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Best Wine Racks

Updated June 2021
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
MyGift Connoisseurs Deluxe
MyGift
Connoisseurs Deluxe
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Bottom Line

A top choice with unbeatable features: bottle space, user-friendly design, quality construction. The best on the market.

Pros

Holds an impressive 54 bottles. Simplistic, space-saving design is both sturdy and attractive. Labels on displayed bottles are easy to read.

Cons

It's at the higher end of the price range, but it offers a lot for the money.

Best Bang for the Buck
Sorbus Bordeaux Chateau
Sorbus
Bordeaux Chateau
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Bottom Line

Practical, attractive, and value-priced. The best choice if you want a nice wine rack without spending a lot of money.

Pros

Has space for 23 bottles. Comes assembled and is easy to move. Attractive French-style design looks great in virtually any room.

Cons

The metal feet have the tendency to wobble and could potentially scratch some floor surfaces.

Southern Enterprises, Inc. Celtic
Southern Enterprises, Inc.
Celtic
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Bottom Line

A sound buy if you want a model with ample work and storage space, but it offers less space for wine bottles than other contenders.

Pros

Multipurpose features: shelves, wine glass hanger, wine bottle holder, removable drawers. Looks good and is easy to assemble.

Cons

It takes up a bit of space, and the construction feels somewhat flimsy. Only holds 12 bottles.

Winsome Wood Vinny
Winsome Wood
Vinny
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Bottom Line

It has some nice features, but if you prefer certain types of wine and glasses, it may not be practical for you.

Pros

Convenient serving top, glass hanger, and space for 24 bottles. Construction feels stable, even when packed w/bottles and glasses.

Cons

Some larger wine bottles and glasses with wide bases don't fit. Consumes more floor space than others we considered.

Wine Enthusiast Renaissance Wrought Iron
Wine Enthusiast
Renaissance Wrought Iron
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Bottom Line

If appearance is your top concern, this elegant model could be a good choice.

Pros

A wine jail model that's both beautiful and secure. Spacious interior holds up to 45 bottles. Wrought iron looks great on display.

Cons

Pricey. Ornate design may be impractical for some consumers. It's also a bit shorter than some owners anticipated.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
64
Consumers
Consulted
8
Hours
Researched
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Buying guide for shopping guide for best wine racks

Whether you collect wine or buy bottles on the spot for dinner parties, you have to keep your vino somewhere. Why not get yourself a durable, handsome wine rack that keeps your bottles correctly angled and stored?

Wine lovers love their racks. They can be things of beauty and artistry. Whether it’s an elaborate steel rack with scrolls and grapevine motifs or a wall-mounted holder crafted like a modern sculpture, the mere sight of a wine rack makes the vibes in a room all the merrier — and it can make you feel a little bit like a sommelier.

There’s a wine rack made for every space, bottle size, and taste in décor. To choose the right wine rack, you’ll want to assess your wine bottle collecting habits, which bottle sizes you prefer, and how simple or ornate you want to go. Our shopping guide covers it all to help you store your vintage like a pro.

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Though it’s a complex topic, high-end screw top wine can age as well as corked wine. It has to do with the way the slightly porous synthetic liner of the top is manufactured to handle calculated levels of oxygen and escaped gases over time.

Key questions

Where will you keep your wine rack?

Though you may want to keep a wine rack in the kitchen for convenience, we recommend finding an alternative spot. Wine is best kept in a space where there’s no direct sunlight or changing temperatures that could affect the wine. Choose a cool part of your home; the basement may be ideal. If you want to keep your rack near your dining area, make sure it’s not in the direct line of any source of heat.

Another consideration: don’t place a rack in a vibrating area, such as near your HVAC system or a rumbly appliance. You may even consider using a wine rack with a marble or finished top as a console table in your hallway or living space.

How many bottles do you want to store?

If you think you’ll have no more than three to six bottles of wine at any time, a tabletop or smaller wall-mounted wine rack may be perfect for you. If you aren’t sure of the number of bottles you want to store, go for a larger rack — one that fits your space, of course. The more bottles you amass, the more likely you are to end up with some odd-sized bottles that don’t fit into a standard wine rack opening.

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Expert Tip
An uncorked or unscrewed bottle of wine should stay fresh and unspoiled for three to five days if stored correctly (chilled or in a dark and cool spot). Port has a longer shelf life, lasting up to 28 days.
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Key considerations

Bottle capacity

Wine racks can hold a few bottles or hundreds of bottles, depending on what you need. You may want to start with a smaller standing rack that holds 20 bottles and add another rack when necessary. Or, you may want to go for the gusto and fill up a rack that fits several hundred bottles.

Odd bottle sizes

Wine bottles range in width, height, and shape, making it a challenge to find a rack that fits every bottle. Even standard 750ml bottles differ in shape at times. A rack that holds bottles with bottoms that measure up to 3.5 inches in diameter should suffice. The top of a rack may comfortably fit 1.5L bottles. Contemporary artsy racks, which appear to hold bottles by their necks in suspension, also fit bottles of odd sizes. If you plan for numerous jumbo bottles, you’ll need a dedicated magnum wine rack.

Size

There are countertop wine racks, wall-mounted wine racks, and freestanding floor wine racks. For a freestanding floor model, go up to 64 to 83 inches tall or 25 to 40 inches wide if you want to hold dozens of bottles. Racks that are modular in design can be seamlessly expanded as your collection grows.

