The three Finest Wine Rack Evaluations of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

My home got here with a built-in bar with closed storage for liquor and wine bottles. After a couple of years of tightly packing the cupboard with fundamentals, I spotted we desperately wanted a wine rack. It was simple to know that we had vodka, tequila, and whiskey available, however bottles of Pinot and Syrah had been getting misplaced behind the cupboard—or worse, going unhealthy from improper storage. 

A seek for one of the best wine rack started with a couple of questions on our wine assortment and the way a lot house we had. After sourcing a few of the most beneficial wine storage choices, I introduced dwelling 10 racks of various sizes, supplies, and capacities. Armed with our modest wine assortment, I put the wine racks to the take a look at. Some match completely into the bar house; I  examined others within the fridge, on a wall, or free-standing within the eating space of our dwelling. After a number of weeks of residing with and utilizing the wine racks, I discovered three of one of the best ones for storing bottles for on a regular basis events in addition to gathering. 

The Winners, at a Look

Made in Vermont from stable ash wooden, the J.K. Adams 12-Bottle Wine Rack might be configured for a lot of areas. The modular system comes collectively with out instruments and may develop alongside together with your assortment. Plus, it matches equally nicely in a cupboard or on a countertop.

The Williams Sonoma Walnut Wine Rack has a basic design and may sit on the ground or countertop. Whereas it’s fairly lengthy, it does have a low profile. As with my prime decide, you possibly can add one other unit on prime of or beside it as your wine assortment grows. Produced from walnut-finished pine, it’s also simple to mud with out eradicating the bottles.

Searching for a starter wine rack or a present for newlyweds? The Crate & Barrel 11-Bottle Gold Wine Rack is sensible and beautiful. You need to use this 11-bottle wine horizontally or vertically, making it appropriate for each small and huge areas.  

The Exams

• Meeting Check: I learn by the directions for every wine rack. After gathering provides, I constructed the racks to find out how simple it was to place every of them collectively and the way lengthy meeting took. This take a look at helped me to determine which supplies had been excellent and to judge the durability of the racks. 
• Filling Check: Armed with 10 bottles of various sizes and shapes, I examined the capability of every rack to find out what number of normal bottles it may accommodate, in addition to its capacity to carry 1.5-liter and curved Prosecco bottles. This take a look at additionally helped me assess every rack’s stability. 
• Eradicating and Rearranging Check: Eradicating and reorganizing a few of the bottles on every rack gave me clear perception into ease of use. (For instance, may labels be clearly learn? Did all bottle sorts slot in every area of interest?). It additionally confirmed weak factors in stability. 

What We Discovered

The Most Secure Racks Had been Additionally the Best to Assemble

The racks that had been the toughest to place collectively had been additionally a few of the least steady. For instance, the Wine Racks America Tabletop Wine Rack had complicated instructions and took the longest to assemble (over 22 minutes). It ended up being the least regular throughout filling and reorganizing. By comparability, the profitable wine rack from J.K. Adams had simply as many elements, however it took just a few minutes to assemble and required no instruments (and no swearing). 

Customizable Racks Had been Superb for Rising Collections

Your assortment of bottles is bound to alter from yr to yr. It’s possible you’ll purchase a case of wine on a particular journey and savor it, otherwise you may need a busy vacation season of consuming and gifting out of your cache. Having a wine rack that may develop or shrink together with your assortment—just like the J.Ok. Adams—is good. 

Area of interest Measurement Was as Necessary as General Capability 

Whereas I spent quite a lot of time contemplating the footprint of every wine rack to make sure it may slot in a home bar or eating room, I used to be shocked by how a lot the niches of every wine rack impacted precise capability. This may very well be a trigger for concern in case your wine assortment contains magnums or curved bottles (like those who maintain Prosecco or Champagne). The common 3.75-inch opening gained’t maintain these bottles, particularly if the area of interest is closed on all 4 sides. All three of my profitable wine racks can accommodate extra than simply standard-size bottles. 

Bigger Wine Racks Weren’t Essentially Extra Secure 

Surprisingly, many of the larger-capacity wine racks had been much less steady, even with extra bottles loaded into them. The profitable exception, the JK Adams 12-Bottle Wine Rack, has a wider, horizontal base that helps preserve it regular whilst you load and unload. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Wine Rack 

When on the lookout for a wine rack, contemplate your wine assortment and space for storing. In the event you preserve just some bottles available and have a small space, your wine rack wants might be totally different than a collector who may think about using a basement closet as a wine cellar. 

Nevertheless, all wine racks ought to retailer bottles on their sides to maintain the corks moist and forestall untimely getting old of the wine. Whereas area of interest dimension is essential—search for at the very least 3.75 inches in every opening for ease of loading and label legibility—floor clearance can be an element for protecting bottles contemporary. Racks that sit straight on the ground usually tend to expertise temperature fluctuations that impression the wine’s high quality. Wine consultants counsel at the very least a two-inch clearance if the rack will sit straight on the ground. 

Lastly, contemplate supplies. Steel and completed woods are best to mud in case you’ll be pulling out of your assortment occasionally. Unfinished wooden might be painted, stained, or oiled to assist keep it, however it may be troublesome to mud over time. 

