Wine refridgerator - Temperature cycling vs. steady

Wine 101: The Basics
#1

I have questions about both the energy consumption and wear tear (i.e., potential to affect longevity of the cooling unit) in maintaining a wine cooling cabinet at a steady temperature year round as compared to adjusting the cooling set point higher when ambient conditions rise. Any experience or fridgeration knowledge in this area?

I have a nearly full wine cabinet in a garage (BILD 800). Ambient temperature in the garage ranges from 50s (F) in the winter up to mid-80s in the summer. Drops to low 70s at night during the summer. Highest I’ve seen in the garage is 87 F. Would it be more efficient to (1) run the unit at a normal 55 F year round or (2) gradually raise the cooling unit temperature setting up to 62 F in the warmest two months of the year and ramp it back down in the fall. The cooling unit wouldn’t have to work as much with option 2 but on the other hand there’s probably a lot of energy expenditure ramping the thermal mass of all those bottles back down to 55. Not sure how much difference either would for the life of the unit.
Thanks!

#2

Does your unit have any trouble keeping 55° with ambient temps in the mid-80s? We get higher temps than that here during the summer, but even at that temp I never had much luck running a wine fridge. It just runs and runs and never hits the target temp. They were designed to run in conditioned space in concert with an AC unit when temps are high.

#3

Definitely runs more often when it is warm but not continuously.

#4

More efficient for energy? Or the motor? In either case, your second scenario will be more efficient. Now…what’s better for the wine? Keep it at the same temp year-round. While you probably won’t ruin anything, the changing temps each year will prematurely add age in a way that many will find displeasing.