The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
If you’re a wine connoisseur, you know how important it is to store your bottles at the right temperature and humidity. And while your regular fridge can manage the chill, the humidity is all wrong. And if you’re a collector without a wine cellar, you’ll struggle to build up any type of stock! Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a better way to store your wine bottles? Well, there is.
A wine fridge, also commonly called a wine cooler, is roughly the size of a mini fridge and is designed for wine bottles (and champagne bottles, etc.). They have special racks inside to keep your wine bottles secure, they allow you to control the temperature and humidity inside, and many of them are freestanding and can be placed anywhere in your space that makes sense! Don’t they sound great?
If a wine fridge sounds like the next best thing for your house, but you’re not really sure what you’re looking for, we’re here to help. Wine fridges will vary in things like price, overall size, bottle capacity, temperature range, number of zones, installation type, and more! Every feature matters, so you should think about all of them.
This comprehensive guide will investigate the best wine fridges in Canada right now and outline the criteria you should consider while making your purchase decision. Let’s dive right into our top five products.
Top Pick: Aaobosi 17-Inch Wine Cooler
Upgrade Pick: NewAir Freestanding 29-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Fridge
Dual Zone Pick: Ivation 33-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler
Compact Pick: Koolatron 6-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Fridge
Under Counter Pick: Electrolux 24-Inch Under Counter Wine Cooler
We really like the Aaobosi 17-Inch Wine Cooler. It has a beautiful aesthetic that will look great in any space, and with a 24-bottle capacity, you’ll be able to easily use it as a personal wine fridge, for entertaining, or even for serving at large events. With a wide temperature range, it’s also compatible with every type of wine!
One of its standout features is the memory function. It will remember your last used temperature and set the fridge at that setting every time unless you make a change manually. The automatic and energy-saving Adaptive Defrost setting is also a big bonus—your bottles will never experience the touch of frost. Thank goodness.
There are only two reasons why you might want to look at some other options. First, this is a full-size wine fridge, so if you’re looking for something countertop-friendly, this isn’t a great choice. Also, it doesn’t offer dual-zone temperature control, so if you’ll be storing different wine types in one fridge, this isn’t the best fit.
All in all, the Aaobosi 17-Inch Wine Cooler is our favourite recommendation for this year. When it comes to self-sufficient, versatile, user-friendly wine fridges, they just don’t get better than this one. It’s the best companion for a wine connoisseur!
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Price: 4.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers have great things to say about the Aaobosi 17-Inch Wine Cooler. The digital temperature control makes it really easy to make changes depending on what type of wine they have in their fridge, and the capacity is perfect for storing collectible bottles or prepping for big parties. It’s a very quiet machine, too, and it looks great in every space.
Buy If…
You’d appreciate a temperature memory function
You like to keep a variety of wines on hand
You don’t want to worry about frost buildup
You’d love a wine fridge that can be set up anywhere
Don’t Buy If…
Dual-zone temperature control is what you’re looking for
You’re short on space
Dimensions: 17.7” x 16.9” x 29.1”
Weight: 59.5 lbs
Installation Type: Freestanding or under-counter
Number of Shelves: 5
Bottle Capacity: 24
Zones: 1
Temperature Range: 41ºF to 64ºF
UV Protection: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
There are lots of things to like about the NewAir Freestanding 29-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Fridge. It has some of the best wine storage features in the business—an extra wide temperature range split between two zones, a thick insulated door for better temperature maintenance, and UV protection to keep your bottles in perfect condition. It’s truly the best.
The dual-zone design allows you to store reds and whites at different temperatures, so you’ll be able to meet the needs of each one in the same fridge. The blue lighting inside helps create a relaxing ambiance in your space, too. And since it’s a super quiet fridge once the ideal temperature has been reached, it won’t intrude on your zen time or interrupt your guests. Perfect!
Luckily, there aren’t many things wrong with this wine fridge. The 29-bottle capacity is respectable, but it still might be too small for collectors or event bartenders. The only other thing you might not love is the price tag—this isn’t the most affordable wine fridge around, and if you’re shopping on a budget, you might want to skip this one. It sure is worth the price, though.
All in all, the NewAir Freestanding 29-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Fridge is an easy one to admire. It will look great in every space, meets every wine storage need to perfection, and makes it easy to set your favourite temperatures. There’s nothing missing!
