The Best Wine Refrigerators for Wine Lovers

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In this article, we take a look at the highest-rated small wine refrigerators that are ideal for storing approximately 50 bottles of wine.

This type of refrigerator may appeal to any of the following wine lovers:

  • Those seeking a step up from a lower-end wine cabinet or perhaps a temporary solution before taking the plunge to a larger cellar down the road.

  • Those undergoing a kitchen remodel who are seeking a sleek, under counter wine refrigerator to fit in with new appliances.

  • Those who have collected a few bottles from their wedding year or a child’s birth year and are seeking a storage solution for those special bottles.   

  • Single people or couples who have downsized and want to age just a few special bottles.

Before we continue with our reviews and recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We’re an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions help us pay for web hosting fees, our podcast, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thank you for using our affiliate links and supporting this independent blog!

Do you need a small wine refrigerator?

Before moving on to our recommendations, let’s take a deeper dive into understanding the benefits of small wine refrigerators. It’s important to consider the environmental factors that impact wine and why wines benefit from being stored in cellars. Ideal conditions for wine storage include cool, stable temperature, relatively high humidity, and no light or vibrations. If you drink wines within a couple of weeks of purchasing your wines, then you can get by without a wine refrigerator because the changes caused by improper storage take time to develop.

If you’ve tried some older, properly aged wines — perhaps a Mosel Riesling from the 1980s or a Napa Cabernet from the 1990s — and didn’t enjoy the aged wines, then your preferences don’t warrant investment in a wine refrigerator. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying many age-worthy wines when they are young (though we do recommend a bit of research at your local bottle shop on decanting times!).

If you do enjoy storing wine to age, however, you may already have some stored in your kitchen island, coat closet, basement, or bar. It’s not uncommon for wine enthusiasts to have wines stashed throughout their home in several places. Over an extended time, however, these wines can deteriorate if not stored properly.  

Want to learn more about wine storage? Check out our podcast interview with wine storage expert Roy Wilson.

Assassins of Wine

What Temperature Should Wine Be Stored?

Temperature variation is one of the biggest enemies of wines as it ages. Wines should be stored at around 55 F (typical cave temperature), however, a range of 50 to 58 F is often considered acceptable.

You might think, “Hey, why can’t I store my wine in my refrigerator for the long term, or perhaps in the beer fridge in the garage?” Well, a few unfortunate things can happen when the wine is stored at too cool of a temperature for extended periods. The cool temps can slow down the aging process, the cork can dry out and allow refrigerator smells to seep into the wine (gross!), or the wine can be agitated when jostling around food or beer in the fridge, thus damaging the closure or label. Also, if the wine is pushed to the back of the refrigerator, there’s the possibility of freezing which may result in the cork getting pushed out.

Storage in a dark closet also may seem ideal but will have mixed results over multiple years. If the air conditioning in the house or apartment breaks down, temperatures can escalate. Prolonged periods can lead to the wine taking on a stewed or cooked flavor. Some wines may also start to take on a vinegar taste as the aging process is accelerated.

What Are The Effects Of Light On Wine?

Like temperature, too much light can also make wine deteriorate. This phenomenon is not unique to wine, as some beers are also known to suffer from light-strike. Simply, light is a form of radiation. Ultraviolet and blue portions of the light spectrum carry more energy than the red portion.  

Wine (and beer) have naturally sulfurous compounds. When light strikes wine, unwelcome chemical reactions can occur, leading to “skunky” aromas and flavors. Different colors of glass do provide more protection than others (e.g. dark brown or amber glass), however green and clear bottles are more common.

Since wine cabinet door selection has more to do with the aesthetics of a room these days, those of us wanting to age wines want to reduce light damage as much as possible. Wine refrigerators with dark glass or a solid door significantly reduce the possibility of light getting into the bottles.

What is the Optimal Humidity Level for Storing Wine?

When storing wines, most bottles are stored on their sides. This keeps the cork moist and keeps it from drying out, reducing the likelihood that too much oxygen will enter the bottle.  

A typical food refrigerator is a low humidity environment. In there, the cork can dry out. Corks can also dry out in arid environments, like the desert southwest of the USA. The ideal humidity level is around 70%.

Once oxygen has gotten into the wine bottles due to improper storage, the wine will quickly oxidize. Oxidation causes aromas and flavors to change. This negative impact is irreversible.

Does Vibration Ruin Wine?

Like light damage, damage caused by vibration is the direct result of energy being transferred to the contents of the bottle. This time it is kinetic energy and not radiation. Vibration damage can result from storing wine on top of a refrigerator or near another vibrating appliance like a treadmill, washer, or dryer. Wine stored under stairs may also suffer from vibration damage.  

The exact biochemical causes are not yet well known, however food chemistry research shows that wines exposed to vibration can lead to a reduction in esters, resulting in dull flavors.  Additionally, wines exposed to vibration can taste sweeter as the amount of propanol and isoamyl alcohol increases as tartaric acids, succinic acids, and esters decrease.

For more on wine assassins (and how to tell if your wine has really gone bad), check out our blog on wine faults.

Advantages of Small Wine Refrigerators

Now that you understand the environmental risks to wine in suboptimal storage conditions, let’s move on to those refrigerators!

When selecting a small wine refrigerator, one of the common regrets is getting too small of a wine cabinet.  As your passion grows, some of the smaller 18-24 bottle wine refrigerators can be outpaced by your collection habit.  

Many small wine refrigerators are also targeting a more entry-level clientele and are more likely to have thermoelectric coolers rather than compressors. Too small of a wine refrigerator also makes it difficult to maintain humidity.

Alternatively, some people purchase a wine refrigerator that is too big. The best large wine refrigerators are thousands of dollars and are designed for storing wines for 20 years or more. If you move frequently, large wine refrigerators are difficult to move! Your new or downsized home may not be able to accommodate a magnificently large wine refrigerator.  

Much like the “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” story, here we review the “just right” wine refrigerators that can fit under the counter or stand-alone in a den or walkout basement.  

Things to look For in your Wine Refrigerator

Warranty

Most small wine refrigerators in the size and price category we reviewed come with a one year warranty on some components and a five-year warranty on the cooling system.  If you purchase your wine refrigerator online, through a retailer like Amazon, you can also get major appliance warranties (affiliate link) at the same time as purchase.

To extend the warranty of any durable good like a wine cabinet, consider using a premium credit card with extended warranty provisions to make the purchase. Check with your credit card company to see if they offer extended warranties with this type of purchase. In our experience, American Express, for example, offers a doubling of the manufacturer’s warranty for many electronics when purchased with their card.  

Last but not least, keep an electronic record of the customer service number in case you have any issues with your wine refrigerator.  

Wine Cooler Reliability

Most issues that buyers face when ordering small wine refrigerators have to do with the initial delivery and installation. Typical issues include damage during shipping such as scratches and dents. Delivery issues are the most frequent cause of poor reviews.

