A wine bar cabinet is a piece of furniture that keeps a small bottle collection, your glasses and your bar tools in one place, usually at sideboard height in a dining room, living room or kitchen nook. Before you buy one, check four things: the footprint, the real bottle count, how the glasses hang or stand, and whether you need cooling. Most wine bar cabinets are plain furniture with no climate control, so they suit wine you plan to open within months, not bottles you want to age for years.
For the bigger picture on racks, cellars and fridges, see our wine rack and cellar storage guide.
Wine cabinet vs bar cabinet: what is the difference?
The names are used loosely, but in practice:
- A wine cabinet is built around bottle storage: a lattice, cubbies or a removable rack that holds bottles on their sides.
- A bar cabinet is built around shelves and drawers for spirits, mixers and barware. Bottle storage may be small or missing.
- A wine bar cabinet combines a bottle rack, a glass holder and closed storage in one piece.
None of the furniture cabinets below have cooling. If you are deciding between furniture and a cooled unit, our wine rack vs wine fridge comparison walks through the trade-offs.
Wine bar cabinet sizes and capacity compared
Figures come from our product listings (length x width x height in inches, as listed).
| Cabinet | Size (in) | Bottles | Glasses | Storage | Our price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzara Red Cocoa Brown Wine Cabinet, 4 Shelves | 15.5 x 31.5 x 33 | 12 | 6 | 2 doors, 4 shelf cubbies, removable rack | $273.81 |
| Benzara Wine Cabinet with 2 Drawers, White Brown Gray | 47.25 x 15.5 x 33.75 | 5 | 6 | Double door cabinet, 2 drawers | $393.10 |
| Benzara Barn Sliding Glass Door Wine Cabinet | 32 x 16 x 35 | 9 cubbies | 3 | Sliding glass door, adjustable shelves | $519.77 |
| Benzara Dina Wine Cabinet Bar, 2 Doors | 47 x 16 x 35 | Not listed | Not listed | 2 side cabinets, center bottle holder | $557.17 |
| Benzara Denali Wine Bar Cabinet, Acacia Wood | 34 x 18 x 52 (overall, per listing) | 14 | 18 | 2 doors, central shelf | $727.00 |
| Benzara Wine Cabinet Home Bar with Footrest, Oak Brown | 51 x 23.5 x 41 | 12 | 6 | 5 shelves, metal footrest | $952.67 |
| Benzara Wine Cabinet with Lift Top, Antique White | 19 x 34 x 46 | Not listed | Not listed | 2 soft closing doors, 1 drawer, lift top | $1,072.38 |
| Benzara Ian 36 Inch Small Bar Cabinet, Black | 19 x 32 x 36 | 7 | 6 | 2 doors, pull-out tray | $1,121.81 |
Prices are as listed on our site on the day we wrote this and can change. Please call 866-777-2590 (Mon to Fri, 9AM to 6PM PST) to confirm current stock, dimensions and price before ordering.
How many bottles does a wine cabinet hold?
Fewer than most people expect. Listed capacity in the table runs from 5 bottles (the two drawer cabinet) to 14 (the Denali), because the rest of the cabinet goes to shelves, drawers and glasses. When you read capacity claims:
- Counts are for standard-size bottles, the wording several listings use. Wider sparkling bottles and magnums may not fit, so measure before you load.
- Cubbies are not slots. The barn door cabinet lists 9 cubbies; treat 9 bottles as the working number.
- No count, no guess. The Dina and the antique white cabinet describe wine racks without a count. Call us and we will ask the supplier.
For more bottles in a small footprint, see our guide to the best wine racks for small spaces.
Wine cabinet with glass holder: what to check
Most wine bar cabinets include a stemware rail that holds glasses upside down by the foot. Check:
- Glass count. Listings range from 3 glasses (the barn door cabinet) to 18 (the Denali). Six is the most common count in the table above.