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers have a very high opinion of the NewAir Freestanding 29-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Fridge. The blue lighting inside is a great touch, and they’re all very pleased with how well it treats their wine—they’ve never had problems with temperature control. It maintains the target temperature quietly, and they appreciate being able to store reds and whites in the same fridge at the right temperature.
Buy If…
You keep multiple types of wines on hand at one time
Perfect storing conditions are what you’re after
You love an ambiance in your space
A quiet fridge would be nice
Don’t Buy If…
You’re shopping on a tight budget
You want to store a lot of bottles
Dimensions: 33.75” x 14.8” x 24.25”
Weight: 73.8 lbs
Installation Type: Freestanding or under-counter
Number of Shelves: 4
Bottle Capacity: 29
Zones: 2
Temperature Range: 40ºF to 55ºF upper zone, 50ºF to 66ºF lower zone
UV Protection: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
The Ivation 33-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler is truly the best choice for people who are in need of a dual-zone fridge. A 33-bottle capacity means you have tons o space to store reds and whites at their ideal temperatures, and since the racks can be shifted or removed entirely, you can free up space for extra-large bottles when needed. Talk about versatile storage options!
With a great seal to keep out moisture and a temperature lock, this wine fridge is designed with long-term bottle storage in mind. You won’t have to worry about kids changing settings and affecting the wine. Since you’ll get a wine voucher included with your purchase, you’ll save big on your first collection of 12 bottles. What a great way to get started. Happy collecting!
One of the only things you might wish was different about this fridge is the installation versatility—there is none. This one can only be used as a freestanding fridge, so if you’re hoping to keep your floor space clear with an under-counter option, this one isn’t it. Also, the display lights are very bright and cannot be dimmed, so it might not be a great fridge for a low-light entertaining space.
All in all, the Ivation 33-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler is the best choice if you’ll be keeping different types of wine in your wine fridge. It’s perfect for long-term storage, is highly adjustable in both ways that matter (temperature and rack location) and is priced very reasonably. What a winner!
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers are very happy with the Ivation 33-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler. It has a great capacity in both zones for keeping a large collection of reds and whites on hand at a time, and they like that they can adjust or fully remove the racks to store extra large bottles occasionally. The lock feature is great for keeping the fridge safe from little wandering hands, too. The included wine voucher was a huge hit!
Buy If…
You store your bottles for long periods of time
You want to keep different wine types in the same fridge
You’d appreciate a customizable rack arrangement
You’re new to wine collecting
Don’t Buy If…
You’d like a fridge with multiple installation options
You don’t do well with extraneous lights
Dimensions: 33.4” x 16.9” x 19.4”
Weight: 62 lbs
Installation Type: Freestanding
Number of Shelves: 5
Bottle Capacity: 33
Zones: 2
Temperature Range: 41ºF to 57ºF lower zone, 54ºF to 64ºF upper zone
UV Protection: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
We really like the Koolatron 6-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Fridge for people who don’t have the space for a traditional wine fridge. This countertop cutie can be placed on any counter or table to keep your wine accessible without taking up more space than it needs. With thermoelectric cooling, it’s also incredibly quiet, so it won’t become a disruption at any point.
We think you’ll also be really happy with the user-friendly controls on this one. An exterior digital control panel allows you to set your target temperature without opening the fridge, and you have an optional interior light that can be turned on and off as well! You’ll never have trouble reading the labels to decide on your next best glass.
There are a few things that might sway you in a different direction with this one. Of course, as one of the most compact wine fridges around, it doesn’t have the space to store very many bottles. Not great for collecting or entertaining. You don’t have dual-zone control, either, so you can only keep one type of wine at the right temperature. You’ll also need to defrost the fridge manually. Not ideal, we know.
All in all, compact wine fridges don’t get better than the Koolatron 6-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Fridge. It might not be as sophisticated as traditional sizes, but it will treat your bottles right. It’s super easy to use without disturbing your wines, too. Plus, you can’t beat the price.
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 4/5
Reviewers have good things to say about the Koolatron 6-Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Fridge. It’s exceptionally quiet, which makes it perfect for any room in the house, and they like being able to turn the interior light on and off. It does a great job of maintaining a precise temperature, too. They would all choose this one again and recommend it to others.