If the unit arrives in good condition and is installed properly, expect about five years of use and potentially up to ten years.

Environmental conditions that shorten the lifespan of small wine refrigerators are typically related to ambient temperature and humidity. Wine refrigerators used in extreme conditions like a garage in Florida or a cold basement in North Dakota may have a shorter lifespan. Another situation that may shorten the lifespan of small wine cabinets is frequent moving. We lost a 7-year old unit during an in-state move recently when the movers damaged the back of the unit.  

When selecting a small wine refrigerator, pay attention to how much clearance is required under the unit for optimal performance. If the unit vents to the front, it can be used as an under-counter unit or as a stand-alone unit. If the wine cabinet vents only to the back, make sure that the unit is not installed flat against a wall. Attending to these small details will extend the life of your unit and reduce the chances of overheating.

Cooling Technology and Energy Efficiency

Small wine refrigerators are excluded from the federal Energy Star energy program. Some wine refrigerators are more energy-efficient than others.  

Thermoelectric units are typically more energy-efficient and are best suited for small living spaces like a studio apartment or condo.  

Compressor units use refrigerants like standard refrigerators. They may be less energy efficient than thermoelectric units and may be a little noisier, especially at lower price points. However, they tend to last longer and work in a broader range of ambient environmental conditions. The more life one gets out of a wine refrigerator means fewer units purchased over one’s lifetime and less landfill accumulation of dead units.  

Noise and Design Aesthetic

Following delivery issues and bottle count, the third most likely source of complaints on small wine refrigerators is noise. Remember, any durable good with a fan makes noise, and sensitivity to this noise varies by person. In this price category, we found that these units will be between 25 and 45 decibels, about the noise level of a quiet conversation.  

Think about where the wine refrigerator will be located. If it will be in a living or entertaining area, or in your bedroom, pay special attention to the noise emitted by the unit. If the unit will be in an unfinished walkout basement or utility room, then noise might be less of a concern.  

Since wine is a luxury good and many of these units end up in kitchens, most wine refrigerators are aesthetically pleasing. Consider whether or not you like the color of the LED lights and trim finish (stainless or black). Also, do you prefer (or need) a left or right opening wine cabinet?

Bottle Size Flexibility

Keep in mind that bottle capacity is typically referring to Bordeaux style bottles. Chances are, most wine enthusiasts have bottles that range in size and shape. Frequently, consumers are disappointed when they can’t fit all the expected bottles in the cabinet when the sales literature notes a capacity of, say 56 bottles. Second to delivery issues, the bottle capacity count is a frequent cause of low reviews.  

Wine bottle sizes vary by wine style and region. Champagne and Burgundy bottles typically have a fuller, rounder base, while Bordeaux style bottles are more rectangular in shape.  Flute-shaped Riesling bottles have longer tapered necks.

If your collection has wines from many regions, you will likely need to spend more for flexibility in the interior shelving system, or just live with a fewer number of bottles than the labeled capacity.   

Other Considerations

We reviewed only single-zone temperature zone units, small wine cabinets. Dual-zone wine cabinets tout flexibility, however, we like fewer moving parts that have the potential to break down. We suggest keeping things simple by planning ahead: just slip that rosé or Sauvignon Blanc into your regular refrigerator or an ice bucket 20 minutes before serving if you enjoy them below 55 F.  

We have found that wine cabinets with the same capacity can vary a lot in price. Typically, higher-priced units have the following features:

  • Better shipping pallet and packaging material

  • Less assembly

  • More responsive customer service

  • More robust individual components (e.g. glass layers, more metal thickness, heavier duty compressor, shelf quality)

  • Higher-end look with trendy finishes

  • More shelving flexibility

If you have minor children in the house, or you rent out your home on platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo, we strongly suggest getting a wine refrigerator with a lock.  

Most small wine refrigerators will not need a lot of cleaning or maintenance, other than checking to see if the temperature and humidity are near the ideal conditions.  

If you are concerned about your small wine refrigerator temperature and humidity (let’s say while you are out of town or in case of power loss), you may want to consider putting one of these Moat Temperature & Humidity Wireless Smart Sensors in the wine cabinet. It will send you an alert if either is out of the specifications you set.

 
 

Now, let’s get to those small wine refrigerators!

Best Unit for Diverse Bottle Sizes:

Allavino FlexCount - 56 Bottle Single Zone Wine Cellar Refrigerator

Of all the units we reviewed in this product category, this one had the longest warranty. The cooling technology is a compressor. The noise level reported is around 40 decibels or less.

The small wine refrigerator comes well packaged and on a pallet. Minimal assembly is required and the small wine refrigerator is easy to get up and running. You can choose if you want the door to open from the left or right. The wine refrigerator is front venting and can be installed under a countertop or as a stand-alone unit.

What sets this unit apart from the others is its FlexCount shelving. It can accommodate many different sizes of bottles. This FlexCount shelving is not only practical, its sleek design makes it look premium and contemporary. The wine refrigerator comes with a lock.

Here’s your link for more information on the Allavino wine refrigerator:

 
 

Best Unit with Traditional Wood Shelving

Lanbo Built-in Compressor Wine Fridge Cooler With Reversible Door 52 Bottles

For wine enthusiasts who love the look of traditional wood shelves, this unit may suit your needs. It is also a front venting unit, enabling under-counter or stand-alone installation.  This unit comes with adjustable feet, carbon filtration, a safety lock, door alarm to let you know if the door is ajar.

The door is reversible and includes a lock.  The unit fits 52 standard wine bottles, so if your collection contains wider Bourgogne style bottles or broad-shouldered Cabernet Sauvignon bottles, you likely are not going to get 52 bottles in the unit.

Here’s your link for more information on the Lanbo wine refrigerator:

 
 

Best Unit for Basement Bars:

NewAir Built-In Wine Cooler and Refrigerator, 52 Bottle Capacity Fridge with Triple-Layer Tempered Glass Door

If you’re looking for a small wine refrigerator for your basement bar and don’t need the “wow” factor but still want a visually appealing refrigerator, this one may meet your needs.  Like the previous two models, this one also has a compressor cooler. It has a noise level of just under 40 decibels, a reversible door, beech wood shelves, and a moisture container to help with maintaining humidity.  It is also front venting, perfect for under counter or stand alone installations and has a lock. It comes with a one year warranty.

A few potential downsides: it appears as if the legs are not adjustable so one will need to use wood shims to balance the unit on an uneven floor. Some users report that the temperature needs to be reset when electricity goes out and that the bright blue LEDs are very bright.

Here’s your link for more information on the NewAir wine refrigerator:

 
 

Best Budget Option:

Kalamera 50 Bottle Compressor Wine Refrigerator Single Zone with Touch Control

This small, quiet wine refrigerator is ideal for townhomes, smaller condominiums, or office spaces.

