How to Choose the Best Over the Fridge Wine Rack for Your Needs?

Wine is a drink that people enjoy all over the world. Wine racks are specially designed to store wine bottles. Different types of wine racks are available in the market that have different advantages and disadvantages.

A wine rack is a device that stores wine bottles horizontally for storage and display purposes. The most common type of wine rack is the over-the-cabinet, also called an “over-the-counter” or “over-the-fridge” type, because it sits on top of a counter or kitchen cabinet.

What is an Over-the-Fridge Wine Rack and Who Needs One?

The space above the refrigerator is often neglected and underutilized. It’s a useless space between the top of the refrigerator and the ceiling or has a protruding cabinet too high and deep to locate anything in. Earlier, it was never necessary to utilize the space everyone has over their refrigerators. But in our modern homes, we all face a space crunch and have to use every nook and corner of the house effectively.

This over the fridge area may be used to create wine racks. In addition, ready-made wine racks may be ordered based on the material of your choice and the space you have. This is a fantastic space-saving option for individuals who have homes that are limited in size.

What Makes a Good Over-the-Fridge Wine Rack?

Make sure that the wine rack, whether pre-made or one that you create yourself, has a horizontal form. When you store your wine on its side, it helps to keep the cork moist, which is vital for long-term preservation since a dried-out cork may cause seepage and premature aging. Horizontal wine storage is also a space-saving method of storing your wines that allows for maximum room and quick access.

Is it advisable to put a wine rack above the fridge?

Building a wine rack above the refrigerator is not a wise idea since the heat emitted from the fridge makes this one of your home’s hottest spots. The higher the ambient temperature, the more quickly the wine will mature, get stale and must be discarded.

Factors to keep in mind while choosing your over the fridge wine rack

There are various considerations to bear in mind whiles selecting the ideal wine rack for over the refrigerator:

1. Size of your Refrigerator– Measure your fridge and get its dimensions before you start looking for a wine rack to keep on top of it. Select the rack a little smaller than the width and depth of you fridge, so that it will get a stable base. As a general rule, refrigerators with a capacity of more than 18 cubic feet, have a width in the range from 30”-36” and depth between 28”-36”. Compact Refrigerators with a capacity less than 10 cubic feet have a width in the range from 16”-20” and depth between 18”-22”.
2. Ensure that the wine rack design you choose is safe and stable. Select a rack with a heavy base for maximum stability.
3. Choose a rack in accordance to your wine collection. Choose the rack that is the closest fit in the horizontal and vertical space you have available above the refrigerator but also in accordance to the number of wine bottles that you presently have in your storage room or wine cellar.
4. The ideal resting posture for the bottles on the wine rack is horizontal (the optimal position), tilted (the second-best choice), or vertical (the third-best option).
5. The kind of material you want to use for the wine rack design — glass, wood, iron, or metal — its durability, as well as the amount of maintenance and care it will take in the event that a wine bottle is inadvertently dropped.
6. Keep in mind that in order for the wines to age correctly, the following factors must be met: lighting conditions (dim/dark lighting), humidity, movement, and temperature in the appropriate area.

See also: 8 Reasons Your Wine Fridge is Not Cooling and How to Fix It

Best Over the Fridge Wine Racks

1. Ironwood Wooden Wine Rack

This is an ideal wine rack for owners of a compact refrigerator and a small collection of wines. This rack is a set of two premium wood sticks with 5 wells that can be used to stack upto 15 bottles of wine. It is a space saving rack and even when not in use, can be easily stored without eating up precious space.

Price: $20.59

Rating: 4.3/5

Features

• It is 19.25 inches long and weighs 12.6 ounces.
• The rack is made up of premium quality Acacia wood.
• It has a sturdy and functional design.
• No assembly required, just put the two bars on a surface and load your wine on them.

2. Lokeko Small Wooden Wine Rack 

Another wine holder for a compact space. A set of two can be used if you have a French door or a side by side refrigerator. This wine bottle holder helps avoid dry corking by keeping the bottles from rolling, tipping, or sliding while being displayed.

Designed to withstand the test of time, this wine rack is made of Acacia hardwood, a naturally dark and light wood that gives each one a distinct look. Its contemporary and beautiful design makes it an excellent display piece that you’ll be delighted to have on your fridge. This high-quality wine organizer is ideal for your family and also makes a beautiful holiday present.

Price: $45.99

Rating: 5/5

Features

• The dimensions of the rack are 14.75″ x 4.75″ x 6.25″ inches
• The material used is Wood
• It is possible to store six standard-sized (750ml) bottles of wine on each rack.
• This rack allows keeping the bottles horizontally oriented and helps avoid dry corks and wine oxidation.

3. Bariboo Wine Rack

This wine rack is flexible and can be build as per your needs. It can be downsized into a six bottle storage rack or build into its full 12 bottle form. It also allows the option to stack two wine racks together and store upto 24 bottles.

Price: $ 50.9

Rating: 4.5/5

Features

• The rack if built to store 12 bottles measures 21 inches by 7.5 inches by 10.5 inches.
• It comes unassembled, but has an snap and go assembly and does not require any tools to assemble.
• This rack is truly flexible and can easily fit into almost any space.
• It also allows the user to use the rack in a vertical standing position.
• The rack is made of durable, plastic material.

4. X-cosrack Rustic Wine Holder Rack 

This rustic wine rack can store upto 12 bottles of wine and is suitable for a stable over the fridge wine storage.

Price: $34.99

Rating: 4.6/5

Features

• It measures 12.6 by 7.9 by 17.8 inches and weighs 7 pounds.
• The Metal & Wood combination design gives it a retro chic look.
• It has Adjustable Non-slip Plastic Feet to ensure the stability of the wine rack.
• The top wooden board is strong and can also be used for decoration or storage purposes.

Advantages of Wine Rack

The main advantage of this kind of rack is its accessibility—it’s right there, so you can quickly grab whatever bottle you need without having to open up any cabinets. It’s also out in the open, so it can serve as an eye-catching detail that enhances your kitchen’s look.

Get your own over the fridge wine rack now and save a ton of space.