I wouldn't say I display my wine; it's just out, exactly like my coffee maker, each ready for the appropriate time of day.

I guess I display mine, if a six-bottle wine rack on an open shelf qualifies as a display. I definitely don't hide it unless you count the white wine in the fridge.

I suppose it looks nice if you have a collection of wines versus only a couple of bottles. A large wine rack can really be a cool focal feature!

Generally I would say, 'if you've got it flaunt it', however with wine, if it were to be constantly on display, my fear is that I would then be encouraged to consume it at an even greater frequency & end up with a lovely pinot gris over my weetbix

Outside of showcasing your "fine wines" I have found that the vineyards are getting very creative with the titling of their wine as well as the labeling that are worth putting out on display

Tony Been, you could always display the wine and hide the corkscrew. Or the weetbix! ;)

I had to google weetbix! LOL

I feel that home wine displays as pictured, are more for decor than function... similar to using blankor unicolor spine books. Put empties for styling purposes because wine requires proper temperature storage for optimal taste.

The options shown are for everyday wines that will be consumed quickly. People who maintain lots of wine and those who collect always manage to find or create safe places for storing the wine. The first picture is an especially bad way to store wine as it is subject to a lot of light and, that looks like a modern day rad right underneath. Heat rises.

Fine wines should be stored "properly": cool, dry, and dark locations (think of the "caves" where they were stored in previous centuries). Everyday wines can stay on countertops for short periods of time, remembering that both heat and light (from sunshine, light fixtures, forced air heating, or radiators) are wine's greatest enemies! We only keep a few bottles at a time out on the countertop of moderately priced wines for casual consumption in the next few days.

@adivra yes, that's true isn't it! Who stores their wine right above a radiator?

Great look when exposed

This isn't practical for wine storage. In the photo it is exposed to direct sunlight. While I love the look, I would never keep my wine out like that. In a basement room without sun - maybe.

Above a radiator and in the sunlight. The only thing that I can say is OMG!

Wine is a living, breathing creature. It needs to be handled properly, stored properly, archived properly (drunk when it's ready) - it is not a decorative item.

Right now, I am challenged with a project where the client wants a full glass display of a wine collection, exposed to light ..... however, in a temperature and humidity controlled environment.

I haven't had the nerve to address the fact that light, along with temperature and humidity, is a major factor which requires control, for a wine collection.

Any wine that spends more than 1 month in the home, needs to be housed properly. Some would argue, more than 1 week or 1 day, depending on the vintage, the year, etc.

At any rate, if it is our job as Design and Build professionals to provide proper storage for all items, we do need to help clients gently realize that fine wine requires proper storage.
So, I would say that these gorgeous glass wine cases facing into fully lit rooms, exposed to either interior lighting or lumens from an exterior window, are really not proper storage and should not be recommended by a designer or a wine expert!

Note- if you are only drinking 'plonk' - go for it!

Displaying cheap bottles of wine as a "design statement" or for easy access is one thing. But any serious wine drinker knows that if you store expensive wine as shown in the pictures above, you are essentially throwing away your money. As others have noted, if you want to show off your expensive wine bottles, store them properly, drink and enjoy them when they're ready, and show off the bottles afterwards. Wine shops have suggestions for displaying labels (e.g. albums, frames) and corks (e.g. combining them to form trivets) if you don't want to keep the bottles.

Yeah there is the temperature issue which is very valid, would not want to spoil a good wine, my issue is under-aged /uninvited drinkers...LOL No displays here !! I would display empty bottles with a hidden note attached recalling the occasion...sort of a remember the time!

There are so many options for displaying wine. My sister got in trouble for cleaning the cobwebs off her boyfriends wine collection. He said that it added character to the display. LOL

Displaying some of your wine collection keeps it within reach and looks nice, however when I see thousands of dollars worth of wine displayed in a kitchen where the temperature and humidity is constantly fluctuating, I think, "get a wine fridge!"