Budget does not mean giving up on aesthetics. This small wine refrigerator has pleasing blue LED lights, a stainless steel door, and double layer glass. Unlike the other units, it has thermoelectric cooling technology, making it very quiet. At 82 lbs., it was the lightest small wine refrigerator we reviewed. The beech racks are removable to accommodate the wider bottle bases of wines like Pinot Noir and Champagne. It has a one year warranty and does not have a lock.  

Some potential downsides: if you have a lot of non standard wine bottles, you may only be able to fit about 40 bottles. The door is not reversible and the unit does not have a lock. The unit vents toward the back, so it is best used as a stand alone unit and not as an under counter installation.  

Here’s your link for more information on the Kalamera wine refrigerator:

 
 

Conclusion

We’ve four similar sized small wine refrigerators for a variety of circumstances, from a premium unit suitable for kitchen installation to a stand-alone wine refrigerator perfect for a condo or small business.

If I needed a small wine refrigerator for a home remodel or for a condo, I would select the Allavino (affiliate link). It’s a great value for those interested in something like a EuroCave, but wanting a smaller capacity at a lower price point. We like it due to its flexibility of bottle size and five-year warranty on the compressor, as well as other positive reviews we found on the internet regarding delivery and responsiveness of customer service to delivery issues.  

At the end of the day, each of these units covers the intended purpose: keeping about 50 wines cool at a stable temperature with enough humidity and minimal light exposure and vibration.  

Best of luck in selecting your wine refrigerator!

Cheers!

All About Wine Glass Racks

Introducing Wine Glass Racks

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If you are looking into wine glass racks, we’re guessing that you’re interested in the purchase for one of two reasons:

1) You have inadequate shelf space in a small home or kitchen and need creative ways to store those extra wine glasses.

2) You have a magnificent wine glassware collection and you would like to showcase your love for stemware in a tasteful but clearly visible display.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Do I need a wine glass rack?

If you have ample in-cabinet storage in your kitchen or unconditioned storage elsewhere in the home, then you may not need a wine glass rack for storing your stemware. If this is the case, be sure to read our blog on how to properly store your wine glasses.

However, if you don’t have in-cabinet space for storing wine glasses, or you want to showcase wine glasses in your kitchen, bar, or even a repurposed armoire, then wine glass racks are a great solution to storing wine glasses.  

What types of wine glass racks are there?

Different types of wine glass rack designs are generally dependent upon the intended location for installation. Wine glass racks can be installed in any of the following locations:

  • Ceiling-mounted

  • Wall-mounted

  • Under the cabinet

  • Free-standing counter-top or table-top unit

  • In an armoire, bookcase, or pantry

What types of materials are wine glass racks made of?

Just as there are many types of wine glass racks, there are also several materials from which wine glass racks are made. Stemware glass racks can be made from metal, wood, composite wood, glass, plastic, and reclaimed architectural elements like pallets.  If the wine glass rack is made out of metal or wood, frequently there is more than one finish available from the manufacturer so that the rack will fit in with a variety of aesthetics.  

How Do I Select the Right Wine Glass Rack?

Select a Location

While under the counter is a popular option, consider some other spaces before purchasing a wine glass rack. Think about how often you use the space where you’re considering putting a wine rack. Is this spot easy to access when you’re entertaining guests? Do you want to showcase your glassware, or do you simply need an out-of-the-way place to store it?

Consider Type and Number of Glasses

Consider the diversity of glasses you own or may own in the future.  Are you just beginning to purchase wine glasses or do you already have a collection?  If you’re single or live with just one other person, a smaller wine glass rack may work just fine. If you have a bar in your basement or entertain frequently, you will want to consider a wine glass rack that will store 18 or more glasses. 

Most wine glasses have a fairly thin base - if you have wine glasses with “fatter” base you may find that these don’t fit well into some wine racks.   

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Take a Measurement

After you’ve decided where you want your wine rack to go, measure the space available. Consider not only the width and depth of space but also the height.  

You’ll also want to measure your wine glasses. Consider how much space each glass takes in diameter. Some specialty large-bowl wine glasses for Burgundy or Bordeaux take up more space than universal wine glasses.  

Make sure that there is enough space between glassware to store them a half-inch apart. When glasses are stored too close together, vibrations can damage your glassware (or just make an annoying noise).

When taking your measurements, you should also consider if there are pets or children who could bump/break glasses by accident as they are passing by. Hold up your favorite glass under the counter and see if your cat can safely pass under it (no, we don’t love cats on our countertops either, but we all know they get up there when we’re gone!). You may also want to consider if an under-counter wine glass rack will reduce your counter space.

The Best Under-Counter Wine Glass Rack

The simple, clean design of this under-counter wine rack is perfect for today’s modern kitchens. The rack is easy to install and holds up to 18 wine glasses (it will also hold champagne flutes or martini glasses).

 
 

The Best Hanging Wine Glass Rack

When selecting a wine glass rack that hangs from the ceiling, make sure to measure how far from the ceiling that wine glasses will be.  You don’t want to look out across a room and stare directly into wine glasses instead of at your guests or partner.

We love the rustic elegance of this wine glass rack. And we love that it holds wine bottles in addition to wine glasses.

 
 

The Best Countertop Wine Glass Rack

If you are looking for a stemware storage rack that can sit on your counter or in your pantry, consider one of these. The spiral staircase effect is visually pleasing, and because glasses are stored vertically, they won’t take up too much counter space.

 
 

Wall Mounted Wine Glass Rack

One of the most flexible wine glass racks on the market are these wall mounted wine glass racks.  Like this one, many have both a framework for hanging wine glasses and a “bonus” bookshelf surface. This is a great space for storing wine books or even wine bottles! When you’re short on cabinet space, using wall space is an excellent way to get more storage.

 
 

The Best DIY Wine Glass Rack

On a budget or good with hand tools? You can make your own wine glass rack for under-counter storage. Check out this short video for instructions.

To make the wine glass rack, you can purchase your own T-Molding in a variety of lengths from your local hardware store and even online. We like this unfinished T Molding as you can stain or paint it to match your cabinet or armoire.  

 
 

Installing Your Wine Glass Rack

Most wine glass racks require screws (which are often included with purchase), a screwdriver (manual or electric), a tape measurer or ruler, and a pencil to mark where to insert the screws.

It’s a good idea to have extra screws on hand in case the screws provided with the rack are too shallow or too long. Nothing’s worse than installing a wine rack and puncturing through the cabinet. Or, even worse, using too short a screw, resulting in your wine glass rack falling down. No one wants to clean up that mess (or lose all that glassware!).

 
 

If you are installing a ceiling-mounted wine glass racks, you might want to have a few spare eye screws on hand in case the eye screw you receive is not sufficient.

 
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When installing a ceiling mounted wine glass rack, try to screw into the ceiling joists.  Alternatively, you can first install a decorative board on the ceiling and secure that to the ceiling joists. Then, you can hang the wine glass rack from the board.  

