OT - recommendation for wine refrigerator?

Foghorn

We have recently expanded our wine collection and our 35 bottle cooler doesn’t meet our needs. I’ve done some googling looking for (ideally) something that will hold 200 bottles or more. Everything I’ve found has mostly good ratings and a small number of reviews that say something sucks about every model - too loud... broke after 6 months... froze my entire wine collection... glass door spontaneously shattered... etc 

Do any of you guys/gals have any insight/knowledge?  @YukonRon? 

lkapigian

I have a Wine Guardian just sitting at my shop if you want to make a Wine Room---Its a remote ducted wine cooler ....if you can use it it's yours 

theyolksonyou

I think boxes don’t need refrigeration 

Sea2Ski

theyolksonyou said:

I think boxes don’t need refrigeration 

@Jeremiah. That true? 

theyolksonyou

Reminds me. @Sea2Ski May have some refrigerator advice. “Build your own.”

Jeremiah

Sea2Ski said:

theyolksonyou said:

I think boxes don’t need refrigeration 

@Jeremiah. That true? 

True. But I buy mine at the gas station on the way home. No need for fancy refrigeration. 

Dickheads. 

Botch

@Foghorn, I can't remember if most homes in San Antonio had basements or not; an insulated room a la @Sea2Ski, using a standalone cooler like @Ikapigian so generously offered, would be the way to go.  
I have about a 4' x 8' cement-lined room in my basement that I used for a wine cellar; it wasn't temp-controlled but did stay pretty steady through the seasons.  Since I quit dating, someone snuck in and drank what I had left and I haven't been buying wine since.  Might be a bit of a drive for you to use it, though....

Sea2Ski

theyolksonyou said:

Reminds me. @Sea2Ski May have some refrigerator advice. “Build your own.”

That is exactly what I would do.  If I were in Foghorn’s position and looking for 200+ bottle capacity.  Even if you are not going to make it a wine cellar that you are going to entertain in, cellaring wine properly takes controlled conditions.  If one has the space and @lkapigian is making a very, very generous offer, I would find a way to build one. 

At at the same time, I totally understand the allure of having a delivery and plugging in a plug. Sooo much cheaper, easier and quicker. 

YukonRon

I am running a 60 bottle Haier dual zone, and keeping the remaining bottles resting on shelves in the basement of our home that remains about 67F year round.

The Haier has performed flawlessly since we plugged it in a couple years ago, service is excellent, it is very quiet and is a nice piece visually. We had ours built-in when we rebuilt our kitchen.

I have had more than one person tell me, that if you are going to keep a large quantity of wine on hand, to build a wine cellar and limit the number you keep in the wine refrigerator. The risk is too great to leave a large quantity in a single appliance, due to the fact, a simple power outage can/will create issues.

We are lucky our very old house was built the way it had been, as the cellar was the cooler for many years, and perfectly lends itself to a pretty effecient performance as a wine cave.

My recommendation would be the same. If you are without a cellar, build a room, insulate it and add a/c. Many of my friends have done this and some of the designs are so simple, it is laughable, but they work.

Let me know if I can be of further help.

Jeremiah

https://youtu.be/Z5azBVuK424

northGAcock

Jeremiah said:

https://youtu.be/Z5azBVuK424

When did you visit Ron? I think he wanted that kept on the down low.

Jcacavias

@lkapigian - Where are you located?  I might be willing to take it off your hands.  Do you know what capacity it is?  What would you want for it?

lkapigian

I'm in California ( Central) it is a D025

Specs Click HERE

Only installed for a year, the company that installed it put it in an attic with no High Ambient Option on the unit, we installed the correct model and kept this one

Jcacavias

Ah, unfortunate.  I'm in Georgia.  If you were in the Southeast I'd have bought it from you.  Thanks anyway.

DoubleEgger

This is under @YukonRons place 

YukonRon

You know, I look at my pitiful metal racks I keep in the cellar, and think; "How in the world am I going to drink that much wine?"

Then family and friends come over, then I think; "How in the world did they drink that much wine?" After looking at my empty shelves of my pitiful metal racks, I keep in the cellar.

Plan on clearing space in the cellar for more shelves,  because 200 is just enough to piss off our friends and family.

Foghorn

Thanks for all the comments.  Keep them coming.

I don't have a basement.  The limestone here doesn't allow it.  And I don't really have a room that I can dedicate to wine, so I'm probably going to buy something that is freestanding.  Costco may be a good place to look.

nolaegghead

Does it have to hold magnums and boxes?

littlerascal56

Wife keeps the boxed wine & bottles that she will be serving soon in a fridge in garage.
i keep all the beer in a separate fridge in my shop, which can also store my fishworms!

Foghorn

nolaegghead said:

Does it have to hold magnums and boxes?

Not necessarily.