Please visit our table at Pinot Days on June 27, 2010.  We hope to see you there!

For readers who are technically inclined, we asked our manufucturing engineer why so many Breezaire cooling units are failing after just 3 years in the field. His answers to our questions are below.

First, a bit of context. For 17 years, Le Cache used Breezaire cooling units* exclusively in its wine cabinets. In 2006, we started receiving alarming numbers of calls from customers complaining that their cooling unit “won’t get below 60 degrees”, “runs all the time”, “won’t cool properly” and “won’t get above 49 percent humidity”, and started to notice a significant increase in manufacturing defects. That’s when we decided to develop CellarPro cooling units.

At CellarPro, we use premium components and advanced manufacturing and testing processes from beginning to end. As a result, it costs us more to build a CellarPro unit than our wholesale cost to purchase a Breezaire unit! But we felt like we had no choice, and after reading the following Q&A, we think you’ll agree.

Q. It looks like we’ve repaired approx. 50 Breezaire units in the last few months. What are the most common failures?

A:
Qty / Description
9 / Bad Controller
1 / Bad Compressor
41 /  Leak Evaporator
0 / Leak Condensor
2 / Leak Gas Loop
2 / Bad Cap/Strainer
1 / Bad Fan

This data is not 100% complete, but it outlines the general trends. Some units had multiple issues. Most common is a leak – we have stopped doing the detailed leak detection because it is so time consuming, so if the unit does not have a charge we replace the evap, hot gas loop, and cap/strainer. Most of the units with controller problems also had a leak. I would estimate 10% of the leaks to be in the gas loop, the rest are evaporator leaks.

Q. What is causing the failures?
A.

Controller: not a quality component. Between 15 and 20% of the returned leaking units also have a bad controller. Having the unit run excessively creates two problems: 1) increased coil wear on the inside due to long run times and cap tube system inability to regulate, so velocities can get higher than optimal 2) Long runs create excessive moisture on the cold side, and heat on the hot side, which accelerates the corrosion of the hot gas loop.

Evap leaks: Not conclusive, but I believe a portion are internal source leaks due to controller problems or undersized units causing excessive run times. Another factor could be that Breezaire does not evacuate their coils as effectively, or they leave their systems open too long during the brazing process which can create acids in the oil. If the leaks are external, eg acid from the wine bottles, which is a corrosive agent to coils, Breezaire’s grey coating may not be sufficient to protect against this.

Q. Is there anything we should tell customers to do in the field to extend longevity?

A. Run the unit at the highest setpoint that can be tolerated.  At 55F, the Breezaire unit may have to run constantly.

Q. Will CellarPro units experience the same failures?
Our controller is more reliable, we have defrost cycles, we have larger coils to minimize condensate generation, TEV’s to regulate the flow to prevent excessive internal refrigerant velocities, and we have electrofin coating on the coils which is much more effective against external corrosive agents. We have some risk with the hot gas loop, but we do a better job of insulating it from direct contact with other metal. A portion of the BA failures were mechanical due to a sharp mounting bracket crimped down on it, which we do not have.

Q. Should we change anything in how we manufacture our CP units?
A. We do make continuous improvements as we learn more from field feedback. With regard to what we’ve seen on BA units, our current design, components, and manufacturing processes minimize our risk of similar field failures.

*Le Cache wine cabinets used Breezaire’s WKB 1060 and WKB 2200, which are the same as WKD 1060 and 2200, WKC 1060 and 2200 and WKCE 1060 and 2200 cooling units, except that the “E” units have Electronic, rather than mechanical, controls.

I spoke with a customer yesterday who was trying to decide between CellarPro’s 4200VSi and Whisperkool’s Platinum Extreme 4000 wine cooling units. We first spoke last week, then he spoke with Scott at Whisperkool, and then he called us again yesterday.

The customer – a contractor – is building a wine cabinet inside a butlers pantry for his client, and he needs a cooling unit that can be located remotely and ducted. Initially he considered the CellarPro 1800 wine cooling unit, but these units can’t be ducted. So we talked about the CellarPro 4200VSi wine cooling unit, which CAN be ducted, and has the added advantage of variable speed fans. Because the wine cabinet is a small space, the low fan speed should be enough to maintain optimal wine storage conditions inside the cabinet, which is great news because the low fan speed is SO QUIET at 53 decibels. In comparison, Whisperkool cooling units have just one fan speed:  LOUD.  Whisperkool’s 4200 XLT emits 63 decibels, and Whisperkool’s Platinum Extreme 4000 cooling unit emits 67 decibels.  Yikes!  To compare the different cooling units, view our Cooling Unit Comparison Chart.  To view the different sound levels, click on our Cooling Unit Sound Performance Chart

After we spok last week, the customer called Whisperkool to learn about there products.  According to the customer, when he asked Scott at Whisperkool about the variable speed fans on CellarPro cooling units, Scott replied that, “According to CellarPro’s Owner’s Manual, they do not recommend using the low fan speed.”   

Huh? 

Here’s the deal:  we have three fan speed settings, and each one produces a certain amount of BTU per hour (BTUH).  You can use the low, medium or high setting – whichever is most appropriate for your cellar.  To guide you, we published a thermal load chart at 55 degrees and a thermal load chart at 60 degrees, so you can calculate the thermal load of your cellar and see which fan setting will work for you.

Not only are CellarPro’s 4200VS wine cooling units quieter than Whisperkool’s Platinum Extreme 4000 cooling units, they are less expensive (up to $1,000) with  more features and variable speed fans to suit most applications.  At CellarPro, we’re committed to providing the highest level of customer service in the industry.   We won’t feed you silly arguments to sell you our products.  Our goal is for you to make the right decision.  You can count on it!

Postscript: The contractor purchased the CellarPro 4200VSi cooling unit.

As of April 27th, the Mark Squires’ Bulletin Board is available only to subscribers to eRobertParker.com. If they closed the BB because they couldn’t take the growing voice of dissent, what a cowardly thing to do! Maybe they did it to increase subscriptions to the Advocate? Seems hard to believe… They said that it cost too much to manage – I don’t believe that reason whatsoever – it seems like a red herring to me.