If you’ve no clue where the ceiling joists are, you can get a stud finder (these are also helpful for hanging up large paintings, shelves, mirrors, or other heavy objects).

 
 

Stemware Rack Wrap-Up

There are a variety of wine glass racks to store your stemware depending upon the space you have available and the number of glasses you need to accommodate.

Wine glass rack options range from DIY to higher-end, ceiling-mounted units. The most flexible type of wine glass storage is a wall-mounted wine glass rack, as it can be installed just about anywhere you need it.  

When installing any wine glass rack, make sure the screws you use to install it are long enough (and also not too long!). If the wine glass rack weighs over a couple pounds and is to be installed in drywall, we recommend that the screws are inserted such that they go into the studs (for a wall installation) and joists (for ceiling installation).  

When filling the glass wine rack with glassware, make sure that the glasses are about ½ inch apart so that they don’t chip and to prevent a ringing noise if there are any vibrations near the wine glass rack. Also, if you’re displaying your glassware for guests to see, be sure they’re nice and clean!

Cheers!

How to Store Wine Glasses

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Wine Glass Storage Rule of Thumb:

Before stashing that glass, make sure it is clean and polished!

Storing wet wine glasses is a sure recipe for mold or mildew, as well as unsightly water spots.

If you’re a wine lover, you probably have a collection of wine glasses. Some of them might be cheap glassware from big box stores (no shame in that!), some may be your grandmother’s crystal, and some may be fine wine glasses like Gabriel Glas. If you’ve recently acquired new wine glasses or have undergone a bit of kitchen reorganization, you may be wondering about the best way to store your variety of wine glasses.

In today’s blog, we’re offering tips and tricks for wine glass storage. Whether you’re storing cheap wine glasses, fine wine glasses, or something in between, we have the advice (and a few great products) to help.

Before we continue with our recommendations, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

How to Store Wine Glasses

It might not be obvious how how a wine glass should be stored, especially since you’ve probably seen friends or even restaurants store their wine glasses in different ways.

Below are our recommendations, based on type of glass.

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How to Store Expensive Wine Glasses

Fine, thin-rimmed glassware should be stored “bowl up.”

Storing wine glasses with the bowl up significantly reduces the chances of chipping the bowl when putting the glass away and retrieving it from the cupboard. High-end wine glasses are also designed with a robust base for storing upright. Storing on the bowl rim puts a lot of weight on the delicate structure of the rim. 

When storing fine wine glasses in this manner, keep them about ½ inch apart so that it’s easy to both store and use the glassware. Again, this reduces the likelihood of chipping the glass. It’s tempting to store glassware “yin/yang” style (one up, one down, in a repeating fashion). This might look nice in the cupboard, but it unfortunately increases the likelihood of tipping over a glass.

How to Store Cheap Wine Glasses

Cheap glassware can be stored on its rim, as they will typically have thicker rims than their fine china cousins.

Cheap wine glasses can also be stored in the boxes they came in.  If you didn’t keep the original box or the box they came in is too flimsy, you can purchase wine storage boxes online.

We prefer a banker’s box style since they can be reused for other purposes. Also, they are recyclable when they reach the end of their lives.  

 
 

When using cardboard boxes to store the wine glasses, remember to clean the glasses before and after storage. This will reduce the likelihood of the glassware taking on a musty box smell. 

Rotate Through Your Glassware 

Once you’re done storing your wine glasses - whether they are expensive or cheap - be sure to rotate through the individual glasses in a collection. This will prevent those two or three wine glasses you usually reach for from looking more worn than the others due to repeated dishwashing.

How to Prepare a Cupboard or Shelf for Wine Glass Storage

So we’ve solved the “up or down” debate. What about shelf lining - is that necessary?

We store our glassware on maple shelves in our cupboard. Since we don’t currently live in an earthquake-prone area, we’ve left the shelves unlined. However, if you do live in an earthquake-prone area or are especially clumsy (with our without wine), you might consider installing some simple shelf liner. Shelf liner will minimize the movement of wine glasses in an earthquake or and will minimize the accidental tipping that occurs with normal use.

These Gorilla Grip liners are smooth, come in several colors and sizes, and have a 10-year guarantee:

 
 

How to Store Wine Glasses in a Small Space

If you live in an apartment or a house with a small kitchen, your wine glasses may have to compete with plates, coffee cups, and small appliances in limited cupboard space.

Happily, there are many different types of under cabinet racks available in a variety of colors. These racks are perfect for small spaces. The only downside to these wine glass racks is that the wine glasses can be broken if you have active cats or children in the space.

 
 

If you only have limited cabinet space, but have another area where a free standing rack or ceiling mounted rack is a possibility, here are some solutions. These also might work if you want to keep the wine glasses out of reach of small children (thought they could still be an issue with particularly acrobatic cats!).

We love that this one has extra storage on top that could be used for wine bottles or wine accessories.

 
 

And we like ceiling-mounted style for its rustic elegance (it also provides storage for quite a few wine glasses):

 
 

How to Store Wine Glasses in a Mobile Home or Boat

Love the RV or boating lifestyle, but want some fine wine glasses for special occasions? Or just want a break from Solo cups? An option other than unbreakable wine glasses is to store a couple of wine glasses in a box especially designed for this purpose. We recommend this one especially for fans of larger, expensive wine glasses.

 
 

With this travel case, you can drink wine in style, even when you’re relaxing beside your RV or floating into the sunset on your boat!

The Bottom Line on Storing Wine Glasses

When storing expensive wine glasses, store them “bowl up.” Inexpensive glassware can be stored either up or down, as cheap glassware tends to have thicker bowl rims.

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Always be sure to clean and dry your glassware before storage (and afterward!) to prevent mold or mildew and to clean away any dust (or bugs, yuck!) that may have taken up residence in the wine glass during storage.

If you live in an earthquake-prone area or are especially clumsy, consider limiting slippage by installing a shelf liner on the cupboard shelf where you store wine glasses, or consider getting a slide-out rack.  

If you like to take your wine glasses on the go, be it an RV, a boat, or on a camping trip, there are options to protect a couple of wine glasses for celebrating those special occasions.

We hope you find success in your wine glass storage endeavors!

Cheers!   

The Very Best in Wine Cabinets

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At KnowWines, we’re wine collectors ourselves, and so we have the best interest of fellow wine collectors at heart. Whether you’re just getting started with your wine collection or have been curating a wine collection for a number of years, you’re going to need wine cabinets, coolers (like the popular Vinotemp or Eurocave), and shelving. Lucky for you, we’ve spent the last few years curating more than just wine. We’re also curating our top picks in all things wine related, from wine keys to wineries to (you guessed it) wine storage. In this weeks blog, we’re compiling our favorite reviews on how and where to store wine. Whether you’ve got a huge collection and a small space to store it, or a small collection and more room than you know what to do with, one of these blogs is likely to have a solution for you.

