Wine cellars have been around for centuries, but wine refrigerators are a more recent phenomenon. With the relatively low cost of small refrigeration units and the growing fan base for chilled wines, wine refrigerators have become standard accoutrements to the home and commercial bar alike. Wine refrigerators, like keg refrigerators, are available as stand-alone units or as cabinet units that blend in seamlessly with the rest of the bar.

Wine refrigerators are different from normal refrigerators in a couple of key respects. First, most wine fridges have a glass front door or doors. This allows the bartender to visually check for a certain stock and it makes a handsome display for anyone looking over the bar. Secondly, wine refrigerators typically forgo the kind of shelving you have in your regular refrigerator, using instead the same curved bottle cradle type racks you see on some regular wine racks.

A Wine Refrigerator Is Not Just for White Wines Anymore

In the old days it was simple: red was served at room temperature; white was served chilled, end of story. Not so anymore! Today's wine connoisseur demands, or at least responds to, a more sophisticated approach. In other words, wine refrigerators are used for red, white, and everything in between.

Here's a brief look at some ideal serving temperatures for some common wines, all of which you can dial your fridge to accommodate. Using Fahrenheit degrees, you should serve vintage port at 66; burgundy or cabernet at 63; pinot noir at 61; Chianti and Zinfandel at 59; Beaujolais and rose at 54; and Chardonnay at 45. It's worth noting too, that when storing wine, not serving it, 55 degrees is ideal for all types of wine. Keeping your opened bottles corked and inside a refrigeration unit will also allow you to drink the wine over a couple of days without offending the palate.