[Kroy]

Alright guys, I need some recommendations for a wine cooler. I'm starting to get into wines now and want a cellar to start aging a few bottles.

I really don't know what I'm getting myself into as far as wine coolers go. At first I was just going to buy a $100 unit at target, but wanted to get some input before I make my purchase. Ideally I'm looking for a 20-40 bottle capacity 2 zone wine cooler. I want to get away as cheaply as I can with a good quality machine. It's just with nearly ever model regardless of brand, I always see less than stellar reviews; people always complain about their units breaking down right after the warranty ends. Not sure what my budget should be. And if I should get 2 units vs a single 2 zone unit. Any advice is greatly appreciated.


Prepayment in theme

[MisterSkiMask]

I bought a cheap one at best buy....you get what you pay for. The thermostat for one of the zones didn't work after a while the the whole thing quit, maybe got two years out of it (not functioning properly the whole time). Also the better quality coolers will be quieter.

[bigslick82]

Unfortunately, you're going to have to pay more than $100 for a good one with dual zones and around that capacity. Even if you buy 2 single units or a good dual-zone one, you're looking at least $300-400.

This is very similar to one my father had. It worked well until he got rid of it for a bigger one.

http://www.amazon.com/Whynter-WC-211...5677490&sr=1-2

[darkcloud]

not necessary. just find a nice cool dark place in your house. a basement, closet, darker corner of a room works fine. as long as your homes temp doesn't constantly fluctuate 10 or more degree up and down you don't require a wine fridge.

my neighbors a sommelier and owns a wine store. he has a wine fridge but to only keep his whites in that he likes to keep on hand and not taking up his actual fridges space.

also unless you plan on spending big bucks on wine or collecting vintage wines your also not going to need it. most wines don't require multiple years of storage anymore like they used to.

[JayKay335i]

Basement

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

I bought a cheap one at best buy....you get what you pay for. The thermostat for one of the zones didn't work after a while the the whole thing quit, maybe got two years out of it (not functioning properly the whole time). Also the better quality coolers will be quieter.

that's what i'm afraid of happening.

Originally Posted by bigslick82

Unfortunately, you're going to have to pay more than $100 for a good one with dual zones and around that capacity. Even if you buy 2 single units or a good dual-zone one, you're looking at least $300-400.

This is very similar to one my father had. It worked well until he got rid of it for a bigger one.

http://www.amazon.com/Whynter-WC-211...5677490&sr=1-2

was considering that whynter model, but if I were spending $360, I would much rather spend another $50 and buy the 32 bottle version. I'm hesitant on dropping 300-400 for one though. 32 bottles just doesn't seem worth it. If it were a 40-50 bottle cellar at 400, I'd have a lot less qualms about purchasing it. I want to get as close as I can to the goal of paying less than $10/bottle if possible.

Originally Posted by darkcloud

not necessary. just find a nice cool dark place in your house. a basement, closet, darker corner of a room works fine. as long as your homes temp doesn't constantly fluctuate 10 or more degree up and down you don't require a wine fridge.

my neighbors a sommelier and owns a wine store. he has a wine fridge but to only keep his whites in that he likes to keep on hand and not taking up his actual fridges space.

also unless you plan on spending big bucks on wine or collecting vintage wines your also not going to need it. most wines don't require multiple years of storage anymore like they used to.

it's just a hobby but my interest in wine has really picked up lately. i'm taking an advance wine class to prep for master sommelier level 2 test. while i don't plan on spending big bucks on wine in the immediate future, i do want the capability to age some wines for several years. like a couple days ago i bought 4 bottles of a cotes du rhone villages and would like to open 1 bottle every year to compare. i'm still very inexperienced so i don't want to buy equipment out of my scope, but at the same time don't want to buy an inferior product that won't meet my demands.

Originally Posted by JayKay335i

Basement

no basement

[JayKay335i]

Pshhhh. Fucken california and not having basement.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Kroy

it's just a hobby but my interest in wine has really picked up lately. i'm taking an advance wine class to prep for master sommelier level 2 test. while i don't plan on spending big bucks on wine in the immediate future, i do want the capability to age some wines for several years. like a couple days ago i bought 4 bottles of a cotes du rhone villages and would like to open 1 bottle every year to compare. i'm still very inexperienced so i don't want to buy equipment out of my scope, but at the same time don't want to buy an inferior product that won't meet my demands.

then you've passed the level 1 test? level 2 really isnt much about wine. it more goes into wine service/restaurant service aspect and pairings and such. level 3 goes into liquors/cigars that pair well with wine. level 4 is the highest and is a Master Sommelier. you can only be invited by another level 4 master sommelier to become a level 4. no other level gets the master designation.

this is a pretty big hobby of mine as well. considering my neighbor owns a store and I taste a crazy amount of wine.

[JayKay335i]

Safe some for when I'm there in a couple weeks.

[MadDog]

Originally Posted by Kroy

Brande Broderick.

