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What is the difference between a stainless steel glass door wine cooler and a full glass door wine cooler ?

The Vin Garde range of wine coolers and wine fridges offer two door options – Full Glass Door and Stainless Steel Glass Door.

The full glass door wine cooler has a black frame and the glass covers all of the frame, producing an  attractive gloss effect, similar to that on a high-end mobile phone.  The stainless steel option consists of a stainless steel frame with the glass inserted within the frame, not over the frame.

When fitted with the full glass door, the Vin Garde wine cooler depth is 688mm and when fitted with the stainless steel glass door, the depth is 680mm.

All our wine cooler glass doors are UV-protected and come as a no-cost option.  The wine cooler doors can be ordered in either right hinge or left hinge and this should be stipulated at time of order.

Wine Cooler Door Handles – the handles on each door type are different.  The full glass door wine cooler handle is recessed into the side of the door itself, giving an attractive clean line to the front of the wine cooler.  The stainless steel glass door option has a matching stainless steel handle to match the frame of the wine cooler.

Both wine cooler door options, full glass door and stainless steel glass door, are normally stock items for immediate delivery.    There is a small surcharge for the stainless steel glass door option.  It should be noted that it is not possible to retrospectively fit a full glass door to a wine cooler fitted with a stainless steel glass door and vice versa.

Notes for using the wine coolers when built-in – the handle of the full glass door wine cooler is recessed into the side of the door.  It is therefore necessary to leave a gap between the side of the cabinet and adjacent furniture or wall of around 20mm, to allow you to access the door handle with your fingers.  We recommend inserting a colour co-ordinated 20mm infill at the side of the cabinet which extends up to the body of the cabinet but not past the door.  This ‘frames’ the wine cooler and is pleasing on the eye, whilst allowing easy access to the recessed handle

Is it appropriate to store vintage port in a wine fridge?

Yes, the Vin Garde wine fridges provide the perfect environment for keeping all types of wine, including fortified wines. All should be stored long-term at cellar temperature, 12 or 13 degrees Celsius.

Further to this, you may find this recent review we received interesting, as it is from a customer who required a wine cabinet for storing Port.

“We are very pleased with the Baubigny cabinet that we ordered from you and it is now occupying pride of place in our kitchen. I’m delighted to say that the Port bottles it was bought to store do fit properly onto all of the shelves, and the cabinet is proving ideal for purposes; so much so that I’m afraid I may have to buy even more in order to fill the empty spaces! Hopefully, it will spark a conversation or two over the coming months and I will be able to recommend you to friends as a result.”

Are wine cabinets the alternative to wine cellars?

Yes, so long as the cabinet assures a steady temperature with no fluctuations. Also, if the cabinet is to be located in an unheated room – a garage, outhouse etc, check that the cabinet is fitted with a heating function as well as a cooling function.

For large volume capacity requirements, we propose our Espace Walk-in Wine Cellars and Cavispace Walk-in Wine Cellars. These self-contained wine rooms are made from aluminium-backed insulated panels which can be assembled in almost any space and are supplied with everything you need, including the racking and a thick mat which might just prevent the bottle from breaking if you should drop it!

A Monobloc cellar conditioner regulates the temperature to 12 or 13 degrees Celsius – ideal cellar temperature for storing reds and whites long-term. No plumbing or drainage is required, only a 13-amp power supply. Capacity from 600 – 4140 bottles.

Where is coldest compartment on dual zone wine cabinets?

The upper compartment of the dual zone wine cabinets is the coldest which is why it is recommended for keeping white wine and champagne at ready-to-serve temperature. You can adjust the temperature between 5 – 12 degrees Celsius. We suggest you set the temperature to 7 degrees Celsius. Too cold and you won’t taste the wine properly! The lower compartment is for reds at ready-to-serve temperature. We suggest you set the temperature to 16 Celsius to get the best out of the reds. Too warm and the wine becomes rather flabby.

Do freestanding wine cabinets need fixing to the wall?

Vin Garde wine cabinets and coolers are front-venting, so can be pushed right up against a wall at the rear. No fixing is required as the wine cabinets are comparable to upright fridge freezers.

Why do wine cabinets have heating and cooling functions?