The BB had traffic and content – even if the content had lots of backbiting, pettiness and machismo, and even if traffic was declining, the asset meant a lot to many contributors and even more lurkers, which made the site a HUGELY valuable asset!

What stupidity! What cowardice! What supreme arrogance! What a waste…

We currently offer U-Line and Danby wine coolers, and wanted to see how well these wine coolers perform in a head-to-head competition.

By and large, both wine coolers did a fine job of maintaining proper and consistent wine storage temperatures in both the upper (warm) and lower (cold) zones.  Both wine coolers look great, are super quiet and have minimal vibration when running.  Refer to the following performance charts for more information:

• Danby DWC518BLS Wine Cooler – Temperature and Humidity Performance
• U-Line 2275ZWCS Wine Cooler – Temperature and Humidity Performance

As shown in the charts, Danby’s wine cooler failed the humidity test, maintaining humidity around 40 percent inside the wine cooler (60 percent is ideal for proper wine storage and aging.)  On the other hand, U-Line’s wine cooler did an excellent job of maintaining appropriate humidity levels at an average of 59 percent inside the wine cooler.

U-Line’s wine cooler is more powerful than Danby’s wine cooler, with a bigger compressor and almost double the refrigerant charge.  U-Line’s wine cooler also is more energy efficient than Danby’s wine cooler, by approximately 25 percent.  And U-Line’s wine cooler is made in the USA, whereas Danby’s wine cooler is made in China.
Danby’s wine cooler (Silhouette DWC518BLS Stainless) can be purchased for $949, and U-Line’s wine cooler  (Echelon 2275ZWCS Stainless) can be purchased for $2,399.  Is the difference in price worth it?  If you plan to use the wine cooler to store and age wine for 2+ years, humidity becomes an increasingly important issue.  Also, if you plan to “build in” your wine cooler, U-Line is perceived as a higher-value brand, and probably will create more resale value. But if you are planning to use the wine cooler simply for chilling and serving your wine, the price / performance combination of Danby’s unit can’t be beat.

Our free shipping promotion on Le Cache wine cabinets will be ending soon!

Shipping costs, which include inside delivery to a ground floor, setup and removal of packaging materials, range from $400 to $800 depending on the size of the wine cabinet and the shipping destination.

To take advantage of this free shipping promotion, you must submit your order by March 31.  Even if your cabinet ships after March 31, you will receive free shipping on your cabinet.

If you place your order at www.lecachewinecabinets.com, we won’t charge your credit card until your cabinet ships, and if you change your mind before the cabinet ships, there’s no charge and no penalty.

Don’t miss this limited time offer!

We are pleased to announce the introduction of high-performance air filters that are designed to fit over all CellarPro 1800 cooling units, both standalone and installed inside Le Cache wine cabinets.  Beginning immediately, we will include a filter at no additional charge on all Le Cache wine cabinets shipped.  For existing owners of Le Cache wine cabinets that are fitted with CellarPro cooling systems, as well as existing owners of standalone CellarPro 1800 cooling units, filters can be purchased separately (see pricing below).

With these new air filters, CellarPro and Le Cache owners will be able to replace their filters instead of having to vacuum their condenser coils. The poly-coated high-performance filters come with a durable aluminum frame and powerful magnets that hold the filter snugly in place over the condenser coils. When it’s time to replace the filter, simply remove the filter from the cooling unit, swap the filter, and return the filter to the cooling unit.  The filter is accessed from the top of all Le Cache upright wine cabinets, and therefore does not require the cabinet to be moved away from the wall.   For owners of Le Cache wine credenzas, the filter can be removed and replaced in the 4-6″ space behind the credenza, and therefore the credenza is not required to be moved away from the wall.

We are offering replacement filters (2-per pack) for $15 retail plus s/h.  If you need a filter frame, we are offering a filter frame and one filter for $25 retail plus s/h.

We are commited to the continuous improvement of our product designs, features and functionality.  Stay tuned…

Question: Which wine cabinet do you think has higher wine bottle capacity:

Cabinet A:   71w x 31.5d x 40h (inches)

Cabinet B:   68w x 29.5d x 40h

Answer: You would think that the larger cabinet would have higher bottle capacity, right? In fact, the manufacturer of wine cabinet A advertises capacity for 174 bottles and the manufacturer for wine cabinet B advertises capacity for 284 bottles – fully 63% higher than wine cabinet A!

So what gives? Well, for one thing, Le Cache (the manufacturer of wine cabinet A) has bottle spacing to accommodate large-format bottles. Our spacing is 3 3/4″ in each and every cell. Americave, the manufacturer of wine cabinet B, has tighter spacing – they claim 3 1/2″ – so if you divide the width of each cabinet by the cell space, cabinet B would gain 1 column of space – roughly equivalent to 20 bottles of additional capacity.

So where is the space for the other 90 bottles? We don’t know!! But if you’re considering the purchase of a wine cabinet or credenza from Americave (aka Vintage Series and Estate wine cabinets), make sure you ask the right questions – otherwise, you’ll have far less capacity than you bargained for – and by the way, did the salesman mention that all sales of Americave, Vintage Series and Estate wine cabinets are final? And it takes 8-12 weeks to build? And they use Breezaire cooling units?  And it’s almost $1000 more expensive than the Le Cache wine credenza?  Maybe higher price is related to the higher bottle count….

Good luck!

We’ve been trying different aerators at home, and the Vinturi aerator is our favorite, for several reasons. Most importantly, the shape is the most natural – not too big or ornate, but not flimsy or cheap. It’s easy to clean, and feels like it will last forever.

Another reason we like the Vinturi aerator is it’s simplicity. It doesn’t get inserted into a bottle, it doesn’t need a filter, it can be held by hand, or can be used with a stand (the Vinturi Tower).

Vinturi’s aerator is really easy to clean. There are not skinny tubes or impossible-to-reach enclosures, and it’s dishwasher safe – though really, all you need to do is rinse the aerator for a few seconds after you’re done pouring.