Our Favourite Wine Racks

What we appreciated: One of many best racks to place collectively, the J.Ok. Adams 12-Bottle Wine Rack offered probably the most flexibility for rising your wine assortment. It is light-weight and durable. The large niches and open-top design accommodated normal, curved, and magnum bottles with ease. You’ll be able to assemble this rack to suit tall, slender areas like cupboards, or construct it quick and lengthy to suit throughout the expanse of a bar. 

What we didn’t like: The J.Ok. Adams doesn’t win any aesthetic awards with its Lincoln Log-like look, however as a result of it’s plain wooden it may very well be stained or painted to match your decor. 

Key Specs

• Bottle capability: 12 
• Model: Freestanding
• Area of interest dimension: 4.25 inches 
• Supplies: Ash wooden 
• Dimensions: 11.25 x 12.5 x 3 inches when constructed as a 4×4 grid 

What we appreciated: This huge-capacity wine rack doesn’t include directions as a result of it’s so easy to construct. The large base made the rack extremely sturdy even when totally loaded. The walnut-finished wooden was simple to wipe down when dusty. You should purchase multiples of this rack as your wine assortment grows, stacking them on prime of one another, as much as three racks excessive.

What we didn’t like: The items of the rack interlock with one another. Whereas the rack may be very steady as soon as set, it’s important to disassemble the items to maneuver the rack. You want flooring house or a large counter to make use of this rack. 

Key Specs

• Bottle capability: 18 
• Model: Freestanding; can be utilized on a flooring or counter
• Area of interest dimension: Open with 4-inch clearance between racks 
• Supplies: Walnut-finished pine 
• Dimensions: 11.5 x 35.75 x 11 inches

What we appreciated: Attractive and versatile, this wine rack was a winner within the seems to be division, because of its hexagonal niches and easy minimalist design. It is available in each a gold and a graphite end on an iron base, and you need to use it horizontally or vertically. The niches had been large sufficient to accommodate normal or curved bottles. 

What we didn’t like: This rack can solely accommodate magnum bottles when used horizontally. When oriented vertically, it was somewhat unsteady if bottles weren’t distributed evenly. 

Key Specs

• Bottle capability: 11, with an open design that may maintain three extra bottles when used horizontally  
• Model: Freestanding—excellent for a countertop 
• Area of interest dimension: 4.5 inches 
• Supplies: Gold- or graphite-finished iron 
• Dimensions: 17.25 x 6 x 11.75 inches

The Competitors

• Homevany Bamboo Wine Rack: A close to winner, this rack wasn’t troublesome to assemble, had nice capability, and was simple to wash. In the end, it wasn’t a prime decide as a result of it has a set design that may’t develop together with your wine assortment or be reconfigured for different areas. 
• Sorbus Wall Mounted Wine Rack: This rack was nicely designed and durable as soon as secured to the wall, however it requires an expansive wall to hold. It additionally has restricted capability. 
• PAG Arched Freestanding Floor Metal Wine Rack: That is the type of rack I think about when somebody says “wine rack,” however its tall, slender design was somewhat unsteady when totally loaded, and it solely held standard-sized bottles. 
• Vino 8 Bottle Oak Wine Rack: I liked the design of this rack however it had a small capability and solely held standard-size bottles. 
• Epicurean Matte Black Collapsible Wine Rack: This was one funky wine rack! It packs flat and has a wise design that doesn’t require any instruments to assemble. It didn’t make the checklist of winners due to its small capability (it held simply 5 bottles) and a few flexing throughout loading and unloading. 
• Wine Racks America Tabletop Wine Rack: Probably the most troublesome rack to assemble, this one cracked after I was placing the ultimate screw in place. The closed design and small niches meant this wine rack may solely maintain standard-size bottles. 
• mDesign Stackable Refrigerator Wine Rack: The seek for a fridge rack continues, as this rack didn’t maintain bottles of bubbly very nicely—which is very disappointing given that’s most of what it will maintain in lots of properties. 

FAQs 

What number of bottles can a wine rack maintain? 

I polled neighbors and different meals writers, and plainly most properties have to retailer eight to 12 bottles at a time. Extra critical wine collectors want a rack with a capability of 18 to 24 bottles. Every of the profitable fashions holds at the very least 12 bottles. 

Why do you have to retailer wine bottles on their sides?

Storing wine bottles on their sides means the wine can contact the cork and preserve it moist. A dry cork may cause the wine to age prematurely—an essential consideration in case you plan on storing wine for a very long time. 

Is a wine fridge higher than a wine rack?

Wine fridges are perfect for collectors or wine connoisseurs who wish to preserve sure vintages or varieties chilled. Fridges additionally require electrical energy and extra flooring house, so finally the reply to this query is dependent upon your wine preferences and residential dimension. Wine racks work nicely for many properties through which bottles might be consumed inside a yr. 

Why We’re the Consultants

• Meghan Splawn is a contract meals author and recipe developer who has labored in meals media since 2006. 
• Her work contains 10 years within the take a look at kitchen with Alton Brown, in addition to at websites like Merely Recipes, TheKitchn.com, and Severe Eats. 
• For this story, she spent two weeks testing wine racks in her dwelling, which incorporates two youngsters and an enormous, clumsy canine operating previous the racks each day.