We will be moving out to the Santa Cruz area next month. At our current place we have an 8x8 walk in wine cellar. Surprise, surprise, our new place doesn’t!!
We’ll be looking to order a wine fridge for our new place and would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on retailers to buy from or avoid and manufacturers/models to buy or avoid.
Also, are their any retailers in the Bay Area worth looking at, or would online be the way to go?
Le Cache. Done and done! I wouldn’t even bother looking at others. Seriously.
I love this Danby which really fits 100+ bottles (take out the bottom rack and put 2 bottles in front on each rack)…
http://www.beveragefactory.com/refrigerators/wine/dwc612blp.shtml
Most people hate Danby, maybe I got the one good unit 
Mine has kept a steady temp (1-2 degree variance as tested by hi-lo memory thermometers) and solid humidity since 2006.
I also recommend Le Cache. Good customer service! I have the Euro and it looks great as a furniture piece.
In all fairness, I suppose bottle capacity and cost are very important there. Le Cache is an investment. But simply a beautiful piece of furniture that can hold even the fat boy bottles you might come across. The universal racking is perfect.
Ditto on Le Cache.
Cheers,
Andrew
am using my friends Le Cache at the moment. I don’t understand how this thing cost @ $3000 new. Even at half price, not sure if i’d be a buyer.
Not to say it doesn’t work but $3000? come on
Craigslist
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bfs/2320887695.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/app/2315112590.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/?areaID=1&subAreaID=&query=wine+cellar&catAbb=sss
Keep an eye out and you can eventually find a replacement cooling unit. just for back up
There are only two brands to consider Vinotheque and LeCache.
Whatever brand you buy I highly suggest you buy one with a self contained cooling unit (all le cache and some vinotheque). The reason for this is the cooling unit can be removed with just a few screws to have it cleaned, repaired or replaced. The units with plate type evaporators (in the back wall of the unit like the Vinotheque QT and Eurocave) are extremely difficult to repair (or even find a qualified tech).
Thinking of going the cheaper route on one of these. anyone have positive or negative feedback on either of these?
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11317458&whse=BC&topnav=&cat=78525&b=1&lang=en-US
http://www.wineenthusiast.com/e/results.asp?Ep=N/173+453+469//Nao/0&icid=PRDDTLNTRYZNCTGRYNA
I agree with all the posts about Le Cache. Customer service 2nd to none. The cooling unit will eventually fail, go with a company that stands behind their product. That being said, costco’s return policy is awesome. But the racking with Le Cache is head and shoulders better than the competition, unless you don’t care about soiled and ripped labels.
I had a Vinotemp that went through a new control board and a new cooling unit within ~1 year of use. I will say that customer service was great but I didn’t want to buy another just to have future issues with it.
I considered getting a Eurocave from Wine Enthusiast’s “Scratch and Dent” specials (when they pop up) but ended up going with a new Marvel cellar and love it. Keeps temps dead on and humidity is always with-in range.
I don’t think you can go wrong with a Le Cache or Eurocave either.