All the aerators seemed to perform about the same – all seemed to smooth out tight, young wines – so at the end of the day, it’s about personal preference – we would never use an aerator for our nicely aged bottles – but for everyday swill, the Vinturi aerator is the way to go

In addition to FedEx classes of service and USPS Priority Mail , we offer SuperSaver flat-rate shipping for selected items in our store. With SuperSaver rates, we’ll charge a flat rate of $6.95 and ship your order to you via FedEx Ground, Priority Mail or Parcel Post, depending on the package. If you’re not in a rush, our SuperSaver rate usually will be the cheapest shipping rate in our store.

If the correct rate does not appear in your shopping cart when you place your order, please contact us via email or call us toll-free at 877.888.9137. We will not only refund the difference, we also will apply a 5% discount to the items that you purchased in your order. Get more information about our shipping policy.

Today we sent our customers an “opt-out” email message so that people who don’t want us to bother them can choose to opt-out of future emails from Le Cache – CellarPro – Sonoma Wine Accessories. It was not a phishing scam. For those people who opted out, our system automatically will deactivate their email addresses to protect them from future correspondence.

We place a high premium on respecting our customers’ privacy, and sending an “opt-out” email is a good standard procedure.

For questions about this topic, let me know!

We gave away our first $100 gift certificate to Melanie C. yesterday for recommending that we offer Acro Tacks on our site.

Here’s what Melanie had to say:

“My husband and I had some custom storm windows made for our restored lake house and the carpenter found these great little number tacks to keep track of the old fashioned windows. As soon as he saw them, my husband thought they’d be great for numbering our bins in the wine cellar. We had our carpenter get a set and they work great! We loved them so much we got 11 more sets to give away at our Christmas party, they were a smash!

The package said Acro Tacks and I seem to remember that the company was somewhere n the mid-west, (Ohio?).

Let me know what you think!”

It’s easy money!  Simply recommend a wine accessory or related item that we don’t currently offer on this site, and we decide to add the item, we’ll send you a gift certificate for $100 that you can use to purchase anything on our site!

So what are you waiting for?

Effective January 15, we will be increasing the prices of our wine cabinets an average of $350 per unit.  We have not increased our prices in 3 years; nor did we increase our prices when we switched from Breezaire to CellarPro cooling units.  The price increases reflect increases in our manufacturing costs that have accumulated over several years.  We also will be raising the prices of CellarPro 1800 QTL, QT and XT wine cooling units by $100.

At the same time that we raise our prices, we will introduce free shipping for our wine cabinets.  The free shipping promotion, which is for a limited time, includes inside delivery and setup (ie “white glove” delivery) to a ground floor.  To take advantage of our free shipping promotion, use the following code when checking out:  LCFS1Q10. 

The net effect of these changes will be a reduction in the delivered price of our wine cabinets.  We appreciate your business!

The Wall Street Journal recently published an interesting article about champagne bubbles. 

According to the article, researchers at Columbia University found that carbonated bubbles (in sparkling wine, soda and beer) “activate our taste buds” and spray droplets of aromatic chemicals into the air. 

In addition, bubbles actually mix the beverage, which can affect its scent and flavor.  Bubbles absorb aromatic compounds from the liquid as they rise, and this constant convection of bubbles adds to the flavor of the beverage. 

The shape of the champagne glass can affect how thoroughly bubbles mix the beverage.  Bubbles appeared to mix champagne more completely in a narrow flute than in a coupe (a broader, more shallow glass.)

So when you break out the Dom on New Year’s Eve, pour the bubbly into flutes – and don’t miss the fragrant mist at the surface of the flute as the bubbles explode!

For this reason, it’s important to enjoy champagne in a glass with

 and narrow flutes are recommended to ensure thorough

I just read a post from a contractor who struggled with a faulty wine cooler and poor customer service from the wine cooler manufacturer.  To read the post, click on the following link:  “Vinotemp doesn’t deliver customer satisfaction.”

The point of this post isn’t to slam the Vinotemp, but rather to highlight the importance of doing your research when it comes to purchasing expensive products online.

Wine storage, wine racking and wine accessories are sold by all kinds of companies, including small,  large and everything in between.  Here are five rules before spending money on wine storage products online:

1. The lowest price may be lowest for a reason.  If you purchase the lowest price item, be prepared – and willing to accept – a certain failure rate.
2. Read and understand the retailer’s return policy.  Are there restocking fees? Who pays freight?  Can anything/everything be returned?  For how long?
3. Investigate online what other customers have to say about the product and the retailer.  Take what you read with a grain of salt – some people have axes to grind – but trust your gut, because it’s not hard to get  a pretty good sense for whether you’re about to step into a pile of poop.
4. What does the product warranty cover?  Ie which parts? what about labor? Are you responsible for any fees?  How long does the warranty coverage last?
5. Does the online retailer have a phone number and physical address?  Can you find names of owners or senior managers in case you need to escalate an issue?  Read “About Us”  to learn about the owner’s of the company, their values and how they do business.

In the wine accessories business, shopping is fun and bargains abound.  Just remember:   an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!

SmartMoney magazine published an interesting article today. The main point of the article is that 2009 was a very good year to start a wine collection, because wine prices have come down drastically due to lack of demand resulting from the weak economic environment.

For collectors interested in starting or adding to their wine collection, the article recommends staying away from “mass-produced” wines, and focusing instead on low-production “crafted” wines from Burgundy or Bordeaux.  In addition, stick to highly-rated wines produced in celebrated years.

Most importantly, the article recommends paying close attention to “proper wine storage”, which along with the provenance, or history of ownership, can have a surprising impact on value.

We agree! For more information about proper wine storage and related products, please visit www.lecachewinecabinets.com and www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com.

We received – unsolicited – the following email exchange that a prospective customer had with the folks at one of our competitors:

Competitor: Hello, I will forward drawings on Monday, look forward to working with you on this project. Thank you

Customer: Thanks. Question on the WhisperKool, which unit is it? and how does it handle excessive ambient humidity? I.e. drip pan .. etc

Competitor: The unit is a UL 1200 with quiet fans, there is a heating element in the compressor fan to evaporate excessive moisture. No drain line is required.

