Wine Pros Share How They Store Their Favorite Bottles at Home

If you're serious about cellaring wine and protecting what you've invested in it, it's worth investing in a good cooling and storing system. We asked some of our favorite wine experts to share how they keep wine at optimum temperatures at their own homes–and for advice for the rest of us. Here's what they shared.

If You Plan to Keep Wine Around for a Long Time, Splurge on a Big Refrigerator

"When choosing wine storage, I think it's most important to establish your intention: do you want to begin cellaring and collecting bottles, or just want a separate refrigerator to hold your wines? If you plan to age wine and hold for long periods, I recommend a larger unit that holds 120-300 bottles. Budget is obviously an important factor, but I don't recommend buying a cheap, large wine refrigerator if you have a smaller budget. If it breaks down and you have a hundred bottles of wine that are destroyed when the cooling element goes, you haven't done yourself any favors!"

—Lindsey Fern, Director of Wine, The Inn at Little Washington, Virginia

"In terms of blanket recommendations, I think a good rule of thumb is that if you're debating between sizes, always default to the larger size; you will inevitably acquire more wine than you expect to! And dual-temperature zones are not truly necessary, especially if you're working with limited space. I would always trade a second temperature zone for more storage space."

—Mia Van de Water, Master Sommelier, Head of Beverage Operations, COTE Korean Steakhouse, New York City and Miami

F&W PICK: The Sub-Zero 30-Inch Classic Wine Storage stores up to 146 bottles in grand style.

This sleek tower has separate temperature zones for red and white wines.

If You Want a Flexible Storage Arrangement, Get Multiple Small Fridges

" I recommend multiple smaller fridges as they are easier to carry and move around and make it simpler to play with different temperatures according to wine styles. I have four small 36-bottle EdgeStar and Igloo wine fridges for all my bubbles."

— Bruno Almeida, Sommelier and Wine & Spirits Educator, New Jersey

F&W PICK: The small but mighty EdgeStar 20-Inch 38-Bottle Free Standing Wine Cooler has two temperature zones for your wines. Still little but very luxe, the under- the-counter Monogram Wine Reserve unit has panels that can be customized to match your cabinetry. It can hold up to 57 bottles.

If You Plan to Store Wine in a Closet, Invest in a Compressor

"The importance of protecting your wine is really crucial. Bottles should be kept in a cool, dark place with minimal to no vibrations. I store my wine in a walk-in closet in my apartment. Luckily, the temperature in San Francisco is pretty moderate. There are small compressor units [wine cooling units] that can be used to create a wine cellar in a small closet. This works really well if you have a closet under a staircase or stairs."

—Tonya Pitts, Wine Director, One Market, San Francisco

F&W PICK: The CellarCool CX2200 wine cooling unit is made in the U.S. and cools a space up to 300 cubic feet. It's ideal to convert a closet or a pantry into a cellar.