Buy If…
You want a countertop-friendly wine fridge
You’d appreciate an optional interior light
Digital controls appeal to you
A quiet wine fridge would be nice
Don’t Buy If…
You go through wine bottles pretty quickly
You want to keep multiple types of wine ready to drink
You don’t want to worry about frost accumulating
Dimensions: 14.25” x 20” x 10”
Weight: 17.2 lbs
Installation Type: Countertop
Number of Shelves: 3
Bottle Capacity: 6
Zones: 1
Temperature Range: 46ºF to 66ºF
UV Protection: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
We are big fans of the Electrolux 24-Inch Under Counter Wine Cooler, and we think you will be too. It’s one of the largest wine fridges out there, and with a 41-bottle capacity, it’s also the best option for storing a large collection. With an ultra-sleek finish and elegant interior lighting, you’ll also be able to display your collection to its fullest potential.
While this fridge can be used as a freestanding machine as well, it’s truly designed for under-counter use. The gorgeous aesthetic and slide-out wooden shelves make it easy to look at and easy to access. The door is also reversible, so it can fit into any kitchen/wet bar setup without becoming a nuisance or a hazard. Doesn’t it sound perfect?
We’re very happy to report that this wine fridge doesn’t come with any performance or quality issues. It’s a very expensive fridge, though, so if you’re shopping on any kind of budget, it might be a stretch. You don’t even get dual-zone control for that price, either, which might be disappointing. The only other potential downside is the interior controls—you can’t make adjustments with the door closed.
Overall, the Electrolux 24-Inch Under Counter Wine Cooler will make an exceptional addition to any entertaining space. With flawless interior lighting, an unbeatable bottle capacity, and a reversible door, this wine fridge is a standout choice.
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 1/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers have no complaints about the Electrolux 24-Inch Under Counter Wine Cooler. Its sleek appearance and hidden controls allow it to fit in seamlessly with any decor scheme, and they absolutely love how many bottles fit on the walnut racks. Some people would prefer that it offered two temperature zones instead of just one, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker.
Buy If…
You want to keep all of your floor space open
A large bottle capacity is what you're after
A sleek aesthetic would be nice
You’d appreciate a reversible door
Don’t Buy If…
You’d appreciate dual-zone temperature control
You don’t want to spend a lot on a wine fridge
You’d prefer not to open the fridge to adjust settings
Dimensions: 23.8” x 34.6” x 23.6”
Weight: 118.7 lbs
Installation Type: Under counter or freestanding
Number of Shelves: 5
Bottle Capacity: 41
Zones: 1
UV Protection: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
Some wine fridges can be purchased for less than $250, others will cost upwards of $1700. Most people won’t need to spend more than $1000 to find a perfect match, though. In general, more expensive wine fridges will offer a larger capacity, extra features like memory functions or sophisticated interior lighting, and will offer better temperature control.
A wine fridge can have either one or two zones. Single-zone fridges will be more affordable, but dual-zone models will allow you to store your bottles at two different temperatures in the same fridge. Dual-zone fridges are ideal for people who want to keep both red and white wines on hand.
The temperature range on a wine fridge is a very important thing to look at. Different wine types need to be stored at different temperatures, so if you’ll be keeping both on hand, you’ll want a temperature range roughly between 40ºF and 65ºF.
Wine fridges can also vary a lot in bottle capacity. Some are extra-compact units that can only store six bottles, others are quite large and can store more than 40 bottles at a time. The higher the bottle capacity, the more floor space you’ll need to give away, and the more you’ll have to pay for the fridge. It’s up to you to decide on your perfect balance.
Wine fridges can be freestanding, under-counter, or countertop machines. Only the most compact wine fridges can safely be kept on a counter or table, but many of the regular-sized fridges offer freestanding and under-counter installation types.
Since wine quality is negatively affected by sun exposure, it’s imperative that you choose a wine fridge that offers a high level of UV protection. Most wine fridges come with double-paned doors that may also be tinted—these features help block UV rays from entering the fridge and affecting the wine. We recommend you only consider fridges with UV protection.
Wine fridges come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a model that fits your space and your other requirements. Some wine fridges are compact in every dimension, others are tall and narrow, and some look like a traditional mini fridge.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes. The products in this list are ranked by independent third parties. Rankings are based on both reviews and independent testing.