Customer: I found the following on Goggle search for WhisperKool 1200:

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice on a Wine Storage unit I’m having trouble with. I purchased a Vinotheque (Villa Series; model 330) about 4 years ago. It worked just fine for about 2 years, then the cooling system failed (it ran, but did not cool). Even though it was beyond the 1-year warranty, they sent me a replacement, and I installed it (sent them the non-working unit back). Now, 2 years later, the same thing has happened (it runs, but does not cool). I called their customer service again (not really expecting them to offer a replacement); and they have a “Customer Care Program” to exchange the 1000 BTU with another for about $750 (plus shipping). They also offered, for the same price to send a 1200 BTU unit. I just not sure I want to spend $800 each two years to “maintain” my Vinotheque.

I would expect a quality Wine Storage to work correctly for at least 10 to 15 years, even longer since it’s not located in a harsh environment. Has anyone else had experience with WhisperKool cooling units; either good or bad? Does anybody think that these can be repaired at a reasonable cost?

I’m struggling with the choices of either getting an exchange unit or just scrapping the whole thing and getting something else.

Thanks for any and all suggestions. Also are there any other forums where I might read about others’ experiences with Wine Storage Cabinets.

Michael

Competitor: This is a planted email, by my competitors. These emails are planted by Le Cache / Breezeaire cooling system. They are there to discourage customers from Vinotheque, and sway them to their less expensive models. People buy Vinotheque for the reputation and service. That’s why my competitors attack me there, it’s obvious they can’t touch the craftsmanship (when seen in person). Our warranty is 2 years are parts and labor and shipping, 5 years on the compressor. The man below doesn’t put his name or email, if he did I would look up the history . We document every sale and any warranty history. Even the last line below is a “winner”. The statement is baiting customers to write a bad or frustrating experience. Happy customers won’t take the time to respond, generally. One last note is we sale wine cellar WK units ( 1600, 3000, 4200, 6000, 8000, SS4000, SS8000 and the Extreme series) also WK units for cabinet ( 1000 BTU, 1200 BTU, 1200BTU UL approved , 2300 BTU). Why I know it’s a plant is the open-ended sentence— “Has anyone else had experience with WhisperKool cooling units; either good or bad? Does anybody think that these can be repaired at a reasonable cost?” this man is trying to bring in the Cellar WKs to confuse the reader, these units are the flat best that’s why the T.W.E still offers are product even though it has replicated it in China as “Grand Cru”. Cellars need to be built with insulated doors and vapor barriers ect, ect (on website), Customers and contractors sometimes cut corners or use the WK in the wrong application( vent to outside, cement walls ect, ect). If it fails, we are there to trouble shoot it and correct the unit or replace it. Problem is sometimes we find out the end user has disregarded how to install( manual) the unit or built a substandard cellar. We point this out to them and they blame our unit, they have the same problem over and over again with other cooling systems and eventually come to the same conclusion. Now at that point who goes back and amends their email from the year before, and says they were wrong. If you had this man’s email I would like to respond to him. If I knew his last name? I would be able to determine what he is saying is true and as I suspect a planted email. I have many customers I can refer to you as to my quality and warranty, If you like I will see if I can give you there email address? We have been in business for over 27 years, in 2001, Mr. Schneider brought the company ( formally Nordicorp). He has spent a fortune in product development, to keep us #1. I hope you choose to buy Vinotheque, my personal cell #209-###-####, my home # is 209-###-####. I know of no other Sales Mgr that believes in his product that much he would do that….. I do!

Customer: To the contrary of what you have said, I was routed by Le Cache to Vinotheque because they could not match my stain. Here is an E-mail from Le Cache Customer service:

We would need a wood sample to try to match a cabinet. From the picture, it looks like the lot of cabinets with our lightest Provincial stain would be a good match. We have these cabinets in the mission style (credenza, 1400 and 2400) and the Contemporary credenza. It is likely that the other cabinets would be too dark to match your stain.

If matching your stain is a priority, you may want to consider purchasing a wine cabinet from Vinotheque. They are a competitor, but their products are well regarded and they will be able to match stain colors for you.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Best regards,

Customer Service
Le Cache Premium Wine Cabinets
531 Mercantile Drive Cotati, CA 94931
(P) 877.532.2243 • (F) 707.794.8005
www.lecache.com

Competitor:That is unusual, never happened in the last four years?

Customer: Can you then build a unit using a CellarPro wine cooling unit?

Competitor: Unfortunately we do not do that, but I do recommend them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have never “planted an email” about a competitor, and it’s pathetic that the competitor dismisses the online customer’s problems by blaming Le Cache. We are too busy managing our own businesses to waste time creating and planting phony emails.

On our site, we compare wine cabinets from Le Cache vs. Vinotheque, EuroCave, SubZero, Vinotemp and WCI. These comparisons are meant to highlight the differences between the wine cabinets, such as features, bottle capacity, size and price. We also have a wine cabinet shopping guide to help customers understand how to evaluate different wine cabinet features.

When you call Le Cache and CellarPro, we will give you our honest advice and opinions, even if it means that you purchase a competitor’s product. Guaranteed.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words on Robert Parker’s wine forum!

We are proud to introduce the launch of our Mission Series wine cabinets. Straight lines and stunning details define the Modern Series, which was created by acclaimed Bay-area furniture designer Berkeley Mills exclusively for Le Cache. Outside the cellar, engineered wood mullions and ebony accents offset hardwood doors, insulated paneled walls and the natural grains of hand-stained cherry wood veneer. Inside the cellar, wine collections are protected from UV rays by double-pane tinted glass and pampered by all-wood universal racking and an advanced digital cooling system from CellarPro Cooling Systems that was engineered to maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions for proper wine storage and aging. Though such features typically add hundreds to thousands of dollars to the final cost of a wine cabinet, we offer our wine cabinets with all-inclusive pricing – at significant savings to other manufacturers’ products. We also promise to ship each wine cabinet within three-to-five days of purchase, compared to the industry average of six to eight weeks.

