The Best Wine Refrigerators and Coolers of 2019

_{This story was written in collaboration with Forbes Finds. Forbes Finds covers products we think you’ll love. Featured products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Forbes may receive a small share of that sale.}

Let me just say this up front—I don’t know too much about wine. However, I do know a lot about storing things and the technology that enables us to do so.

But if you care about wine, then you’ll care about how you are storing it. While your house will probably never reach the sheer magnitude of the wine cellar at Aureole Las Vegas—where I did not consume the wine out of fear and anxiety and several years of sobriety—there is no reason you can’t step your wine storage game.

First, the kitchen refrigerator is no place for wine, next to the beer and mustard. For one thing, a regular refrigerator keeps food stored at about 45°—which is the low end for wine. Ideally, you want to be between 45° and 65°—and most people split the difference and say, 55°.

So wine, particularly good wine, demands its own storage. Here are a few refrigerators and coolers to give your wine to find a nice, chilly home.

Ivation Premium Stainless Steel 12 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler/Chiller

There is a reason this Ivation appears at the top of many wine cooler lists. At under $200 it’s affordable and offers many of the features of larger, more expensive refrigerators. It’s a single zone cooler, which means that every bottle of wine is cooled at the same temperature. This is a perfect wine cooler for someone who is just interested in keeping a dozen bottles on hand, generally of the same type (red or white), or has only a small space in their apartment or studio for wine storage. The solid polyurethane heavy foam and Thermopane doors keep out odors and light to maintain constant humidity, which is important for cork health and the wine molecules themselves. It also maintains a consistent temperature, which is set through the digital LCD display. The oak shelves are a nice balance to the modern stainless steel design. It will fit anywhere you have space to store wine and runs quiet and without vibration—something that also affects aging and settling of wine.

Shop Now

Phiestina Dual Zone Wine Cooler Refrigerator

When you are ready to step up from being a casual wine drinker, then you are going to want a wine cooler with a little complexity. (You know, like the difference between red and white.) That’s what this Phiestina Dual Zone Wine Cooler offers, two zones for two different types of wine that each require their own home and temperature control. With a dual-zone wine cooler you get exactly that — two areas, each with its own temperature control. The reason, of course, is that red and white wines should be stored and cooled separately, due to different molecular construction. Six racks in two zones carry 33 bottles so your guests will have that ever-coveted choice of wine, rather than whatever lukewarm Chianti you generally serve. Compression cooled, blue LED lighting and digital controls keep the Phiestina squarely in the modern chic category while the small footprint keeps it under a counter top or in the corner.

Shop Now

LANBO Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator

Once you’ve grown your collection of wine beyond the dozen or so bottles on your counter—and you’ve become that friend who keeps a bowl of used corks on the counter— you may want a cooler installed as part of the kitchen. That’s the Lanbo Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator. It’s a bit pricier than a personal unit, but is meant to sit under the counter right next to your dishwasher, so the pricing is definitely commensurate with an appliance. The Lanbo has a double-paned tempered glass door, beech wooden shelves and temperature memory functions for both zones. It’s fan cooled and vents front facing so you don’t have to worry about the compressor blowing because the vent is blocked under the counter. The best part is a built-heat detector that intelligently adjusts the temperature. It looks sleek in the kitchen as an appliance, but it’s missing something.

Shop Now

Allavino FlexCount Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator

What the Lanbo is missing, the Allavino FlexCount has. The FlexCount has that slick, black look that not only would look clean and modern under the counter, but would stand out in any kitchen. You are a wine drinker. You know things about regions, varietals, vintages—and you are comfortable using words like terroir. (You probably even share this knowledge, unprompted, with your friends and co-workers and random people in the office.) With a 56-bottle storage capacity, the Allavino FlexCount also offers dual-zone temperature control as well as an advanced cooling system that is not only vibration free, but also uses 25% less energy than most wine coolers. An added benefit of the Allavino FlexCount, because you are such a wine lover and have bottles of different sizes, is a versatile shelf system that allows for varying bottle shapes.

Shop Now

Kalamera Freestanding Wine Refrigerator

Okay, now you’ve gone and done it. Wine is your life now. Your knowledge base has expanded. You spend your weekend trolling local wineries and mocking the selection at your friends’ dinner parties. When you’ve reached this level, you buy the Kalamera Freestanding Wine Refrigerator. That’s right, a wine refrigerator. It’s not a cooler, it’s not casual. This thing is business. With a 157- bottle capacity in dual zones, this is the upgrade you’ve been dreaming of. This is what your mom was talking about when she told you to find your purpose. Your purpose is wine and the Kalamera Freestanding Wine Refrigerator is the place to store it.

Shop Now

Ivation 8-Bottle Countertop Thermoelectric Wine Cooler

With a giant wine refrigerator holding court in the home, you are going to need something small on the counter for your everyday bottles of wine. Again, you can’t store them in the regular refrigerator, that would be irresponsible. You are a wine connoisseur now, you have to think practically. Put the Ivation 8 Bottle Countertop Thermoelectric Wine Cooler in your kitchen and you’ve got a secondary location for primary wines. It’s a fairly basic and fairly inexpensive cooler, intended for the eight bottles of wine you have on hand, red or white (but is single zone). It’s an energy efficient device and super quiet, so won’t be an annoying counter appliance. The simple design has wire racks and lock settings to keep moisture at bay and temperatures locked in. Now, what are you drinking?

Shop Now