Please note, as you read, that KnowWines pays for all of the wines, wine accessories, and wine trips that we review on this blog. We are Amazon.com affiliates and we do receive a small commission if you purchase products, guides, or maps through our affiliate links. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, the products we test, and other costs associated with running this site. So, thanks in advance for supporting our blog!

The Small Wine Fridge

Back in June, when we were anticipating hot temperatures and the pleasures of pulling chilled bottle of wine from our personal wine refrigerator, we reviewed four small wine fridge options. In that blog, we not only give detailed descriptions, including pros and cons, of the four wine refrigerators, we also provide an overview of wine assassins and provide a detailed list of what to look for in a quality fridge to suit your needs, from bottle size flexibility to noise, design aesthetic, and energy efficiency.

The EuroCave Wine Cabinet

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Since we’re on the topic of wine coolers, we can’t ignore the classic EuroCave. Our performance review on the EuroCave details our own experience with this wine cabinet (spoiler alert: it’s still going strong after five years!) and also discusses features and benefits of the cabinet. For those who are seriously considering a purchase of this wine cabinet, we also include several nitty-gritty details about how to clean, maintain, and save energy with the EuroCave Performance wine cabinet.

Wood Wine Racks

Wooden wine racks are a classic choice for storing your wine collection. The Wine Racks America Ponderosa Wood Wine Rack is a solid, attractive, and easy-to-assemble option, especially if you’re looking for an entire wine rack wall. As we discuss in our review of these wooden wine racks, this is an ideal choice for someone with a cellar, closet, walk-in wine cellar, cave, or off-site temperature-controlled wine storage locker who is seeking sturdy shelving for organizing and laying down wines for in-bottle aging.

DIY Wine Cabinets, with Crates

As we state in our review of Weinbox, these stackable, easy-to-label crates help wine collectors create a modular system for storing wine that allows them to easily add and remove wines from the storage location. Wine crates are an attractive option for maximizing storage units that are taller than they are wide, while still enabling for retrieval of wines through a molded “door” on the front and back of the wine crate. These beat cardboard wine boxes by a mile!

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Storing Wine When You’re On the Go

As someone who appreciates wine, you probably also enjoy sharing wine. And chances are, you’re not always going to be enjoying your wine within the confines of your own home. Sometimes, you want to bring a bottle (or two) to a friend’s house, on a picnic, or even on a special vacation. First of all, if you’re planning to fly with wine, read our article on how to check your wine when flying - we fill you in on all the travel guidelines for wine, plus share recommendations on the best luggage for safely transporting bottles. If you’re just traveling across town for a wine and cheese picnic, or perhaps heading to a party where you’ll gift the hostess with a nice bottle from your collection, read our review of the top reusable bags for wine.

Storing Corks

Finally, what do do with all those corks left over from opening your bottles of wine? If you wish to collect them, there are several chic and fun options available to you, and we review several of them in our Best Wine Cork Holders blog. Whether you want to save a few select corks or need a receptacle for every cork from every bottle of wine you open, this list will help you find what you’re looking for.

With the holidays fast approaching, these ideas for wine storage make great gifts for yourself or your wine-loving significant other. If you’re looking for a holiday gift that’s wine-related but a bit less of an investment, check out our ultimate gift guide for wine lovers.

Cheers!

Weinbox Wine Crate for Modular Storage of Wine

If you belong to a wine club and store your wine in your home, at some point you’ll want to optimize the modular storage of your wine.  All those wine shipments come in different sizes of boxes, and trying to stack odd-shaped cardboard wine boxes gets tricky and looks messy. After some online research, and taking a peek in other wine storage units, we came across the Weinbox.  

 
 
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What to Consider Before Getting Weinbox Wine Crates

Wine crates are a great way to reduce the footprint required to store wines in a large open space, like an open wine cellar or off-site storage lockers like Extra Space Storage.  These open areas, while temperature and humidity controlled, often lack shelving or other structures for storing heavy wines. Without planning, your storage space may end up looking like like this photo - definitely not ideal!

Wine collectors often need to choose between investing in wood storage shelves (see our article on Wine Racks America) or a modular system that allows them to add and remove wines from the storage location for consumption. Wine crates are an attractive option for maximizing storage units that are taller than they are wide, while still enabling for retrieval of wines through a molded “door” on the front and back of the wine crate.

 
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These wine crates are ideal for wine collectors and wine retailers who are storing wines in open areas or in interior closets. An ideal customer would reuse the crates as wines are consumed. Not every wine storage location (cellar, closet, off-site temperature-controlled storage) is amenable to wooden wine racks or a large wine maturation cabinet like Eurocave.

Wine crates like Weinbox are not ideal for wine collectors who have ample shelving or for wine collectors or retailers who are happy with storing their wines in cardboard boxes or wooden shelves. 

What is Weinbox?

The Weinbox (Wine is Wein in German) is an injection-molded plastic folding wine crate made in Germany by CABKA, a company that specializes in reinforced and long-lasting plastic products like pallets and industrial boxes - products that are designed for reuse and that are 100% recyclable upon the end of their use. CABKA saw the need for a wine bottle stacking system superior to awkward cardboard box stacking that is not always available with wooden wine rack systems.  

The Weinbox is a product that can help with the vertical stacking of a wine collection as a freestanding wine rack, especially in open vertical storage space without shelving. With its lean profile and molded handles, the Weinbox is also good for confidently carrying up to a case of wine between storage locations and up and down a flight of stairs.  

The Weinbox wine crate(s) are not intended for use as wine shipping crates. If you need to ship wines in a lay-flat box, we offer an option below.

Weinbox Wine Crate Features and Benefits

Horizontal Wine Bottle Storage with Minimal Bulk

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Ideally, wines with cork closures should be stored on their sides to keep the cork moist. A moist cork is important as dry corks allow oxygen into the wine bottle and cause the wine to oxidize. (We discuss this and other wine storage details in our wine refrigeration blog!). The Weinbox holds up to 12-750mL wine bottles in an orderly, horizontal arrangement. 

Each individual Wienbox wine crate measures 19 inches long x 10.5 inches wide x 9.75 inches tall (485mm x 266mm x 247mm). An empty Weinbox weighs approximately 3 lbs and 11 ounces. Four Weinboxes take up about the same space as one case of wine in a shipping box.

Weinbox Modular Storage is Dust Repellant

Over months and years, cardboard or wooden wine storage boxes and racks will accumulate dust. In three years, we’ve never had a problem with dust accumulating on the Weinbox crates.  

Flexible Bottle Size

Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, and oversized California wine bottles all fit in the box, and you can still get 12 bottles per box.  It is even possible to store three magnums (1.5 L) bottles in one Weinbox. We’ve been able to fit 18 Alsace wine bottles into one Weinbox.