Customer feedback played a significant role in the design of our wine storage cabinets. For example, we extended the use of its SB/0™ Technology to allow our wine cellars to be placed flush against the wall in response to complaints that existing wine cabinets, which require up to six inches of clearance between the wine cabinet and the wall, are too intrusive. We also designed our all-wood wine racking to accommodate not only standard Bordeaux bottles, but also increasingly popular larger bottle sizes, such as Burgundy, Pinot and many Champagne bottles. Our new Mission Series comes in two upright sizes to accommodate wine collections ranging from 172 to 286 bottles, and a credenza unit that accommodates 180 bottles. Mission Series wine cabinets are available in a choice of Provincial or Classic cherry hand-stained finishes, with prices starting at $3,499.

Our entire collection of wine cabinets and wine accessories can be seen at www.lecachewinecabinets.com. Our website also offers a wine cabinet shopping guide, wine cabinet comparisons and more information about the proper storage and aging of fine wine.

We are pleased to announce the introduction of the following products (anticipated in March/April 2009).

Mission Series wine cabinets. Developed by Berkeley Mills, a highly acclaimed designer of arts and crafts furniture, the Mission Series will be launched initially with our double-deep credenza, Mission 1400 and Mission 2400. These three items will be available in our exclusive Provincial and Classic cherry finishes.

Contemporary Credenza. This single-deep credenza is perfect for small spaces, and perfectly matches the clean lines and simple elegance of our popular line of Contemporary wine cabinets. This credenza also will be available in our exclusive Provincial and Classic cherry finishes.

All Le Cache wine cabinets include standard features like hardwood doors and beautiful cherry wood veneer, all-wood universal racking, high-performance CellarPro cooling units and the best customer service and warranty coverage in the industry.

View our new Mission credenza and Contemporary credenza.

In recognition of today’s difficult economic environment, we have decided to postpone the price increase that had been scheduled for January 1.

Effective January 1, 2009, the prices of Le Cache’s Contemporary Series wine storage cabinets, European Country Series wine storage cabinets, Wine Vault Series wine storage cabinets and Loft Series wine storage cabinets will increase by an average of 4.1 percent.

This price increase reflects the higher cost of the CellarPro wine cooling units that now come standard in all of our wine cabinets. CellarPro wine cooling units are the finest in the market and represent a significant upgrade over the cooling units that we used previously, providing additional cooling power and better performance in warm environments; many extra features, alarms and settings; and, for the first time, adjustable humidity control.

We will apply new prices to all orders received after December 31, 2008.

Thank you for your interest in Le Cache!

Our 1800QT wine cooling unit received 5 stars and the following review at beveragefactory.com, an authorized dealer for CellarPro cooling units.

Thanks Jim!

We recently installed 150 solar panels on our roof, which will cover 95% of our annual electricity usage. The environmental benefits were too compelling to ignore, and the economics were pretty good too! See a picture of our solar panels.

We recently saw two CellarPro wine cooling units for sale on eBay. The scary part is that both cooling units originally were sold to CellarPro customers and arrived DOA, so they were returned to us for inspection. When we opened the cases of these two wine cooling units, we found significant damage to the internal components of both units, indicating that the units probably had been dropped during transit. So we filed damage claims with the freight carrier, who paid the claims and picked up the units from us. And a couple of weeks later, they showed up for sale on eBay!

If anyone is considering purchasing a CellarPro wine cooling unit on eBay, caveat emptor!

The more we learn about different wine storage cooling units, the more we are struck by the number of manufacturing “no-no’s” from the industry leaders.

- The use of a sponge inside their cooling unit. A YELLOW SPONGE!! Would you like some mold with your wine???

- No drain pan to catch condensation. In other words, water collects at the bottom of the case, causing rust and water damage to parts on the bottom of the unit.

- No coating on the evaporator coils – no wonder these things spring leaks so quickly!

- Sloppy electrical wiring, exposed to moisture, sharp edges and moving parts. Borders on negligence…

- Exposed fan blades – no fingerguards – nuts!

- Cases that are closed with rivets – makes it all but impossible to open the case if/when necessary.

At CellarPro Cooling Systems, we are committed to using premium components and accepted manufacturing practices. All of our products are tested and certified by Intertek to UL safety standards. We offer the best warranty in the industry – with good reason.

Visit us at www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com to learn more.

We’ve received a number of phone calls and emails since we announced that all Le Cache wine cabinets would be shipped with CellarPro cooling systems, instead of Breezaire cooling units, beginning with all orders received after June 15, 2008. Customers who will be receiving CellarPro cooling systems have been excited to receive the upgraded wine refrigeration equipment at no extra charge, whereas customers who have received Breezaire cooling units for purchases made prior to June 15 mostly have been frustrated or concerned that their wine cooling units are inferior and/or they’ll get stiffed on their warranty coverage. Much of this concern has stemmed from a discussion thread on eRobertParker.com which was initiated around the same time as our switch to CellarPro.

Breezaire’s warranty is 1 year on parts and labor, plus 4 more years on parts only. However, Le Cache customers receive warranty coverage direct from Le Cache, so they are insulated from having to work through Breezaire. For Le Cache customers, the warranty term is 5 years on the cooling unit – parts and labor – regardless of whether the cabinet has a Breezaire or a CellarPro cooling unit.

We are committed to continuously improving and innovating our products, and we sincerely regret that not everyone will have the new CellarPro cooling units inside their wine cabinets. To make amends, we will offer to all Le Cache customers the opportunity to purchase a CellarPro cooling system at 25% off the retail price. This offer is available to all Le Cache customers who purchased a wine cabinet after November 1, 2004, and is good through August 31, 2008.

Please call Le Cache at 877.532.2243 to receive this discount when purchasing a CellarPro cooling system. We appreciate your business!

Le Cache is proud to announce that it will be replacing Breezaire cooling units with all-new CellarPro Cooling Systems in all of its premium wine cabinets beginning with orders placed after June 15, 2008. With the introduction of CellarPro cooling systems in all of its wine cabinets, Le Cache now provides the highest degree of protection against the elements for fine wine collections. The new wine chillers from CellarPro offer advanced cooling power, adjustable humidity control and super-quiet operation.