Exposed wine storage always looks wonderful, but it isn't so great for your wine. Light does as much damage as heat and humidity.
Our wine lives in riddling racks inside our pantry. Riddling racks, like the one in the picture up there, look cool and all, but I use them for function: good for the wine, takes up less space.
Take care of your wine and let your guests be impressed by how well you pair them with your food, instead of risking ruining them to impress anyone with a cool looking display. ;)

@Picasso: This is a tradition stared by my grandparents, which my parents sort of did, and I do today: Write the date and occasion (Ned's graduation 2009, Philip & Joy's wedding 2013, etc) on the cork, and display the corks in glass bowls or vases. It looks good, yes, but going through those corks to reminisce and tell stories when family gets together is priceless!

I've had it both ways. It depends on your space, decor, and personal taste. Right now, I don't have the space to display my wine, so it hides in a bottom kitchen cabinet out of sunlight and heat--which is a good thing. Displaying wine in my home during the summer months would ruin it quickly as we have temps that reach 106 degrees much of July and August. Even with a/c going, it doesn't turn on until the house reaches 81 degrees, still to warm for wine.

I don't personally care for the first picture you included for wine display. I do really like the second and third photos, however. Why not display it? I like to collect wines from different places when I travel and I like to see my mementos. Also, a fair amount of wine drinking involves guests, and its nice for them to be able to just grab what they want without having to go digging in a pantry or cabinet. In the dream world, I would love to have a walk in wine cellar...but that is a dream for another day!

If I were a wine collector and frequently had guests over to discuss/taste wine then displaying it makes sense. I'm not a collector and the wine I get is cheap so I vote not to display it.

Hide it. Why display wine anymore than tomato sauce or tuna? If it's good than it's pretentious and if it's cheap it's cheesy. You must have something more interesting to display?

Put the wine in a wine refrigerator. It keeps the wine preserved at the right temperature and you can still show them off without the bottles collecting dust. The two pictured are from Sub-Zero (made in the USA) and Leibherr (German made).

Fine wines should be properly stored. If your display accomplishes such (wine storage unit, wine cellar, etc.) go for it. If not, sticking bottles on your wall won't help fine bottles and if your bottles aren't that fine, well, maybe you don't want to display them on your wall.

I read the original display-vs-hide question as "should I let people see that I have it or not". How to store it so that it retains its quality is a whole different issue. In an ideal world, we'd all have cellars or fridges filled with priceless vintages, but in real life, some of us stock up during sales at the supermarket and store it at ambient temperature wherever it fits. To my way of thinking, any arrangement that keeps it shaded, flat, separate, and handy without taking up cabinet or pantry space is a good thing. Decorative appeal is a bonus.

If only I had more than one bottle at a time. People who have wine collections must be wonderfully controlled, respect to them. I love the subterranean spiral cellars though

Wines, perfumes, olive oil, some foods, vitamins and more, keep better away from light and heat.

Wines you intend on drinking should be stored in a wine cooler to the appropriate and consistent temperature. There are many under-counter models to choose from Any cool shaded room in your house such as a basement is your next best option. Empty wine bottles are appropriate for the wine display racks you see in kitchens. The worst place to display full wine bottles is near a source of heat such as a refrigerator.

I agree with ewilcox39. The condition of wine deteriorates when you leave it out so the only reason to display it is for show. Leaving a bottle or two handy for use is totally different, as the intent is to use it soon, but to have a collection on display just says, "I'm sophisticated enough to drink wine but not sophisticated enough to not want to brag about it." Of course, if you don't have any other way to store it, that's different. But since the question is about whether or not to display it, I say no.

Hide it- if I want to be pretentious I can always take them down to the basement and show them the vintages in the wine cellar that I would never share with them :)

I expect that those who want to showcase their wines do it for esthetic reasons; not to properly store it. There is a reason that the wine cellar is what it is. However, if a person loves the look of vintage bottles, or has a beautifully made rack, they could save/collect old empty bottles to add this to their decor.

Thanks for so many great comments - i am overhwlemed with the response!