Wine Fridges
#1
11-07-16, 11:55 AM
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: UK
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Wine Fridges
Good evening all,
Iv just had a new kitchen fitted and was looking at getting a montpellier wine fridge that is integrated into the kitchen units. I think they look great, me and the wife love our wine as well.
I was wondering whether any body had any experience with wine fridges and if so what your thoughts are?
Iv been looking at buying one of the below wine fridges, however i am undecided on capacity yet.
****************
Iv been speaking with the ***** team and they seem very knowledgable and friendly, but i would like some third party advice.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Callum
Iv just had a new kitchen fitted and was looking at getting a montpellier wine fridge that is integrated into the kitchen units. I think they look great, me and the wife love our wine as well.
I was wondering whether any body had any experience with wine fridges and if so what your thoughts are?
Iv been looking at buying one of the below wine fridges, however i am undecided on capacity yet.
****************
Iv been speaking with the ***** team and they seem very knowledgable and friendly, but i would like some third party advice.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Callum
Last edited by Shadeladie; 11-07-16 at 12:06 PM. Reason: Link and company name removed
#2
11-07-16, 12:13 PM
Small wine fridges are useless IMO. The idea of keeping wine in a fridge or cellar is so you can age it. Which usually means buying a case or half case and keeping for a couple years drinking at different points to compare how the wine has evolved. With a small fridge you'll never have enough space. I'd say 120+ as a minimum. Otherwise you're better off just using your fridge for whites and keeping the reds on the counter.
My personal experience:
I have a 36 bottle undecounter wine fridge which I was given when I got into wine and which was quickly pulled out and has been since converted to a dry aging fridge for beef.
My personal experience:
I have a 36 bottle undecounter wine fridge which I was given when I got into wine and which was quickly pulled out and has been since converted to a dry aging fridge for beef.
#3
11-07-16, 12:56 PM
My perspective is similar to Esand1 but slightly different. If you're into wine, can afford it, and your intent is to accumulate wine, a smallish wine fridge is something of a waste. You're far better off creating a wine cellar.
If instead, you buy wine regularly to keep on hand and consume in a year or two, a wine fridge is a worthwhile investment. Having something in the kitchen allows you to store wine without filling up the refrigerator so you always have wine on hand.
If that's your intent, go for it. Something under 50 bottles probably makes sense.
Keeping wine without climate control is a no-no and will lead to spoilage or degrading before you know it, I good friend of mine kept an expensive bottle on his wine rack for a special occasion. We opened it and had a good chuckle.
BTW, you didn't ask about features (which is more important than size), so I assume you already have studied the field.
If instead, you buy wine regularly to keep on hand and consume in a year or two, a wine fridge is a worthwhile investment. Having something in the kitchen allows you to store wine without filling up the refrigerator so you always have wine on hand.
If that's your intent, go for it. Something under 50 bottles probably makes sense.
Keeping wine without climate control is a no-no and will lead to spoilage or degrading before you know it, I good friend of mine kept an expensive bottle on his wine rack for a special occasion. We opened it and had a good chuckle.
BTW, you didn't ask about features (which is more important than size), so I assume you already have studied the field.
#4
11-07-16, 02:43 PM
"Keeping wine without climate control is a no-no and will lead to spoilage or degrading before you know it, I good friend of mine kept an expensive bottle on his wine rack for a special occasion. We opened it and had a good chuckle."
True but not in the short term (99% of reds will last a month or so in the pantry) and if you're not storing wine on a large scale, you should just buy and consume. There is plenty of great, ready to drink wine available. If it's one or two special bottles you want to save, it makes sense to let someone else do it and buy it on wine bid when you actually want to drink it, if it's more than a couple bottles, well you run into the storageprbolem again.
FWIW if your goal is curb appeal, wine storage options can get very expensive (and that's not counting the wine which is always just overpriced fruit juice) very quickly.
BUT....... If you don't care about looks, you can do what I did to store my wine on the cheap. I got a 2 door glass door fridge w/ remote compressor from a old convenience store for $350 (Mine says sprite on the side, been meaning to paint it for years) and hooked it up to a $150 PID controller (took less than 30min to connect) and I have a 250 bottle Temp/Humidity controlled cellar in my garage. 1000+ days as a wine cooler (and god knows how much as a sprite chiller) and thankfully maintenance fee.
True but not in the short term (99% of reds will last a month or so in the pantry) and if you're not storing wine on a large scale, you should just buy and consume. There is plenty of great, ready to drink wine available. If it's one or two special bottles you want to save, it makes sense to let someone else do it and buy it on wine bid when you actually want to drink it, if it's more than a couple bottles, well you run into the storageprbolem again.
FWIW if your goal is curb appeal, wine storage options can get very expensive (and that's not counting the wine which is always just overpriced fruit juice) very quickly.
BUT....... If you don't care about looks, you can do what I did to store my wine on the cheap. I got a 2 door glass door fridge w/ remote compressor from a old convenience store for $350 (Mine says sprite on the side, been meaning to paint it for years) and hooked it up to a $150 PID controller (took less than 30min to connect) and I have a 250 bottle Temp/Humidity controlled cellar in my garage. 1000+ days as a wine cooler (and god knows how much as a sprite chiller) and thankfully maintenance fee.
#5
11-07-16, 06:29 PM
Esand1, I guess we just see Callum's question differently. My read is he's getting his kitchen redone and is interested in getting a fridge as part of a project that will probably be very nice when it's finished. (And one that will be a conversation point, thereafter.) I suspect he doesn't need a fridge any more than he needs wine, but wants both. Nothing wrong with that.
From that perspective, I took a look at Montpellier units and modified my size recommendation. They have a wine fridge capable of holding up to 94 bottles that would be a nice addition to the project. (Built in, but not under counter.) Since the unit has two 2 zones, you can store a variety of wines (reds, whites, desert, sparkling) and even some craft beers to have on hand as needed.
If you want something under counter, the 46 bottle / 2-zone unit looks very nice.
From that perspective, I took a look at Montpellier units and modified my size recommendation. They have a wine fridge capable of holding up to 94 bottles that would be a nice addition to the project. (Built in, but not under counter.) Since the unit has two 2 zones, you can store a variety of wines (reds, whites, desert, sparkling) and even some craft beers to have on hand as needed.
If you want something under counter, the 46 bottle / 2-zone unit looks very nice.
#6
11-07-16, 06:54 PM
Nothing wrong with it at all. Just adding my $.02 which is that you shouldn't buy an undercounted wine fridge and think its a cellar. Its not; that was a mistake I made and one lots of people seem to. Doesn't means that a wine fridge a bad appliance.