Q. I notice some of your wine cabinets have heating as well as cooling functions, why is this? 

A. This is for those customers who wish to keep their cabinet in an unheated room such as a garage or barn. In the winter the ambient temperature will drop below the set temperature. In these circumstances, a heater will gently come on to stop the temperature inside the cabinet from dropping below the set temperature.

Which is best a single temperature wine cabinet or a dual temperature wine cabinet?

This depends upon whether you are looking to store wine for the long term or whether you are looking to keep your wine so that it is ready to serve.

The single temperature cabinets are designed for long-term storage of ALL types of wine – red, white & champagne, at perfect cellar temperature – 12 or 13°C.

The dual temperature cabinets are designed to keep your wines at their respective ready-to-serve temperature:

  • Upper compartment for whites and champagnes ready-to-serve. You can adjust the temperature between 5 – 12°C and we recommend 7 degrees.
  • Lower compartment for reds ready-to-serve. You can adjust the temperature between 12 – 18°C and we recommend 16 degrees.

Should red and white wine be stored separately?

All wines – red, white, champagne, should be cellared at 12 or 13 degrees Celsius. This allows the wine to reach perfect maturity and once matured to stay in tip-top condition. So you can keep all types of wine in the same wine cabinet at the same temperature.

Returning bottles of wine to a wine cellar

Q. If I take a bottle of red wine out of my cellar with the intention of drinking it in the next couple of days and I don’t get around to opening it, is it better to drink it within the next few weeks or is it OK to put it back in storage?

A. Return the bottle to the wine cellar and there should be no harm done unless the bottle had been subjected to extremes of temperature whilst out of the cellar. Don’t let this happen too often though as wine does not do well with yo-yo temperature fluctuations.

What is a wine wall?

A wine wall is a modular system of wine cabinets that allows you to configure the size of the wine wall according to the space in your home, restaurant or hotel. They can be fitted with a solid rear wall if positioned against a wall or there are options for wine walls with sliding glass doors to both front and rear, with glass panel sides, giving a 360 degree walk-around wine display.

How many bottles can a wine cabinet hold?

We stock a wide selection of wine cabinet sizes, allowing you to store between 60 – 748 bottles depending on the size of your wine collection.

– The Teca range models hold between 60 – 120 bottles

– Vin Garde models can accommodate up to 176 bottles

– Wine Walls can hold up to 748 bottles

What are the different styles of wine cabinet?

The style of wine cabinet that you choose will depend on where you plan to store your wine and how much space you have. Choose between freestanding, built-in/integrated cabinets.

Freestanding Wine Cabinets – A freestanding wine cabinet can be placed virtually anywhere that there is access to power. They are an incredibly flexible option that allows them to be placed in any room with enough space to allow enough ventilation.

Built-in wine cabinets – Built-in or integrated wine cabinets can be discreetly installed in a kitchen, cupboard space or any kind of recess. Ventilation is created by fans fitted in the rear, underside or front of the cabinet, depending on the make/model.

What are the different types of wine cabinet?

Broadly speaking there are three types of wine cabinet, single temperature, dual temperature and multi-temperature wine cabinets. Many of the latest models are multi-functional, which means you can use them as a single temperature, dual or multi-temperature cabinet:

Single temperature wine cabinet – Single temperature wine cabinets are designed for the long-term storage of wine. The temperature and relative humidity are kept constant, allowing you to age your wine until it reaches its prime and once at its prime to keep it in optimal long-term storage conditions. The recommended storage temperature for all types of wine is 12 degrees.

Dual temperature wine cabinet – Dual temperature wine display cabinets have two sections with different temperatures. You can set the sections to different temperatures depending on the types of wine bottles you are storing and how long you are storing them. Normally reds serve best at around 17C and whites/champagnes around 6C.

Multi-temperature wine cabinet – Modern multi-temperature wine display cabinets are designed to enable owners to display and serve wine. The temperature range within the cabinet can be adjusted by manipulating the controls and fan settings to permit a variety of temperature outcomes within the cabinet.  For example, you can set the temperature to be at 5 degrees at the bottom, rising gradually to 12 degrees at the top, or 15 degrees at the bottom rising gradually to 17 degrees at the top.  This allows a great deal of flexibility as to how you use the cabinet.

Why invest in a wine cabinet?

