So after 9 years it looks like my Artevino II has given up (coolant leak somewhere and unable to keep temperature) and I’ll have to replace it. I’m looking for a single zone fridge for my 140 bottle collection which will be in my garage. I live in Southern California so while it doesn’t get humid in there but it does get hot at times in the summer.
I’m hesitant to buy another Artevino given this one only lasted 9 years and also developed wood rot so am looking at Vinotemp and Wine Enthusiast.
I have a Costco membership and I see a Vinotemp 300 bottle capacity but it’s dual zone which I really don’t need. Also it looks like these days Costco will only deliver it into the garage but not unpack the unit and just leave it on a delivery pallet. This could pose an issue since my wife isn’t able to help me move it.
Wine Enthusiast has a 300 bottle “XL” model with a glass door but I’m not sure if it will withstand 100+ degree heat on some summer afternoons.
Also I’m planning on using this as a freestanding unit so location of the fan and compressor isn’t as important to me.
I’m hoping to get a recommendation on a wine fridge which is serviceable. This Artevino has an easily accessible compressor in the back but the evaporator is completely covered and sealed which means servicing it is essentially impossible. Pretty terrible for the cost for it to last only 9 years.
Some ideas or recommendations are appreciated. I’m hoping to buy one soon as my bottles are all sitting in cases throughout my house. I’m also wondering if Best Buy or Pacific Sales are an option. I’d like to keep below $4k (preferably below $3k) if possible.
A word of warning- I have a small Wine Enthusiast fridge approx 60 bottle capacity. Works well but it’s humidity in there and rots the labels like crazy. I contacted the company and got no help at all. I have to Saran Wrap anything that goes in there otherwise there’s mold all over the label in just a few months. I tell myself the humidity is good for the corks though.
My Artevino didn’t even last that long, and I couldn’t find any local appliance repair guys that would even look at it. Unfortunately, budget wine fridges don’t seem to last very long, which I don’t really understand given the simplicity of their purpose - because I’ve had little dorm fridges still going strong at 30 years.
I saw that one. I don’t have a major need for a dual zone fridge so could I like set them 1 degree apart? Also some of the reviews complain about poor delivery service quality.
Cant speak to delivery or the fridge specifically, just the one I was looking at when I was considering for garage. If its dual zone you should still be able tp set both to the same temp.
It looks like you could set both to 55°. Per the spec sheet, “Temperature range: upper zone (40-56°F) / lower zone (54-65°F)”.
As far as delivery, YMMV but when I had a beverage center delivered in the fall, they did place it in our kitchen despite it only being “threshold” delivery. It was still on me to get it out of the carton.
Check if you can get Liebherr Vinothek or GrandCru cabinets. They are fully serviceable, you can change all parts related to cooling or control, have carbon filters, have blower to ciculate air inside and can be installed freestanding on carages or storage space.
I have 3, oldest is 10y and going strong, no issues with mould or anything, keeps temps +/-1degC. Got my Vinothek models for around 1200€/pcs and they can store 250 bottles bordeaux. I have mix of Champagne, burgundy, german rieslings and magnums and total around 160-170/cabinet
I have this fridge and the dual zone is mildly annoying but not a dealbreaker when balanced against the better insulation and cooling capacity the model offers. The only place we could put a big fridge indoors was a garage apartment we keep at 79-80 in the summer when we don’t have guests and so I wanted a unit rated for higher temps.
My main gripe is that even though the temp ranges for the two compartments both include 55 degrees it won’t actually maintain both at 55, and the top one will run a little cooler. Over the course of the year that is sometimes 48-52. Once you know that you can plan around it but like I said mild annoyance.
Have not owned for long enough to rate reliability. Worked great for 2yrs though.
Not to put a fire under your belly, but I would act soon. We have been pricing out wine fridges for the winery tasting room. Prices seem to be going up with some alarming frequency.
I’ve got these in my garage. It still works, but it could definitely use a new cooling unit as the thermostat on the existing one doesn’t work great. It holds over 400 bottles easily. I went back to storing at an offsite with a 200 bottle fridge in my house. It’sa vinotemp cabinet. If you can move it, you can have it. I live in North County San Diego.
I was about to come on here to push Wine Enthusiast’s wine vaults, actually, as I love mine, and don’t seem to have that humidity issue (I have a wireless thermometer in there with bluetooth connection so I can check humidity as well).
This was actually the second Wine Enthusiast fridge that I have. The first one was a total dud- wouldn’t hold a temp below 60. This was the replacement one. So I haven’t been impressed with these myself.
Did you purchase yours through Costco? What was your delivery experience like? I recall back in 2016 my current one (purchased by Costco) came with horrible “white glove” delivery from CEVA logistics. For one they misplaced it in their warehouse for weeks when finally they found it and then delivered it. And the delivery guy didn’t even have a dolly to bring it from the truck into my garage.
For a $50 handshake I’m 99.9% sure the delivery guys will take it off of the pallet and put it where you want in the garage.
For $500 (or so depending on where you live) Craigslist ad I bet you can get someone to deliver David’s generous offer to you.
