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Wine Fridge?

S

Schwiering

Reading more, posting less
Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
183
I am somewhat new to the world of wine. I have only been drinking it for 3 years or so. I have started to keep more than a few bottles, about 24, on hand and some of them are very nice. I have a bottle of Caymus SS and a bottle of JP Insignia. The others are all under $30 and with the recent purchase of a case, most are in the $10 range. I feel bad about having the two nicer bottles in a cabinet in my kitchen as the house temp is obviously above ideal conditions. So, now to my question, what should I look for and what is a reasonable amout to expect to spend on a wine fridge? Or is it even something I need to have? I am looking for a 50-100 bottle, because I have learned from cigars that you need to purchase larger than you think you need. Any input or advice will be great. I could just run out and purchase one from Home Depot or from an online store, but I would like to have more info before I actually make my purchase.
 
I'd be interested on comments on this too. I'm looking at the ones that have two different temperature controls so you can divide the whites from the reds.
 
I too am interested in getting a small collection started. I was concerned that the humidity in these fridges would be to low and could compromise the long-term storage suitability. I look forward to someone educating us on this subject.
 
Dang it on both you guys! I was all excited about getting info from the 2 new posts and you all you guys want to do is piggyback on my thread!
As far as the humidity being too low, most wine fridges I have looked at are cooled using the same stuff as temp controled humidors, so there should be no drop in the humidity.
Now, on to people with more knowledge than those that have posted before.
 
How much are you looking to spend? That is really the biggest factor. I experimented recently with humidity (basement/fridge). I have a low-end Haier 16 bottle fridge I got from amazon a few years ago and it really seems to keep humidity levels up around the 60's/70's even in extreme outdoor cold/indoor dryness. I try to keep my expensive bottles in the Haier full-time and the $10-$20 bottles in the rack downstairs where it's about 50-55f/48-55rH.

I'm in the market for a 150+ and have been doing some research over the last year. Maybe I can point you in the right direction.
 
The guys at VinoTemp have some really nice stuff, from "reasonable" to "huge" size. Good reputation as well. Saw one at Costco about a week ago and was sizing it up for humi duty... :cool:

Regards - B.B.S.
 
BlindedByScience said:
The guys at VinoTemp have some really nice stuff, from "reasonable" to "huge" size. Good reputation as well. Saw one at Costco about a week ago and was sizing it up for humi duty... :cool:

Regards - B.B.S.
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VinoTemp and Eurocave are the two brands I've been looking at. On the lower end (but still nice) there are sales all over the place for Haier fridges without the bells and whistles.
 
I know that Home Depot had a 50 bottle for around $200 a few months back. I don't know who made it, but I assumed that it was very low end for that price. It seems that $400 is a more realistic starting point for a 50 bottle, and the sky seems to be the limit on them from there. Is there any real reason to stay away from a super cheap model vs. a $1200 one? Both are going to keep things cool and neither should drop the humidity. The more expensive ones look better, have LED displays and perhaps are quieter. I don't need to worry about digital displays or looks, and it will be in a spare room where noise won't matter too much. Is there a per bottle cost factor that should be looked at? Where it will cost $8-10 per bottle, and anything less is going to be crap, and anything more is just that, more.
 
Good questions. I personally would rather spend the few bucks more on a "trusted brand" with a warranty. If you were purchasing a fridge for your kitchen you would probably go with a name-brand, right? Remember, the heart of these are the compressors. If that blows 3 months in on one of these no-names and you are pretty much screwed.

I think the $400 mark is a good price point - do some research online, find what you want, then find a local retailer who might work with you on price matching.
 
smallg, it sounds like you are going from something pretty small to something quite large. Are you happy with your purchase of that small starter fridge, or do you wish you had gone larger first?
 
When I purchased the smaller Haier (exact model) I was renting an apartment and wanted something to store a few bottles here and there (plus it looked cool lit up in the living room). I brought it home and 3 weeks in the compressor flaked out. I called Haier and within 3 days a technician was at the apt. replacing the condensor/compressor for no charge.

Since owning and storing wine in the Haier I am yet to come across a corked/ruined bottle. So, yeah I couldn't be happier with the one I have, no regrets.

Now since moving into a house and getting into wine more and more I am looking for something to store my expanding collection. I will probably wind up purchasing a larger Haier or VinoTemp for my basement but I'm really not interested in breaking the thousand dollar barrier.
 
Check Home Depot and Lowes online as both have had mid size (28-32 bottle) coolers on sale before.
 
smallg said:
VinoTemp and Eurocave are the two brands I've been looking at. On the lower end (but still nice) there are sales all over the place for Haier fridges without the bells and whistles.
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These are the two I would go with in that size and price range. Eurocave are a bit pricey but are quality units through and through, I didn't really care for their shelving units and adding extra can be quite costly. If you go with Eurocave check out ebay first for the extra shelving. In a larger unit .... Vinoteque is a high quality unit. I have a Vinoteque "like" unit using a Breezeaire cooling unit, I found a buddy of a buddy that builds these units locally and are sold through IWC so I was able to get a good deal and build it to my specifications.