CellarPro was founded by the owners of Le Cache, who were frustrated by the shortcomings and limitations of existing cooling units in the wine storage industry. CellarPro is committed to building wine cooling systems that provide superior performance, advanced features and excellent customer service. Made in the USA, CellarPro cooling systems are available for immediate delivery and backed by an industry-best five-year warranty on parts and labor.

Extensively tested in hot ambient conditions, CellarPro cooling systems consistently maintained cooler temperatures and higher humidity than Breezaire. Additional features from CellarPro, like Energy-Saver and Quick-Chill modes, multiple audible and visual alarms, and interchangeable top and rear exhaust vents come standard on all CellarPro cooling systems. These advanced features typically add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a wine cellar, but Le Cache is upgrading to CellarPro cooling systems at no additional charge – representing even more savings vs. comparable products from other manufacturers.

CellarPro offers a choice of two cooling systems for wine enthusiasts: CellarPro 1800 QT, which provides outstanding performance and super-quiet operation for most indoor residential applications; and CellarPro 1800 XT, which provides extra cooling power for warmer environments and commercial applications. Both cooling systems are designed to provide vibration-free performance while maintaining optimal cellar temperatures and humidity. CellarPro cooling systems can be used to replace Breezaire 1060 and 2200 BTU cooling units installed in Le Cache and also other manufacturers’ wine cellars.

The entire collection of wine cabinets and accessories from Le Cache can be seen at http://www.lecachewinecabinets.com/. The website also offers a wine cabinet shopping guide, wine storage tips, wine cabinet comparisons and more information about the proper storage and aging of fine wine.

Performance data, comparison charts, a shopping guide and product information describing the new cooling systems from CellarPro can be seen at http://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/.

At Le Cache, we have a 30-day return policy on our wine storage cabinets, but not all companies stand behind their products.

The poor guy (below) purchased a wine cabinet but didn’t measure properly, and now he’s going to lose a lot of money, because neither the dealer nor the manufacturer will take back the wine cabinet, even in its original crate!

Before you spend thousands of dollars on a new wine cabinet, get the return and cancellation policy IN WRITING. Caveat emptor!

“The cabinet was purchased from [an online retailer]. Here’s a link to the product page:

http://www.vintage…odcategoryID=46

The wine cabinet line is called the Vintage Series Premier Cru, but it’s made by Wine Cellar Impressions, which makes cabinets for a number of stores, who sell them under different names, such as AmeriCave at winecellars.com, the Estate series at IWA (iwawine.com), as well as the Vintage Series line at Vintage Cellars.

I did a bad job of measuring to make sure this cabinet would fit down my stairway to where it needed to go, and it turns out that it won’t fit, so I need to sell it and buy a smaller one. The cabinet is being stored at the local shipping company, still in its original shipping crate.

As shown in the above link, the model I bought is the Premier Cru 420. It’s made of oak, with a Breezaire cooling system. It has redwood racks, with bulk storage at the top. Total capacity is about 396 bottles. Note that the $1995 price shown on the web site is for an unfinished cabinet, with solid doors. I stayed with the solid doors, and added the following options: light oak finish – $180, top vent upgrade – $215 (so that it could be placed flush against the wall), interior light – $39, and lock – $50.

I’m asking $1900, with free shipping and inside delivery (shipping on these units is normally $600 – $700). Free shipping is for continental U.S. only.”

When purchasing a wine cabinet, find out who is the manufacturer before committing your hard-earned money.

Not too long ago, a guy purchased a wine cabinet from another Bay area manufacturer that was too big to get down the stairs into his basement. Unfortunately, that manufacturer has a “no return” policy and, even though the cabinet was still in its original box and the customer was willing to pay the round-trip freight ($700 each way!!) PLUS a 20% restocking fee, neither the retailer nor the manufacturer would take back the wine cabinet!!

Intangibles are important to consider when purchasing wine cabinet, especially given the amount of money at stake. In a relatively small industry, there are big differences among manufacturers.

Before purchasing a wine cabinet, ask the following questions:

- What is the return policy? (Make sure to get it in writing…)
- If returns are allowed, what is the restocking fee for returns?
- What is the warranty period? What is covered by the warranty? What is not covered?
- If there’s a problem, who should you call?
- Is it possible to speak with the manufacturer? (Insist on getting the manufacturer’s contact information.)

In our industry, it pays to ask questions before – rather than after – purchasing an expensive wine cabinet. In hard times, some manufacturers will tighten their policies, so do your homework so that you avoid costly mistakes…

Give us a call – we’ll give you honest feedback, even if it means that you purchase a product from another manufacturer. We’d rather have a happy uncustomer than an unhappy customer!

We get a lot of calls asking if we offer wine cabinets with dual temperature zones – “you know, to store the reds at a warmer temperature and the whites at a cooler temperature.”

Actually, all of our wine cabinets come with single temperature zones – we do not offer dual temperature zones, and here’s why: while it’s true that red wine, white wine and sparkling wine are meant to be served at different temperatures, they all should be stored at the same temperature to ensure their proper aging and biochemical development. We believe that all wine should be stored at temperatures ranging from 55 to 60 degrees. In addition to constant temperatures, ideal wine storage conditions include humidity in the range of 50-70%, clean air, minimal vibration and protection from harmful UV rays. Read more about Proper Wine Storage techniques.

Serving wine is a different story. A wine’s body, sugar perception, aroma and acidity all will be affected by the serving temperature of the wine. For example, red wine that is served too warm (a common mistake) will convey more alcohol aroma than fruit, and the wine’s flavor will be compressed. Conversely, white wine served too cold (another common mistake) will convey more acidity and the aroma, body and sweetness will be muted.

Ideally, each wine should be served at the proper temperature based on the type and style of the wine. Most red wine should be served at “room temperature”, which term has historic roots in 18th Century Europe and refers to temperatures ranging from 60 to 65 degrees. Most white wine should be served at “cellar temperature”, which term refers to temperatures ranging from 50 to 55 degrees. Sparkling wine should be served “iced”, which refers to temperatures ranging from 40 to 45 degrees.

Look for dual-temperature zones when considering wine coolers for storing wine that will be consumed in the near term. For long-term storing and aging of fine wine, remember that all wine should be stored between 55 to 60 degrees, regardless of the color of the wine.

