comparable to the Classic 80, but the Classic 70 sacrifices some storage space to separate the two compartments.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,000.
You don’t technically need a dual-zone model if you’re willing to remove your wine from the fridge a bit before pouring, to bring the wine to the proper serving temperature (depending on the wine type, you may want to serve it warmer or colder than the storage temperature). However, if you’re looking to store your wine yet you also want to pour it immediately, we recommend the Wine Enthusiast Classic 70 Dual Zone. It’s the same price and has the same features as the Classic 80, but the Classic 70 allows you to keep wines at different temperatures, and it has one less shelf. Some experts told us that dual-zone fridges may be more likely to fail and have a harder time maintaining consistent temperatures, though most wines should be fine under slight fluctuations.
Upgrade pick
EuroCave Premiere S
Six of the experts we spoke with recommended EuroCave as the top wine-fridge maker. The EuroCave Premiere S is the most basic option from the restaurant-quality line, and it’s freestanding, so you can put it anywhere.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,995.
Beloved by sommeliers, top chefs, and wine lovers, EuroCave’s cellars and fridges sit in swanky hotels and prestigious restaurants around the world, and they have a reputation for lasting upwards of a decade. EuroCave makes tons of wine fridges, some of which cost as much as a car, and the 74-bottle EuroCave Premiere S is one of the best fridges for protecting a small collection. It’s also the company’s base-level option. This fridge has the standout, signature EuroCave features, including removable, adjustable-height shelves with cradles, which accommodate different bottle shapes and sizes (from broad-shouldered cabs to round-bellied Champagnes to elongated rieslings). Plus, the Premiere S has an option for a solid door to shield bottles from light, which is a feature many fridges lack. The Premiere S has a one-year warranty, with a five-year warranty on the compressor—one of the most generous policies we found in our research. This fridge is also sold by Wine Enthusiast, so it comes with the same options for consultation and delivery assistance as our other picks.