If you’re new to wine storage, the options may seem a little overwhelming and the differences between them a little confusing. Here we’ll compare two different types of wine storage, wine cabinets and wine storage racks, looking at the pros and cons of each.
Space
Both wine cabinets and wine racks come in a wide variety of different sizes. An advantage of wine racks is that you can get extremely small ones, and it is also possible to get any shape and size custom made to fit your space. It may even be possible to build your own wine racks if you are skilled at woodworking, though depending on your level of expertise and the required finish, you may want to leave this to the professionals.
Storage conditions
When it comes to storage conditions, this is where a big advantage can be found in getting a specialised wine cabinet. Wine is very susceptible to deterioration if stored improperly. A wine cabinet will keep your wine at the perfect storage temperature, blocking or reducing harmful light and vibration. If you have a large collection or you want to keep your wine at its best for a long time, a wine cabinet is much more advantageous than a rack with no environmental control.
Cost
Wine racks can often be bought for a low price and if you’re not fussy on the style can sometimes be found second hand. Wine cabinets on the other hand cost more and for a higher end model can be quite expensive. If you only keep a few bottles in for drinking and are not interested in long term storage you may decide that a wine rack is good enough to suit your needs.
If you wanted to take the advantages of both, you could combine the storage conditions of a wine cabinet with customisability of wine racking. In this case, a wine cellar or room with bespoke racking may be the best option for you.
The cost will be greater than that of wine racks by themselves, but may be more cost effective than buying several wine cabinets, especially if your collection is very large.
Hopefully this guide has given you a better idea of the options available to you, and leaves you better informed to make your decision. We have a wide range of wine storage solutions in stock, so please feel free to take a look at the different cabinets and racks we can provide.