I just read the site of a new retailer, and was flattered by the amount of content that they copied from www.lecachewinecabinets.com! Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right? (And also the quickest way to build content on a new website!!)

The site, winecoolers.com, seems to be focused on the lower quality brands at the current time. It’ll be interesting to see if they start selling some of the premium wine cabinet brands too.

If you have experience with this retailer, please share your experiences.

We thought it would be fun to post pictures of our customers and their Le Cache wine cabinets on our website at www.lecachewinecabinets.com

If you would like to participate and you purchased your wine cabinet after November 2004, please email a picture of you and your cabinet (or, if you’re shy, just your cabinet!) and accompanying text (optional) to us at info@lecache.com. We expect to size the pictures to 4”x6”, but if your picture is a different size, don’t worry about it – we’ll crop the picture to make it fit. For each picture, please include your first and last name, and city and state in which you live.

Cheers!

I received the following email from Sorin Mihailovici – check out his video, it’s kind of campy but useful nonetheless!

My name is Sorin Mihailovici and I live in Edmonton, Canada. I have been working in a major liquor store here for the last five years and I could say I am a big wine enthusiast! I just came across your blog and I am glad I found it. It seems like you put a lot of work into it.
While working in my liquor store, I also decided to go to school – I am a student now taking TV productions at one of the most prestigious colleges in Western Canada, Grant MacEwan College. Trying to mix my two passions I have created a couple of short movies – one is a minute and a half long, the other one 59 sec. The fist one is called “How to Remove Red Wine Stains” and the other one is “Open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew”. Although they are short I put several hours of work into them.

How To Remove Red Wine Stains

As summer approaches, now is the time to perform regular maintenance on your wine cellar cooling unit. Last summer, record temperatures baked the Northeast and caused serious damage to unprotected collections of wine, which need cool, constant temperatures to ensure proper development and aging.

When exposed to high temperatures, even for brief periods of time, expensive wine collections will become permanently impaired. Wine auction-goers and auction professionals agree that a wine’s provenance – i.e. where and how the wine has been stored – is the most critical consideration in determining the value of old, rare and valuable wine.

Fifteen minutes is all it takes to ensure that your wine will be protected this summer. Start by unplugging the cooling unit. After removing and cleaning the protective grill cover, simply use the brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner to clean any dust, dirt, lint and grime that have accumulated on the condenser coils. Never use forced air to clean the coils, because particles may be forced into the cooling unit.

Cleaning the coils at regular intervals will improve the efficiency and cooling capacity of the cooling unit. In addition, cleaning the coils will reduce cycle times, resulting in lower energy usage and prolonging the life of the cooling unit.

Protect your wine investment by storing your collection in climate-controlled wine cellars such as those offered by Le Cache Premium Wine Cabinets.

Effective May 1, 2007, the prices of Le Cache’s Contemporary Series wine storage cabinets and Wine Vault Series wine storage cabinets will increase. The prices of Le Cache’s European Country Series wine storage cabinets will remain unchanged.

The prices of our wine cabinets have remained unchanged for 2 ½ years, even as our manufacturing costs have increased. At the current time, we are raising prices to reflect our increased manufacturing costs.

We will apply new prices to all orders received after April 30, 2007.

Thank you for your interest in Le Cache!

I’ve had some great wine in the last few weeks! We celebrated our 5-year anniversary with dinner and a bottle of Roc de Cambes 2001 Bordeaux from Cotes de Bourg – it was awesome! I liked it so much that I bought a case yesterday…

Today I had a glass of Ridge 2004 Zinfandel – I thought I was outgrowing Zins but it was great!

Ben,

Thank you for the email. I am currently deployed to Iraq and was researching various wine cabinet manufacturers. I discovered Le Cache during my online (when available) research and subsequently read an article in Wine Spectator, I believe, that rated Le Cache highly. I was going to delay making a decision until I redeployed; however, after the brochure arrived my wife decided to purchase the Euro 2400 as my birthday gift. It has been delivered, beautifully done, and awaiting my return for stocking (47 days remaining). Thanks and have a good day.

Michael

In an earlier post, I discussed the benefits of using changes in air temperature rather than changes in liquid temperature to regulate the on/off cycles of Breezaire cooling units. However, there are some circumstances when using a bottle probe DOES make sense.

First, a review. A bottle probe is inserted into a “dummy” bottle of water/alcohol, which is placed in the racks with your wine. Based on changes in temperature of the liquid in the dummy bottle, the Breezaire cooling unit will cycle on and off, thereby maintaining the temperature of the liquid within a predetermined range.

Without a bottle probe, the cooling unit cycles on and off based on changes in the air temperature at the top of the cabinet (which is where the cooling unit is located). Since air changes temperature more quickly than liquid, we prefer to have the cooling unit cycle on when the air warms up (but BEFORE the liquid warms up), rather than waiting for the liquid to warm up.

So when does it make sense to use a bottle probe? If your wine cabinet is placed in an environment that is subject to significant but temporary changes in temperature, such as a garage or a restaurant, you should consider using a bottle probe to avoid having the protection mechanism triggered by too many “false positives.” (The protection mechanism is triggered when the cooling unit registers 75 degrees, and will shut down the cooling unit if the temperature doesn’t fall below 65 degrees within 45 minutes.) By using a bottle probe, the protection mechanism won’t be triggered by temporary changes in air temperature. and therefore the cooling unit won’t turn off after 45 minutes unneccessarily.

It also makes sense to use a bottle probe if your wine cabinet is less than half full. With a wine cabinet that is relatively empty, the cooling unit will run constantly just to keep the empty air in your wine cabinet at your desired temperature. Instead, use a bottle probe to lengthen the cycle times, or build the thermal mass inside the wine cabinet by buying more wine! You also can build the thermal mass inside the wine cabinet by using water bottles, soda cans and beer bottles.

Wine coolers and wine cabinets are very different products.