I don't keep my white's and red's in separate temperature zones either, I actually prefer my whites not as cold as many people drink them so I don't mask the taste of the wine. Besides, I'm going for long range storage so when it's time to drink a white all I would have to do is chill it for an hour or so before drinking.

:cool:
 
There are several factors to consider when looking for a wine fridge. One of the major factors is wether you are looking for a free standing or a built-in. From what I have looked at, the built-in will usually cost about 20% more for the same make and model as the equivalent free standing. The free standing could require anywhere from 2-6 inches of clearance all the way around for cooling purposes, which can at times cause it to stick out into a room a bit.

One other big factor is what types of wine do you typically drink? Red or white? Judging by the Caymus and Insignia, I would guess reds. If you prefer to keep a few bottles of each (red and white) around, you can get a dual zone fridge that you can set two different temps for the various wines. They average about $400+ for a nice dual zone with a 30 bottle capacity. Everywhere I have looked states that you should keep reds at room temp, however, what most people don't take into consideration is that the room temp rule was originated in Europe several hundred years ago when the average room temp was 55-60 degrees. So, reds are in fact meant to be aged in an average temp of about 58 degrees. Storing them in higher room temps (70 degrees or so) will prematurely age the wine and cause it to break down leaving you with a bottle of crap to put it politely.

As for the digital temp control vs. the analog, the digital allows you to be a bit more precise. With the analog, you will need a thermometer to monitor your temp. I have an entry level Haier, and it keeps a perfect 55 degrees and RH of 58%

I would take a look at Linky. There are several great fridges on there, and you can get a a much better idea of what is out there in one place.
 
What about the reality of needing one? Will I be wasting money on good bottles if I don't keep them stored properly? There are lots of older bottles of high end wine sitting around wine shops in the Nashville area that have been out on the shelves since day one. If they can do it, why can't I?
 
Schwiering said:
What about the reality of needing one? Will I be wasting money on good bottles if I don't keep them stored properly? There are lots of older bottles of high end wine sitting around wine shops in the Nashville area that have been out on the shelves since day one. If they can do it, why can't I?
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That's an entirely different conversation, don't get me started on some of the liquor stores I've been to and how they store their wine. :angry:

I know someone personally who owns a large liquor/wine store where they deal in large quantities and i will only purchase my wine from him or Costco. My advice would be to shop with those that go through high volume and rotate stock on a regular basis.

Regardless of where it's purchased, wine is an investment and should be treated/stored in ideal conditions (if at all possible).
 
Nice Ashh, Wine Enthusiast has gotten many of my dollars already, and is bound to get more of them in the future, as they have great customer service. I think their catalog is what started me wanting one in the first place. I found this on ebay. It is a Haier and seems to be a good price for the capacity. Any thoughts?
 
I picked up a Kenmore 32 bottle at Sears and so far, I'm pretty happy with it.

For under $300 it has:

- 1 year warranty through Sears.
- Digital Thermostat
- Fairly quiet for a non-thermoelectric cooler.
- Interior lighting.
- Lock and key.
- Removable/adjustable metal shelves.
- Holds 32 bottles comfortably.

---

More info: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=04614322000
 
Schwiering said:
Nice Ashh, Wine Enthusiast has gotten many of my dollars already, and is bound to get more of them in the future, as they have great customer service. I think their catalog is what started me wanting one in the first place. I found this on ebay. It is a Haier and seems to be a good price for the capacity. Any thoughts?
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It is a very nice unit for the money. I looked other places and saw this same unit selling for $400+. Not a bad buy at all, especially with free shipping.

I am also a member of Sams Club, and I did some searching on their site. They have this unit Danby, and this unit Danby Dual. I have seen both in person, and they are both very nice looking IMHO.

As far as wether or not it is necessary or not to purchase a wine fridge, that is really a matter of personal choice. While not storing them properly can prematurely age a wine, it is not going to happen overnite. It will take a several years to happen. So, IMHO, if you do not store wines for long periods of time (years), it may not be a necessary item for you to invest in. However, if you have bottles of Caymus and Insignia, and you plan to continue to purchase them in the future, I would make the purchase.

As for the wine stores that leave their stock sitting, it is a horrible. Most quality wine stores will rotate their stock to keep it fresh. I personally will not buy a bottle that is standing upright in a store, unless it has a synthetic cork. I purchased a bottle a few years ago with a natural cork, and the bottle had been standing upright on a shelf...when I got home, I found tht the cork had dried out and the wine smelled of mold and fungus. It was horrible.
 
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