Shape

Wine racks have square, round, half-round, or diamond-shaped holders. A rack with diamond-shaped holders may not hold as many bottles as a square configuration. Round holders may not hold a round bottle completely still.

Design

Like any type of furniture, wine racks come in various designs and finishes to fit your décor. From old-world, elegant antique looks with arched tops to contemporary sculptural designs with geometric lines, you’ll have plenty of models from which to choose.

Material

Wine racks are made from wood or metal. You’ll find woods from simple, inexpensive pine to elegant, pricey mahogany or even redwood. Hardwoods are strong enough to hold heavy wine bottles.

Construction

A stable, well-constructed wine-rack is critical regardless of the number of bottles you have. Consider racking with nested bottle holders that prevent the bottle from sliding around. The rack should hold the neck of each bottle in place. Bottle holders and stabilizer bars should be screwed, nailed, and glued together, not just stapled together, to prevent buckling. If you opt for wood, find thicker pieces that ideally measure 3/4 inches in diameter for maximum strength.

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Expert Tip
Porous corks, even when covered, may absorb strong odors and ruin the wine’s flavor. Open or closed, store your wine in a fragrance-neutral space.
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Features

When comparing wine racks, find one that the manufacturer says is “wobble-free.” In addition, consider other features that’ll help you keep your bottles organized and stable while looking sharp displayed on your counter, wall, or floor.

Serving top: A glass or wood workspace built into a floor rack and placed at countertop height is ideal for entertaining, uncorking, and pouring wine. It can also be a display area and holder for wine decanters.

Storage: Drawers and cabinets can hold an assortment of corkscrews, stoppers, wine glass charms, tea towels, and other wine accessories. This space is ideal for storing stemless wine glasses.

Glass rack: Floor models may have a section to hold the stem of smaller-sized stemware, which holds around four to eight ounces of wine per glass.

Foldable: If you plan to frequently move your floor or countertop wine rack, consider a foldable version.

Adjustable legs: Floor models may have adjustable feet levelers that ensure stability on uneven floors.

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Expert Tip
The warmer it is in the space where you’re storing wine, the faster the wine will age. Once you go above 70°F, wine ages two to three times faster than if it were kept at an optimal temperature.
STAFF
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Wine rack prices

Inexpensive

In the $14 to $20 range, you’ll find sleek, simple metal or wood countertop racks that hold four to 12 bottles. Some racks consist of one horizontal layer that can be expanded by layering. Some are vertical racks that aren’t expandable but hold a fair number of bottles.

Mid-range

In the $20 to $60 range, you will find wine racks from all categories — from countertop to wall-mounted and floor — that hold an average maximum of 24 bottles. Racks in this price range are still relatively simple in design, but they have more style and flourishes. You’ll also find more floor racks with extra shelving and stemware storage in this range.

Expensive

Over $60, racks become much more durable, more ornate, and more furniture-like. A number of models in this range are designed for wine cellars, which means they are purely open racks crafted for long-term storage and ventilation. How much over $60 could you go? Well, there are some pieces of artisan wine rack furniture and hardwood wine cellar kits that rival the displays at real wineries. These products could cost as much as $800 or even $1,000.

Tips

  • A well-designed free-standing floor wine rack on flat ground should stay stable enough without anchoring it to the wall. However, if you live in earthquake country and have a tall rack, it might be worth the time to secure it so it won’t tip over.
  • Store wine at a constant temperature of 55°F to 60°F. A space with constant high humidity will help ensure that the cork doesn’t dry out, shrink, and let in air.
  • Storing bottles of wine upside down does not help keep oxygen out. Doing this may damage the wine, whether it’s in a corked or screw top bottle. Wine pressing down on a cork puts too much pressure on the seal. The same goes for screw cap bottles. When the wine presses too heavily on a screw cap, it could dent the cap and damage the seal.

Other products we considered

If you have just enough room on your counter or table, consider the Sorbus 3-Tier Stackable Wine Rack. We love the elegance and simplicity of its copper tone and streamlined design. Users love it because it’s expandable, sturdy, affordable, and holds 12 bottles.

For something a little more fun, we like Trivetrunner’s Wall Mounted Wine Rack for it’s gift-worthy extras, such as a glass rack, cork storage, wine charms, and charm all around. It’s ideal for screw top bottles that can stand upright.

For white wine drinkers who need to chill bottles, we love the stackable, easy-to-clean mDesign Plastic Free-Standing Wine Rack Storage Organizer. It can also hold soda or water bottles.

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To ensure that ultraviolet light won’t degrade wine over time, vintages are bottled in colored glass.

FAQ

Q. What is a wine jail?
A.
Don’t confuse a wine jail with prison wine, which is a type of homemade wine. A wine jail is simply a large and ornate metal wine rack with a lockable door that keeps the bottles secure.

Q. What else can I store in a wine rack besides wine bottles?
A.
Though you may be tempted to store bottles of soda or other liquors in a wine rack, chances are you’ll have some trouble doing so. If you’ve reduced your wine intake or upgraded your rack, consider repurposing your old wine racks to store skeins of yarn, artist’s tools, rolls of wrapping paper, magazines, rolled towels, or even shoes.

Q. Do I still need to store wine bottles with screw caps on their sides?
A.
Even luxury wines use screw tops. Since the rule of thumb is to store corked bottles on their sides to keep the cork moist so it won’t shrink and let air into the bottle, how do you handle a screw top bottle? Screw caps don’t allow much, if any, air into a bottle, whether it’s stored horizontally or vertically. It’s entirely your choice whether you store screw-capped bottles upright or on their sides.