We recommend that you try to keep like bottles with like bottles (in other words, don’t mix bottle sizes) for neat looking storage. We’ve also noticed, when driving with mismatched bottles in the wine crates, that they make a lot of noise when driving down the road!

Access Wines and Read Label Tags From Both Sides

If you are stacking cardboard shipping containers of wine in a vertical space, chances are the wine you want to consume is buried in the bottom box, and you can’t access it when needed. That’s never a fun situation.

With the Weinbox, individual bottles can be removed from the front or back of the crate (so you don’t need to unstack crates!). 

Or maybe you can’t even locate the bottle you want to drink because when the shipping box arrived, you put it in the wine cellar with a bunch of other ambiguous cardboard boxes. Without a good labeling system, it’s pretty hard to find that single bottle of wine. With the Weinbox, each crate can be labeled with A6 index cards, so you know exactly what’s inside. Individual Weinboxes labeled with index cards can be cross-referenced in spreadsheets or wine applications like Cellartracker.

 
 

Stackable Modular Wine Storage

An advantage of the Weinbox wine crate modular system is that crates can be stacked up to seven units high. Also, if you have a wine cellar or retail space, the wine crates can double as supports for an impromptu tasting table. Simply make two columns, each four crates high, place a board across the two columns, and voilà, you’re ready for a spontaneous tasting!   

Wine Crate Folds Flat for Storage

Most other racks on the market are not foldable, including wooden wine racks.  As you consume wine in your collection, you might not need all the wine crates at once. Weinbox crates can be disassembled in under two minutes. Disassembled, 63 crates stack only 2.5 feet high.  

How Robust are Weinbox Crates?

Weinbox wine crates have stood up well for us over three years of use. They are made of injection-molded plastic that is intended for industrial use - these crates are much stronger than other plastic crates intended for the home user that one finds at box stores like Target.

We have filled each of our Weinbox crates with 12 to 15 bottles of wine and then carried them up and down flights of stairs. We’ve driven on gravel roads and the interstate with full crates in the back of our crossover SUV, and we’ve moved them through a warehouse on hand trucks to our wine storage locker.  

How High can I Stack Weinbox Crates?

In our wine storage locker, we have stacked the Weinbox wine crates 7 crates high and 3 crates wide.  At this height (about 5.5 feet) it becomes difficult to hoist additional filled wine crates on top of the 7th layer of wine crates.  

Social Proof: Weinbox Wine Crate Reviews

We researched online reviews and videos to see if our experience with the Weinbox was the same as other users.

Most other user reviews were quite positive. These wine crates provided the modular and self-standing wine storage solution that they were looking for.

There were a few users who found the assembly a little tricky, like a complicated puzzle. However, after ten to fifteen minutes of troubleshooting, most were able to assemble each subsequent box in less than five minutes.  Our experience was similar: it took about five minutes to get the first one unpackaged and assembled, and the subsequent boxes each took about two minutes to assemble. 

Some users who filled their crates with oversized California wine bottles found that the crates bulged a little on the side.  We had the same experience. However, the bulging has not presented any problem in stacking the wine crates and has not caused any structural issue with the individual crate.

Alternatives to Weinbox Wine Crate

Storvino Bottle Storage System

The Storvino Bottle Storage system is made in the United States. Each unit holds six wine bottles and is stackable. When stacking, one can use the space on top of the top-most unit to store two or three wines. 

 
 

Pros:

  • Sturdy, made of industrial-strength injection molded plastic   

  • Made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic

Cons:

  • Tight fit for wider bottles like Champagne or Burgundy bottles, you might tear a label if you try to force a big bottle in the hole

  • No handles for transport

  • No label holder

Stakrax Stackable Modular Wine Bottle System

The Stakrax Stackable Modular Wine Bottle System is made in Australia and takes a slightly different approach that may suit your wine storage needs.  Each unit holds one wine. It might be a good solution if you have an especially narrow space or odd-shaped space you’d like to use for wine storage.

 
 

Pros:

  • Easy to assemble

  • Best for odd-shaped spaces where one needs to take a “Lego” approach to fit wines

  • Accommodates Champagne bottles

Cons:

  • Depending upon the configuration needed, you may need to purchase additional pieces to complete a storage unit

  • Some buyers mention that they’ve had units arrive to their store or home that are damaged, however it was easy to replace with customer support

Domaine Layflat Bottle Storage Wine Storage Boxes

The same company (Domaine Wine Storage) that is authorized to sell Weinboxes in the United States also sells cardboard boxes that lay flat. This could be a good solution if you are not thrilled with plastic solutions to modular wine storage.

One advantage of using this approach is that all the wine boxes match, making stacking (and moving) easier than utilizing the packaging that wine club shipments come in.

 
 

Pros:

  • Wine modular storage amenable to moving

  • Cardboard box prevents exposure to light 

Cons:

  • Inserts don’t accommodate all bottle types, they are designed for Burgundy and Champagne bottle shapes

  • Magnums (1.5L bottles) and exceptionally long Riesling bottles don’t fit

Weinbox Wine Crate Summary

We have been using Weinbox wine crates for three years and really like how they reduce the storage space of wine when compared to cardboard wine boxes. We appreciate that the product is made in Germany and is well constructed. The boxes can also be folded up to store flat. These wine crates have handles which makes it easy to transport wine up and downstairs. The index card system, in combination with the CellarTracker.com inventory system, has solved our wine inventory needs when storing wines at an off-site wine storage locker.

We hope that the Weinbox will serves your storage needs, and that you can finally recycle all those bulky cardboard boxes! Domaine Storage is the only authorized dealer in the US, so get your Weinbox here:

 
 

Cheers!

Wine Racks America Ponderosa Wood Wine Rack

So, you have space in a dark closet, basement, or cellar (lucky you!) and are looking for wooden wine racks that are economical, robust, customizable, and easy to put together.  Enter Wine Racks America, a company that makes wine racks for a variety of consumers and commercial applications.

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We purchased two Wine Racks America racks in 2013 and were pleased with their robustness and the ease of putting them together. We ended up staining them to fit in with our basement decor, and we still use them there today in our basement, especially for the storage of wines and craft beer bombers that we plan to consume or share in the coming months. 

Things to consider before buying Wine Racks America Wood Wine Racks

The best way to store wines is on their side, and preferably in a dark place away from light, vibration, extreme temperatures, and relative humidity above 50%.  If you have most of these conditions as well as a growing wine collection, you may consider wooden wine racks for storing wines on their sides.

Wine Racks America wooden wine racks are ideal for someone with a cellar, closet, walk-in wine cellar, cave, or off-site temperature-controlled wine storage locker who is seeking sturdy shelving for organizing and laying down wines for in-bottle aging.

Before purchasing a wooden wine rack, consider the following:

  • How much space is available for the rack?

  • Do you want the wine rack to mount on the wall or on the floor?

  • What color of finish or stain do you prefer in a wine rack?

  • How many bottles do you hope to accommodate?

