How to choose the right wine cellar?

Wine requires careful storage. Whether you are just a wine lover or a budding sommelier, ixina offers you a wide selection of wine fridges to store, serve or age your bottles according to accepted standards – with models that will blend in perfectly with your kitchen.

Different types of wine fridge

What is the difference between an ageing and a service fridge? We provide you with all the details you need to choose the wine fridge best suited to your needs.

Service wine fridge

These fridges are generally less bulky than ageing fridges. Designed to serve wine in the best tasting conditions, some models are able to keep your bottles at different temperatures. For example, most Grands Crus can be enjoyed at the following temperatures:

From 16°C to 18°C for red Bordeaux wines;

15°C to 16°C for red burgundies;

From 10°C to 14°C for light red wines;

From 10°C to 12°C for champagnes;

From 8°C to 10°C for rosés and dry whites;

From 7°C to 9°C for sweet white wines.

Advantage and disadvantage

+ Your wine is perfect for serving.

— Bottles for “laying down” cannot be kept there to continue maturing over the long term.

Ageing wine fridge

Designed for those who want a fridge to age their wine over the long term. Ageing fridges will maintain the wine at a single and stable temperature to bring it to its peak. The ideal temperature for storing wine over the long term is commonly 12°C.

In addition to temperature, it is also crucial to protect the bottles from light. That is why it is important for these fridges to have a solid door or anti-UV glass.

Controlling the hygrometry will also be an important characteristic for choosing your fridge and for respecting the wine without altering it. This hygrometry control is not essential for service wine fridges, whose main purpose is simply to bring the wine to the right temperature for drinking.

Advantage and disadvantage

+ Keep your bottles for a long time.

— Offers only one temperature.

Dual-zone wine fridge

Also referred to as a multi-temperature wine fridge, dual-zone fridges not only conserve and age wines, they also prepare them for consumption. Designed more for oenophiles, they feature a temperature zone intended for conservation and ageing. One or more zones are provided to provide an ideal temperature for serving.

Advantage and disadvantage

+ Allows you to vary the temperatures and conserve wines and spirits.

— They represent a more substantial investment, but are essential for proper conservation of your Grands Crus to ensure high-quality tasting with your family and friends"

Built-in wine fridge

Often smaller than an ageing or dual-zone fridge, these come in several sizes and shapes, although their capacity is more limited. Generally, they rarely exceed 100 bottles. However, a built-in wine fridge fits perfectly into the design of your kitchen for better integration into your interior design.

Advantage and disadvantage

+ An aesthetic asset in your kitchen.

— More limited capacity

What temperature should wine be stored at?

A good wine fridge must maintain a humidity level above 50%, and ideally 65% to 75%.

Where should you place your wine fridge?

Strictly speaking, there is no ideal place to install your wine fridge – living room, dining room, kitchen or even in a cellar, nothing is impossible. Provided, however, that you follow a few basic rules. For example, do not allow any exposure to the sun or heat sources (e.g. gas/oil boiler or car) and avoid rooms where the temperature drops below zero in winter or exceeds 38°C. Ideally, it should be installed in a room with an ambient temperature above 12°C. Since 2012, household appliances are no longer subject to the energy class, but to the climate class. This new standard indicates the ideal location for your wine fridge. For example, a wine fridge classified “SN-ST, extended temperate to subtropical” can be placed in a room where the temperature fluctuates between 10°C and 38°C to ensure it functions correctly. A wine fridge is both aesthetic and functional and can be displayed in your living room just as well as your kitchen.

Would you like further guidance? Make an appointment with one of our advisors, who will be able to help you choose a wine fridge that will fit perfectly into your kitchen.