- Clearance. Tall stems need more drop below the rail than a shelf may allow. Measure your tallest glass.
- Open or behind doors. Open rails show off the glasses but collect dust. On the Denali, the rack sits inside the cabinet behind two doors.
For wall and under-cabinet options, see our wine glass rack guide.
Doors, drawers and room fit
Depth decides whether a cabinet works in a walkway. Most of these are 15.5 to 19 inches deep. The oak brown home bar is 23.5 inches deep because its footrest turns it into a stand-up bar.
- Height: 33 to 36 inches gives a serving top near counter level. The Denali (52 inches) and antique white cabinet (46 inches) read as feature pieces.
- Doors: hinged doors need swing room. The barn door cabinet’s sliding glass door helps in tight spaces.
- Drawers: the two drawer cabinet lists 5 lb maximum per drawer and 10 lb per shelf, so keep heavy decanters on the rack.
- Assembly: the oak brown home bar and the Dina list no assembly required. The red cocoa cabinet and the Denali list assembly required.
- Weight: several list 75 lbs or more. Plan for two people.
Where to put a wine bar cabinet (no climate control)
Because these cabinets do not cool, the room does the work. Purdue University’s Wine Storage Guidelines (FS-58-W) notes that wine is traditionally stored at cellar temperatures of 50 to 60°F, that temperatures above 60°F speed up aging, and that above 75°F most wines age greatly and untypically. The same guide warns that temperature swings can stress corks and let air into the wine, and that quality estimates assume storage without excessive ultraviolet light.
- Keep the cabinet out of direct sun and away from ovens, radiators, heating vents and fireplaces.
- Store corked bottles on their sides. Purdue recommends sideways or upside down for cork closures to limit gas exchange and oxidation. Most racks in these cabinets already hold bottles horizontally.
- Treat the cabinet as a drinking supply for the next few months, not an aging cellar.
Our wine storage temperature guide goes deeper on serving versus storage temperatures.
If you need cooling: a refrigerated wine cabinet
The Temperature Control Professional Wooden Refrigerated Wine Cabinet (walnut, $2,373.99) is a freestanding cooled cabinet. Its listing gives 102 bottles on 9 wood shelves, a 41 to 71°F temperature range, 55% to 75% humidity range, a single temperature zone, a lockable double glazed glass door described as UV protective, LED lighting and an assembled size of 28.3 x 25.2 x 66.1 inches. Please call to confirm specs before ordering.
Price honesty: buying from us vs Benzara direct
Benzara sells these cabinets on its own site, benzara.com. When we checked, the list price for every Benzara cabinet in the table except the Denali (which we did not find on benzara.com) was the same on benzara.com as on our site. Benzara’s FAQ says shipping is calculated at checkout. We charge a $200 flat shipping fee on orders under $999 and ship free on orders of $999 or more, so on the lower priced cabinets it is worth comparing the delivered total at benzara.com before you buy. The antique white lift top cabinet and the Ian are over $999 and ship free from us. Some of these models showed as unavailable on benzara.com when we checked, so call us to confirm availability. You can browse the full range on our Benzara brand page, and our return and refund policy is posted on our site.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wine cabinet and a bar cabinet?
A wine cabinet centers on bottle storage; a bar cabinet centers on shelves and drawers for spirits and barware. A wine bar cabinet combines both with a glass holder.
How many bottles does a wine cabinet hold?
Furniture-style cabinets we carry list 5 to 14 standard bottles. A refrigerated wine cabinet holds much more: the one we list is rated for 102 bottles.
Is a wine cabinet with a glass holder worth it?
If you entertain, yes. Check the glass count (3 to 18 on our listings) and clearance under the rail.
Can I store wine long term in a wine bar cabinet?
Not in a cabinet without cooling. Purdue describes 50 to 60°F as traditional cellar temperature and warns against heat and swings. Use a wine fridge or refrigerated cabinet for aging.