Wine cabinets are designed to either create similar conditions to those that you would find in a traditional wine cellar or to keep the wines at perfect serving temperatures. They are designed to store and display your wine collection, providing a protected environment for your wine to mature as well as enabling you to serve wine at the right temperature. A wine cabinet holds the storage temperature of the wine constant as well as eliminating odours, preventing vibrations, controlling the light and providing optimal humidity so that the wine ages and improves over time.

What is the difference between single temperature wine fridges and dual temperature wine fridges?

A single temperature wine fridge is designed for cellaring all types of wines — reds, whites or sparkling. We recommend storing them at 12-13°C.

A dual temperature wine fridge is designed for serving red and white wines at optimal drinking temperatures.

What features should you look for in a wine fridge?

Stable Temperature – Eliminating temperature fluctuations is key to the preservation of your wine. Our wine fridges use a compressor and thermostat to control the temperature of the cabinet. It is important to remember that air temperature changes 32 times more rapidly than liquid/wine. When the air inside the fridge starts to rise in temperature, the thermostat triggers the cooling to commence. Once it detects that the temperature is low enough, the cooling stops. All this happens before the liquid or wine has had a chance to change temperature. The air temperature is constantly being adjusted to ensure that the wine stays at the same temperature.

Humidity Regulated – A humidity level of between 50% and 70% is ideal for wine storage. When the humidity is too high mould can affect labels, too low and it can cause corks to dry out. Our wine coolers are designed with a self-regulating humidity feature that maintains ideal hygrometry levels to preserve labels and corks, preventing your wine from oxidising.

Vibration-proof – If wine is subject to vibrations or moved around frequently, it is said to encourage the speeding up of chemical reactions, which might spoil the wine. Our wine fridges are designed to be vibration-free with the compressor mounted on rubber shocks that absorb any vibrations so that your wine can mature correctly.

UV Protected Environment – When wine is exposed to the light from sunlight or fluorescent artificial lights, it can change its flavour and aroma. Our wine fridges are designed to prevent UV light from affecting your wine collection. These features include UV protected glass, dark interiors and UV-free LED lighting.

Carbon Filtered Airflow – Our wine coolers are equipped with an active carbon filter which together with an efficient air circulation system ensures the air is filtered throughout the cabinet to limit any odours from penetrating your wine and mould from growing and damaging labels and corks.

What type of wine fridge should I buy?

There are three main considerations to take into account when choosing a wine fridge:

How much wine are you planning to keep? – This will give you an idea of the bottle capacity to look for. Collecting and drinking wine is an enjoyable and rewarding hobby! Only you can decide what the right number of bottles is. If you are building up your wine collection it’s best to go for a larger fridge to enable you to keep more wine as your collection grows. If you tend to buy and serve your wine within a few months of each other – you will have a better idea about the capacity of your wine fridge.

What type of wine do you plan to store? – Since reds and whites are served at different temperatures you will require a dual temperature to serve both. Choose a single temperature wine fridge if you plan to store wine for ageing.

Where will you place the wine fridge? There is an appropriate wine fridge for every room in the house, restaurant or other commercial premises. Where you plan to place the wine fridge will help you decide between a freestanding, built-in or integrated wine cooler.

What are the different types of wine fridge?

Freestanding wine fridge – Traditionally, freestanding wine fridges were made to be stand-alone rather than installed into a built-in unit. They were designed with vents at the back of the fridge to draw in cool air and allow heat to dissipate. If a freestanding fridge with rear vents were installed directly against a wall it would prevent heat from escaping and lead to overheating.

Integrated wine fridge – Many integrated wine fridges are a similar design to freestanding fridges in that they have vents at the rear to allow warm air to escape and cool air is drawn in to maintain a consistent temperature required for preserving and maturing your wine collection. In order to do this the fridge needs to be installed with enough space for optimal airflow.

Best of both worlds – The Vin Garde range of wine fridges are ventilated at the front which means that they can be freestanding or integrated into a fitted kitchen. Integrating a wine fridge into your kitchen design creates an amazing streamlined look and give you the ability to store your wine collection for many years while giving your kitchen an incredibly stylish look and feel.

Built-in wine fridge – A built-in wine fridge has ventilation at the front and is typically designed to be installed as an under-counter wine fridge. If you are thinking about a kitchen redesign or have a space under your kitchen countertop, built-in wine fridges are the perfect solution. There are fans located underneath the fridge that draws in cool air, and warm air dissipates out of either side.

