Ah, the vagaries of the English language. Sometimes the exact same phrase refers to two completely different items. Take the term, Wine Cooler. It is entirely possible that it refers to that light and refreshing summer adult beverage composed of your favorite inexpensive (or let’s get real here, cheap) wine, sparkling flavored water and tasty liqueur. But sometimes a Wine Cooler refers to that special appliance that keeps your favorite bottles of vino at optimum temperature. And no, your refrigerator doesn’t qualify as a Wine Cooler, regardless of which definition you choose.
There are plenty of reasons to consider using a wine cooler instead of your refrigerator to store your wine; temperature being the primary factor. Those who study such things assert that 55 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for wine imbibing. Your refrigerator is likely set at around 35 degrees. Wine coolers also protect your wine from the flavor killer that is natural light (exposure to fluorescent light can also break down your wine’s flavor, making it taste blah. Wine coolers significantly reduce or eliminate entirely the amount of vibration produced from a refrigerator’s compressor. Such vibrations can disturb a wine’s naturally occurring sediments, which can, in turn, age the wine prematurely.
Wine coolers come in a variety of sizes, most falling into the 30 to 60 bottle capacity range, but you can pick up an inexpensive model that holds a dozen bottles for under a hundred bucks.