  • Which specific wine bottles will you need to accommodate (e.g., mostly standard Bordeaux or Burgundy bottles or a range of bottle shapes and sizes)?

  • What do you want to store above the wine rack?

You may not be an ideal candidate for a wooden wine rack if the following statements are true about you:

  • You don’t like to assemble products.

  • You need the product right away (manufacture and delivery can take several days).

  • You do not want to sand the item before staining (if you purchase the unstained product).

Wine Rack Americas Ponderosa Pine Wine Racks

Wine Rack Americas has been making wooden (metal, glass, and other) wine racks in Salt Lake City, Utah since 2003. The wooden wine racks are handmade from both hard and soft woods and with or without a finish. They sell five different lines catering toward the wine enthusiast, the serious collector, and the wine retailer.  In this review, we will be covering the Wooden Ponderosa Wine Rack Deluxe.

This product is ideal for the home wine collector who is simply looking to lay down wine bottles in a closet or basement for under a year. Those looking for a more refined or finished product may want to contact Wine Racks America directly for more customized options.  

Pros:

  • Made out of solid wood

  • Available stained or unstained

  • Ships in a flat box

Cons:

  • Some assembly is required.

  • As a natural wood product, there might be some natural variation in the finished product.

  • If most of your collection is Chardonnay, and the bottle has a wider base, they might be a tight fit.

  • If most of your collection is 375 mL or narrower than a Riesling flute, then the bottles might not fit on the brace.

Features & benefits of the Ponderosa Pine Deluxe Wood Wine Rack

How to finish the wood wine rack

The Wine Racks America wood wine rack comes unfinished.  You can stain the unit before you assemble it, or you can choose from over a dozen different finish options.  

We opted to finish the rack ourselves. We simply sanded the entire rack unit, first with coarse sandpaper, and then fine sandpaper.  We spread out all the wood components in the yard (on the cardboard box the pieces arrived in). We purchased some stain from the local hardware store and stained two units within one hour. We let the wine rack pieces dry in the garage for one week prior to assembling.

Wine rack construction

The Wine Racks America Ponderosa Pine Deluxe Wine Rack is made in America (Utah).  It comes with a lifetime guarantee. The Ponderosa pine is a fine-grained pine tree with a pleasant smell.  It is easy to stain and does not splinter as much as other softer pine wood. The entire unit is made of wood - there is no laminate or composite material.  

This freestanding unit does not require bolting to the wall. However, if there are small children in the house who might climb on top of the unit, we would recommending fixing the unit to the wall with some long screws.  

Wine Racks Americas Racks fit all 750 mL bottles

Over the past several years we have stored various bottle sizes in this wood wine rack.  

Wine bottles with wider bases like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir do fit. However, the fit is a little snug.  We have found that the wood is flexible and forgiving, so with a little elbow grease, we’ve gotten in all the bottles.

Special 500 mL or 375 mL bottles often don’t fit, in that most will fall through the slats. We’ve placed these smaller bottles in our EuroCave or placed them at the bottom of the wine rack on the lowest shelf so that they don’t fall through the slats.  

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Weight of the wine rack, with and without wine

Assembled, the wine rack weighs 50 lbs. Of course, you’ll add weight for wine bottles in the rack - you can easily put up to 250 lbs of weight on the system. If you are located on the second floor (or higher) of a building and are uncertain about the quality of the flooring under you, you may want to consider setting up your wine rack perpendicular to the floor joists so that your floor does not sag due to the weight. 

Storage on top of wine rack

With this unit, yes, you can store other items on top of it (including another wine rack, if you fasten them together appropriately!). We store some glassware on top of ours, as well as a collection of carboys containing fermenting beer.  

Wine Racks America’s standard wood wine rack allows for growth

Unlike many other wood wine rack companies, Wine Racks America knows that wine enthusiasts have evolving needs. If your collection grows to a large size and you’re considering adding more units, rest assured that other products have uniform height or width to allow for later expansion. 

Wine Racks America Wood Rack social proof

We did a lot of research on how others felt about the on-demand wooden wine racks from Wine Racks America. Overall, the evidence was overwhelming that the racks work as expected, are sturdy, and hold the wines as intended.

Negative reviews focused on aesthetics: that the wine rack did not always look perfect and that a little cosmetic work (sanding, staining) needed to be done by the buyer to smooth out any rough spots.  Occasionally there were wood knots that were aesthetically unpleasing, especially to people used to the perfect look of laminated or synthetic products. However, it was noted that wood knots did not interfere with the structural integrity of the product.  

Alternatives to the Unstained Wine Rack

Still undecided on the right wood wine rack for you?  Here are a few alternatives

Wine Racks America Ponderosa Pine 64 Bottle Two-Tone Deluxe

The two-toned Ponderosa pine model is good for those who want a finished or furniture-looking wine storage system. This unit is almost identical structurally to the unfinished version. The rough edges have been smoothed out and there are a few choices of finish colors available.  Some assembly is still required.

Stackable Modular Wine Rack Stackable Storage Stand Display Shelves 

If your collection is mainly comprised of Bordeaux-style wine bottles (Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc), and you want a less expensive, more “palet lumber” look to your wine shelf, then this might be an option.  If you collect Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Champagne, you will likely not be happy with this wood wine rack.

This item will likely have more knots and be less aesthetically pleasing. However, if you just need some robust wood wine racks, this might fit your needs.  Since it is made up of a much softer type of wood than the other racks reviewed, it is going to show dings and scrapes more easily.

This wood wine rack looks very easy to put together.  Once you get this unit filled up, you might need to brace it with some more wood.  This might be a good wine rack for someone who enjoys wine who will be living in their home or condo for a couple of years and wanting to make a minimal investment in a recyclable wine rack. 

Wine Racks America Wood Wine Rack, our conclusion

We purchased our wine racks in 2013 and still use them today for storing value wines for weekday wines, large format (750 mL) beer bottles, and mead.  

The Wine Racks America wood wine racks enable the home wine enthusiast to store wine on a rack at a reasonable price in a location such as a basement or closet.  If the wine is going to be stored in an area with visibility, you might want to finish the wine rack yourself to give it a more polished look, or spring for the two-tone deluxe mode. 

Some less expensive options do exist out there to consider, especially if you are in temporary housing.  These units are typically easier to put together and less flexible to bottle size than Wine Racks America wood wine racks.  Wine Racks America seems to be focusing on the wine enthusiast and wine obsessed market, and not the low end of the wood wine rack market.  

If we needed another wine rack, especially for the storage of beer bombers, we would purchase the Ponderosa pine wine rack again.  

When you purchase a wine rack on Amazon.com through our link, it helps us to keep running our site and to continue to provide you with our reviews, tips, and guides. 

Thank you, and cheers, from KnowWines!



Single Wine Bottle Holders

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Many wine enthusiasts like single wine bottle holders because they provide an attractive conversation piece on the countertop or table while their guests are enjoying wine.  There are many types of single wine bottle holders available from artisans and from online retailers. 

