Wine Refrigerators/Storage

[Bill Miller]

A cellar has to be 2/3 full to run properly. I had a mixture of $10 wines with my good stuff for over a year--I think I bought 3 cases of chianti, zin, and less expensive shiraz just to fill it up. Now it is what I wanted and I'm overflowing into closets etc.

[budrichard]

Most wine in cases is stored in the cement basement and has endured for 20+ year now at the present location and was stored the same in prevous residences. . I did build a Kitchenaid wine storage unit in and the cost is less than $1K if I remember correctly. Holds about 60 bottles at the ready! Unit is quiet, works very well and has a glass front with a light you can turn on to impress visitors if you want. I mostly keep German BA and TBA with ready to drink reds/whites in the unit.

My advice is to find a cool place and spend the money on purchasing wine. You will know when you need a seperate storage unit. -Dick

[Bill Miller]

Most wine in cases is stored in the cement basement and has endured for 20+ year now at the present location and was stored the same in prevous residences. . I did build a Kitchenaid wine storage unit in and the cost is less than $1K if I remember correctly. Holds about 60 bottles at the ready! Unit is quiet, works very well and has a glass front with a light you can turn on to impress visitors if you want. I mostly keep German BA and TBA with ready to drink reds/whites in the unit.

My advice is to find a cool place and spend the money on purchasing wine. You will know when you need a seperate storage unit. -Dick

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If thats all you drink you don't need a cellar. I have Barolos, Barbarescos, good cabs, Amarones--10 yrs plus--I plan to keep some barolo until it is 20. Proper storage is necessery.

[Michael M]

Right, that was the original reason behind my post: some long term Barolos and Brunellos, German/Austrian whites and Burgundies. I ended up getting the Avanti 166-bottle cooler for $1200 with free delivery from a local place who I've had good service from.

The advantage is that it's inexpensive compared to others with similar capacity, but didn't get such poor reviews like Wine Enthusiast's Build Your Own cellars. Reviews warned that the capacity is overrated, and it is: standard Bordeaux bottles are fine, but burgundy or rhone style bottles reduce the capacity, and thicker shouldered bottles are a tight, tight fit, making the shelves hard to pull out. The shelves are removable if you'd like to store magnums. Also, the digital display shows a temp that is about 8-9 degrees F higher than what a digital thermometer shows on the inside, though simply adjusting the temp down is all that's necessary.

I fit about 145 bottles in it. The compressor is quiet and doesn't cycle much since it's not opened often. All in all I'd recommend it if you're looking for a less expensive way to safely store 145 bottles.

[eat2much]

Unless you start drinking more or stop buying ageworthy wines you might have bought too small a unit for your needs.

[Michael M]

You are so right, eat2much, it's a compromise. We don't want to build out a section of our basement because we plan to move soon, and wherever we end up we'll want to take our time creating a good wine cellar in the basement, so this unit tides us over for the really good bottles for the time being. the others are under the basement stairs or still on racks.

Plus, we do drink them!

[froggio]

Don't worry about it. Slow changes in temperature are what is important.

With higher temperatures all that will happen is quicker aging, Not a bad thing I think.

I beg to differ, warm temperatures will madeirize your wine, period, I have learned that the hard way. Furthermore, humidity is essential for the long-term health of your wine. Lack of it and the cork will dry out and contract (that's when you see that sticky residue seep from under the capsule). Function of the cork is to keep the wine in and very slowly filter outside air in and allow interaction at a glacial pace between wine and air. Keeping wine in a basement usually means in close proximity of a boiler, oil tank, chemicals etc. All these can have adverse effects on the wine over years. Do not underestimate the effectiveness of a good wine cellar when ageing wine!

[Susie Q]

I have a 220 bottle Vintage Keeper which retails for about $1200. I have had the unit for close to ten years without any problems (except for a blown compressor that they happily replaced). It has some open space at the bottom which is great for magnums or other large formats.

see their website at www.vintagekeeper.com

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Thanks for posting this link.

[Don Giovanni]

Wine Storage That Won't Leave You Broke

Click On Me

You don't have to be a millionaire to collect wine, but you'll need the right cooler to store your prized bottles. Luckily, you don't need to spend a fortune.

When storing high-quality wine, serious enthusiasts must consider the temperature, light and potential for movement in the space. Options vary from simple cabinets to mahogany-paneled rooms that allow owners to control its humidity through a Web site. Unless you own an extensive collection of wines, a cooler that fits below a counter is often your best bet.

[CKatCook]

My wonderful loving husband wants to buy me a wine storage refrigerator that holds 18 bottles as an anniversery gift. I was wondering what brand everyone has had luck with, and what temperture do you set it at for a variety of wines? I drink alot of whites, dabble in reds now and then, but I am still learning about wines and that may change down the road.

Thanks!

[Marlene]

We have a GE Monogram that we like very much, although it holds 28 rather than 18. I just checked and the current temp is 42F. There are only white wines in it. We store our reds in the wine cellar.

[thirtyoneknots]

My wonderful loving husband wants to buy me a wine storage refrigerator that holds 18 bottles as an anniversery gift. I was wondering what brand everyone has had luck with, and what temperture do you set it at for a variety of wines? I drink alot of whites, dabble in reds now and then, but I am still learning about wines and that may change down the road.

Thanks!

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I had a co-worker who bought a 12 bottle unit some time back and paid about 70% of what I paid for my 50 bottle unit...the expensive part is the refrigeration apparatus so medium-sized ones are often not appreciably more expensive than small ones. Budget is always an issue and of course space but it is something to consider. I have three 50 bottle coolers (they actually hold more than that) that are the 'Magic Chef' brand, bought them at Home Depot on sale for about $250, and I'm very pleased with them. They have a nice digital thermostat and all that...only thing that's bad about it is the shelf design makes it easy to damage labels if it's full and you're not careful. I'd recommend them though, they used to go on sale pretty regularly but I haven't checked in a while. Cool present though!

[CKatCook]

THanks for the replies! I agree very cool present. I am still very new to wine and I am starting to take more of an interest that even I thought I would when I started!

[CKatCook]

I just thought I would give everyone an update! I got an aficiado brand, 18 bottle, dual temp control!! SWEEET! I also am getting a trip out of town to shop for the wine in it!!! -> I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON I MARRIED THIS MAN!!