[M3Bahn]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

not necessary. just find a nice cool dark place in your house. a basement, closet, darker corner of a room works fine. as long as your homes temp doesn't constantly fluctuate 10 or more degree up and down you don't require a wine fridge.

my neighbors a sommelier and owns a wine store. he has a wine fridge but to only keep his whites in that he likes to keep on hand and not taking up his actual fridges space.

also unless you plan on spending big bucks on wine or collecting vintage wines your also not going to need it. most wines don't require multiple years of storage anymore like they used to.

Exactly what I do

[pmeloche]

Originally Posted by Kroy

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

then you've passed the level 1 test? level 2 really isnt much about wine. it more goes into wine service/restaurant service aspect and pairings and such. level 3 goes into liquors/cigars that pair well with wine. level 4 is the highest and is a Master Sommelier. you can only be invited by another level 4 master sommelier to become a level 4. no other level gets the master designation.

this is a pretty big hobby of mine as well. considering my neighbor owns a store and I taste a crazy amount of wine.

asides from taking a class, i've pretty much been solo on this endeavor. need to figure out a different venue to taste wines after that class ends. i should make more an effort to know my local wine shops. anyways, yes i've passed level 1; it's actually pretty easy if you've taken a intro wine class. i'll need to brush up on service for level 2 soon. i hear they cover some cigars and spirits in level 2 too.

sounds like you're planning to take the ms?

Originally Posted by JayKay335i

Save some for when I'm there in a couple weeks.

i always have at least 5-10 bottles of wine at my house so no prob

what kind of varietals do you prefer?

[JayKay335i]

Originally Posted by Kroy

asides from taking a class, i've pretty much been solo on this endeavor. need to figure out a different venue to taste wines after that class ends. i should make more an effort to know my local wine shops. anyways, yes i've passed level 1; it's actually pretty easy if you've taken a intro wine class. i'll need to brush up on service for level 2 soon. i hear they cover some cigars and spirits in level 2 too.

sounds like you're planning to take the ms?





i always have at least 5-10 bottles of wine at my house so no prob

what kind of varietals do you prefer?

Reds from australia and spain have done me well in the past. Do you know any blonde sluts?

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Kroy

asides from taking a class, i've pretty much been solo on this endeavor. need to figure out a different venue to taste wines after that class ends. i should make more an effort to know my local wine shops. anyways, yes i've passed level 1; it's actually pretty easy if you've taken a intro wine class. i'll need to brush up on service for level 2 soon. i hear they cover some cigars and spirits in level 2 too.

sounds like you're planning to take the ms?

Yea, I would definitely suggest finding a good wine shop. Especially one that does regular wine tastings. My neighbor does 3 tastings a week, tue-wed-fri(wed and fri are repeat days of the same). I typically work his store and help out nearly every friday.

I do want to take the test, at least to level 2. I'm confidant I could pass level 1 with little studying and no classes. The thing I don't look forward to is the cigar portions. At least the spirits and beer part I enjoy but I could care less about cigars. Service is no big deal, I worked several years in fine dining during college and my Mom was a professional server. Also the tests are just no where near me. Closest place is this fall in Indianapolis.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by JayKay335i

Reds from australia and spain have done me well in the past. Do you know any blonde sluts?

Gotcha buddy. I'll keep an eye out for some reds (and blondes). No blondies at this time though.

Originally Posted by darkcloud

Yea, I would definitely suggest finding a good wine shop. Especially one that does regular wine tastings. My neighbor does 3 tastings a week, tue-wed-fri(wed and fri are repeat days of the same). I typically work his store and help out nearly every friday.

I do want to take the test, at least to level 2. I'm confidant I could pass level 1 with little studying and no classes. The thing I don't look forward to is the cigar portions. At least the spirits and beer part I enjoy but I could care less about cigars. Service is no big deal, I worked several years in fine dining during college and my Mom was a professional server. Also the tests are just no where near me. Closest place is this fall in Indianapolis.

I'm sure you'll do OK on level 1 as long as you do a little homework beforehand. But the level 1 class itself is sufficient in prepping you for the test if you have some background knowledge. For level 2, my friend recommended to watch youtube videos for service; I haven't looked it up but there are a couple of demos. He said cigars and spirits are included but are a more minor portion; whatever that means. But he indicated it can vary depending on who is administering the test. Personally I'm a little excited to learn about cigars. That's another vice I've wanted to learn how to properly indulge in.

[Bobble]

If you are really serious about keeping your wines stored properly then it's probably going to cost more in the 400 to 500 range for a good quality dual zone cooler of any decent capacity 32 plus. I have about 65 bottles stored at home in South OC and most are in the area under the stairs where I just pushed the back of the closet out and over, stays cool enough not much in temp changes. If you need storage for collectibles why not rent some space at a local wine storage place, most high end shops have facilities they can reccommend in your area, there are 2 I can think of in OC which cater to the collector, temperature and light controlled etc.. May be cheaper initially and allow your overflow to go there once to take the plunge on home storage. Many of our friends have this scenario, cooler at home for 50 to 60 bottles and a wine locker somewhere for the good(read expensive) and collectible stuff. But some of them have a serious wine collecting habit.