We’ve scoured the internet and found the very best, up-to-date wine holders, any one of which may be a good addition to your dining space or a nice gift for a wine-loving friend.

Why would I want a single wine bottle holder?

A single wine bottle holder is a decorative way to show off a prized bottle of wine.  The wine bottle holder might be minimalistic - intended to display the fine wine. Or, you may prefer a bolder wine holder - a conversation piece beside the cheese tray.

Wine bottle holders, which can be constructed from wood, wire, plastic, or all of the above, have become very popular home decor items.  Also, a wine bottle holder can be an easy, quick gift for the wine lover who “has it all.”

How do I choose a wine bottle holder?

Whether you are purchasing the wine bottle holder as a gift or for your own home, there are a few things to consider.

Construction

Wine bottle displays can be constructed from wood, wire, plastic, wire, resin or a combination all of the above.  

Aesthetic

Since wine bottle holders are home decor, the design aesthetic is a big focus.  Consider who will be using the wine bottle holder. Do they intend to use the product seasonally or throughout the year? Do they like funny/quirky things or are they more traditional?

Space

If the apartment dweller or homeowner has limited space, then a large single wine bottle holder might take up too much space.  They may prefer a wall-mounted item.  

Quality

Since these items fall into the kitchen home decor category, they are typically low to moderately priced.  One-of-a-kind wine bottle holders can be premium priced. However, since those items are very specific we limit our reviews to items that are mass-produced but not low quality.   

Do I need a wine bottle holder?

No, a wine bottle holder is not a necessity for a wine collector.  Its purpose is to show off a bottle of wine or to serve as a conversation piece in its own right.  Most often, single wine bottle holders serve as a unique piece of art reflecting the style and aesthetic of the wine owner. There’s not a single, go-to brand of wine bottle holder.  

Precautions to consider

The wine bottle holder exposes the wine bottle to light, heat, and vibration, all of which can affect the wine. For more on long-term storage of wine, check out our wine storage article.  

If you are gifting a single wine bottle holder, acknowledge that minimalists may find them cluttering.
Best wine bottle holders

And the best single wine bottle holders are ….

Best Wooden Wine Bottle Holder

This hardwood wine bottle holder would be a good bet for anyone whose design style you’re not sure of. It does not look or feel cheap and would make a good gift for someone who would like to show off a single Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to guests. This is our pick for that conservative or traditional wine enthusiast in your life.
Pros:

  • Unique gravity-defying shape - does not look like every other wine bottle holder on the market

  • Dark finish and minimalist design complement many home decor styles

  • Comes in a nice box for easy wrapping - no need to wrap an awkward shape

Cons:

  • Free accompanying bottle stopper seems like an odd freebie (but hey, it’s free!)

Best Metal Wine Bottle Holder

We love this simple, stainless steel wine bottle holder as our favorite metal wine bottle holder.  If you (or the gift recipient) want to showcase the wine instead of the bottle holder itself, this might be a good selection.  

Pros:

  • No design elements near the neck of the wine bottle - so it can acomodate 750 mL bottles of various sizes and lengths

  • Matches most stainless steel kitchen appliances

  • Rust resistant - if you entertain outside and accidentally leave it outdoors a few times, it won’t rust

Cons:

  • Might look a little too simple or industrial for those who would prefer a little more character in their wine bottle holder

Best Floating Wine Bottle Holder (in Cowboy Up! Or Ships Ahoy!)

Yes, you can have the best of both worlds - minimalist design that won’t detract from a great bottle of wine AND a topic of discussion at your next party.  

Pro:

  • Makes guests look twice

  • Design is not obtrusive

Con:

  • Only available in white

  • Might get tipped over in a crowded or busy space

Best Wall Mounted Wine Bottle Holder

Many wall mounted wine bottle holders detract from the wine bottle.  Our top pick lets the label do all the talking.   

Pros:

  • Minimalist design - you see the wine bottle not the holder

  • Can be used at room temperature (in a kitchen) or in a wine cellar 

  • Easy to install

Cons:

  • The holder does stick out of the wall a little bit - you will not want to mount one right next to a doorway

Best Animal Wine Bottle Holder

There are so many animal wine bottle holders available online, it was so hard to pick one!  If you don’t know what type of animal a gift recipient likes, an octopus is a good compromise (they’re quite intelligent, and fun to look at, too!).  This wine holder is also a great gift for nautical themed condos or beach homes - or Kraken lovers.  This guy’s tentacles don’t get in the way of the top of the bottle, so it can acomodates a variety of bottle lengths and sizes.  

Pros:

  • Some of the animal wine bottle holders have the bottle aimed at the animal’s mouth.  While this may elicit a chuckle, some people consider it a little on the silly side. Also, those designs might not fit all bottle types.  This one allows for more flexibility in bottle size.

Cons:

  • Don’t store the wine for long in an upright position as the cork will dry out!

Best Unique Wine Bottle Holder (Perfect for Halloween!)

Worried about having a lifeless party?  Why not liven it up with this Undead single bottle wine holder? This is a perfect gift for fans of The Walking Dead or Santa Clarita Diet (or for anyone who loves Halloween).

Pros:

  • Weighing in at a little over three pounds, this resin wine holder is a sturdy piece

  • Very detailed gore on the zombie neck, face and arms

Cons:

  • Does not hold odd wine bottle sizes or odd liquor bottle sizes

Best Wine Holder for Boxed Wine

Who says boxed wine doesn’t deserve a spotlight. We say, “No wine left behind!”

Entertaining a crowd?  Need to take wine to the beach or pool where glass is a no-no? Discard that carboard box and place that bag of wine inside this stylish wood box!  The way this wood box is designed, you can actually get all the wine out of the bag (in some cardboard boxes it is tricky to get all the wine out).

The best part about wine in a bag is that if you don’t finish it all, it will keep for many days.  While much of boxed wine here in the US is nameless plonk in a box, there is an increasing number of good value wine being placed in these containers.  

Pro Tip: Purchase more than one for a party and then use one for wine and the other for any other spirited cocktail under 80 proof.  

Pros:  

  • Good for weddings or big parties when you want to avoid unsightly cardboard boxes

  • Home winemaker?  Fill the bag with your own creation and label with the free accompanying chalk

  • Accompanying bags can be filled with bottled wine as well

Cons:

  • A little bulky - you’ll need to find a place to store it when not in use

And the winner is…

The floating lasso bottle holder!

We like that this wine holder showcased the wine, yet was intriguing enough to be a topic of discussion at an indoor or outdoor party.  Also, the white color complements or contrasts a lot of trendy decor and surfaces.  It would fit right at home in a range of decor styles - beach, cowboy chic, or rustic modern.  

Good luck choosing the wine bottle holder that’s just right for your entertaining or gifting needs!

Cheers!