Single or dual temperature wine fridge?

Single temperature wine fridges have a single temperature zone while dual temperature wine fridges have two separate temperature zones. Whether you are storing wine for the long term or want the ability to store and serve wine from the same fridge, the best way is to have separate independently controlled temperature zones.

What’s the difference between a wine cooler and a wine fridge?

The terms wine fridge and wine cooler are often used interchangeably – they are essentially the same thing. A wine cooler can be used for medium to long term storage in order to mature your wine (single temperature wine fridge) or to store and serve different types of wines at their respective ideal temperatures (dual temperature wine fridge).

Why invest in a wine fridge?

A wine fridge, also known as a wine cooler, is specially designed to store wine at the ideal temperature. If you are interested in wine and take the time to explore different varieties, then storing them in a wine fridge will allow you to experience them at their best. Serving wine from a wine fridge allows you to enjoy different types of wine and experience the release of flavours and aromas that occurs when a wine is served at the correct temperature.

Standard fridges are too cold for a bottle of wine to be stored appropriately. Wine is a delicate drink that can be harmed by exposure to the wrong conditions. Not only is the temperature of the typical fridge too cold to store wine in general, but it’s also the wrong temperature to serve white wine which means removing it from the fridge before serving to give it time to warm up properly. Plus the shelving is mainly set up to store food whereas a wine fridge is laid out to store, display and serve wine.

How many bottles of wine can a home wine cellar hold?

Our home wine cellars range in capacity from 990 to 4140 bottles based on Bordeaux shape bottles.

Why invest in a home wine cellar?

Our home wine cellars are the technological equivalent of a traditional underground cellar. Designed for extensive wine collections, our wine rooms recreate the perfect conditions for cellaring wine including consistent temperature, humidity control and protection from harmful light.

Wooden wine rack benefits

A wooden wine rack provides a more traditional feel than alternative styles of wine rack. When you picture a traditional cellar, flush with bottles of wine, they are naturally stored in tall wooden wine racks that are in keeping with the tone of their surroundings.

Wooden wine racks can be designed to suit almost any location. Even if your home does not have a cellar for storing your wine, wooden racks can be placed either in your living room, dining room or kitchen.

Our wine cellar racks are handmade and offer the perfect solution for storing your bottles of wine. Wood is of course a robust, long-lasting material and there is innate stability to well-made wooden racking. Wooden racks are available in various designs and finishes, the oak wine rack is a very popular choice.

How is the wine cellar conditioner installed?

The wine cellar cooler is made up of two parts, an evaporator and a condensing unit. The evaporator is installed on the ceiling or wall of the cellar room. The evaporator can be built into the ceiling or within the cellar furniture so that it is completely unobtrusive and fits seamlessly with the style of your cellar room. The condensing unit is positioned on the outside of the building. The two components are connected via two small copper pipes.

Why buy a Friax wine cellar air conditioner?

Friax wine cellar air conditioners are designed with one guiding principle, to create perfect conditions for ageing wine. Once you install a wine cellar cooling unit by Friax you can forget about it and let time do its work. It will be much later when you open a fine wine that you appreciate the mastery of the cellar conditions that allow your wine to flourish.

Located in the heart of the French Alps, Friax strives to be like a fine wine, improving all the time. They are at the cutting edge of wine preservation technology, constantly adapting and investing in research and development to achieve the best protection for your wine collection.

Friax takes care to minimise the impact on the environment. The design process ensures that their wine conditioning units use the most modern and energy-efficient technology and refrigeration systems that reduce the impact on global warming.

Wine cellar air conditioner. The benefits?

Our wine cellar air conditioner can be installed in virtually any space, converting them into a wine cellar with the ideal conditions in which to store and mature your wine collection until it reaches its peak condition.

The wine cooling unit creates a controlled atmosphere with a constant temperature and appropriate humidity which are essential for the ageing process.

Changes in temperature adversely affect the aromas of the wine and can cause it to age prematurely. Wine cellars that are too dry can cause the cork to deteriorate and air to enter the wine, too humid and the labels can degrade reducing the value of the precious bottles of wine.

Household air conditioners cool the air by, in part, removing water from the air. Wine cellar cooling systems also remove water from the air but are designed to remove much less, keeping an ideal humidity level of around 60% relative humidity. Buy a wine cellar air conditioner