The website of a major manufacturer of wine coolers says the following in their FAQs:

“[Wine coolers] do not maintain a constant set temperature. Like all refrigeration units the temperature fluctuates from 6 to 10 degrees either way – sometimes more if placed in an area that receives a lot of light. The temperature sensor is located at the top of the unit where the temperature will change the most. If the temperature gauge was placed at the bottom of the unit there would be less variance in temperature. All wine coolers behave in this manner. Many wine enthusiasts do not like this temperature fluctuation as they feel it is harmful to the wines, however, there is a large misunderstanding regarding the function of wine coolers. Wine coolers are meant for short term “cooling” not long term storage. If used properly the natural variances in temperature within your wine cooler should not negatively affect stored contents.”

To create proper wine storage conditions, you need:

• a cool environment with minimal temperature fluctuations;
• humidity between 50 – 70%;
• low light;
• minimal vibration; and
• clean air

In contrast to wine coolers, wine cabinets ARE designed to create and maintain these conditions, which are required for proper storage and aging of wine. Request a free brochure from Le Cache.

Got the following email today -

“I am looking at buying a used Wine Storage Cabinet in the Dallas area, and it is being advertised as a Le Cache unit. It looks similar to the 3800 model, but there are a few differences. Please contact me via e-mail and I will send you a picture. It is important to me that I am buying the Le Cache quality. I am also interested in finding out if there is still warranty on it. Thanks for the help.”

The customer sent a picture of the wine cabinet in question, and the scary thing is, it really looks like a Le Cache Model 3800 wine cabinet! Truth is, the cabinet is not a Le Cache, as evidenced by the oak wood (we only use cherry wood), tan Breezaire (ours are black), and mechanical temperature control (we exclusively use digital cooling units.)

For anyone interested in purchasing a wine cabinet from Le Cache, please make sure that you talk to Le Cache or one of its authorized dealers. Our warranty applies only to products purchased directly from the factory or from an authorized dealer.

Keys to the Cellar, a new book by wine critic Peter Meltzer, talks about the “strategies and secrets of wine collecting.” The book’s chapters cover a variety of topics, ranging from how to build a collection of wine, how to purchase wine and how to properly store and enjoy wine.

Mr. Meltzer could’ve done a better job checking his facts and researching the companies that he mentions in the chapter about wine storage. On page 124, the author states that “highly rated brands of [freestanding temperature-and humidity-controlled wine storage units] include Breezaire, Le Cache, Vinocraft, Avanti, Haier, Danby and Marvel.”

In fact, six of the seven brands should should not have been included in the author’s summry:
- Breezaire makes cooling units, but it does not make wine storage units
- Vinocraft is rumored to be out of business
- Avanti, Haier, Danby and Marvel make coolers which control temperature but NOT humidity!

Instead of these six brands, Mr. Meltzer should have named Vinotheque, Vinotemp and Wine Cellar Impressions which, in addition to Le Cache and EuroCave, currently are the leading manufacturers of freestanding temperature-and humidity-controlled wine storage units.

Later on the same page, the author exhorts the reader to “definitely…do some comparative shopping, because the disparity between brands of storage units can be considerable.” As an example, the author says “a 286-bottle unit from Le Cache runs about $3,400, whereas a 700-bottle unit from Vinotheque sells for just $400 more.”

Huh? Not only is some of the information incorrect, the comparison is quite deceiving. Checking on Vinotheque’s site, its largest capacity wine cabinet stores 526 (64 Champagne and 462 Bordeaux) bottles, and costs $3,915. This is the price of an unfinished cabinet, and doesn’t include:

- doors with windows: starting at $1,435
- cherry wood upgrade: $800
- furniture finish: $350
- digital readout: $180
- front venting: $644
- Total cost: $7,324

In comparison, a similarly-configured wine cabinet from Le Cache, with bottle capacity for 622 Bordeaux AND Burgundy AND Turley bottles, costs thousands less. A wine cabinet from Le Cache includes:

- doors with windows: no charge
- cherry wood upgrade: no charge
- premium furniture finish: no charge
- digital readout: no charge
- top vent: no charge
-Total cost: less than $5,000!

Mr. Meltzer clearly is knowledgeable about wine collecting, and it’s evident that he put a lot of effort into writing a comprehensive book for wine enthusiasts. It’s too bad that the book’s credibility and effectiveness are impaired by careless mistakes.

During hot summer months, many wine cabinets experience condensation on the post, locks and even the doors. Like a glass of iced tea on a warm day, wine cabinets are cold on the inside, and this coldness will cause moisture from the warm air to condense on any surface (such as metal) that conducts heat from the inside to the outside. Therefore, locks and metal strips that are exposed to the inside and the outside environments will accumulate condensation on the warm side.

In order to reduce condensation on your wine cabinet, do the following:

• Raise the temperature set-point to 59 degrees or above.

• Build the thermal mass inside the cabinet to reduce the cycle time spent cooling the air in the empty space. If you don’t have enough wine bottles, use soda cans, water bottles.
• Keep the first 3-4 rows clear in the column directly below the cold-air discharge (front column only). This will stop the cold air from “splashing” against the center post.
• Check the seals between the door(s) and the cabinet to ensure there aren’t any leaks in the seals.
• If possible, cool down the ambient environment (but if using a fan, avoid blowing air at the wine cabinet, which will worsen the problem).
• If you’re using a bottle probe, which increases cycle times on and off, discontinue use until the temperature cools down.
• If the condensation is coming into contact with wood, wipe it away frequently to prevent damage to wood surfaces, warping of the doors and mold.

Once outside temperatures cool down, the condensation will go away.

Record temperatures baking the Northeast may cause serious damage to unprotected collections of fine wine, which need cool, constant temperatures to ensure proper development and aging.

When exposed to high temperatures, even for brief periods of time, expensive wine collections may become permanently impaired. Wine auction-goers and auction professionals agree that a wine’s provenance — i.e. where and how the wine has been stored — is the most critical consideration in determining the value of old, rare and valuable wine.

The following conditions are considered to be critically important when storing and aging fine wine:

- Constant temperature in the range of 55 – 60 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for the biochemical development that occurs as wine matures;

- Humidity in the range of 50 – 70% is required to keep corks from drying out without damaging bottle labels and allowing mold to grow;

- Protection from UV rays which can penetrate bottles and cause tannins to oxidize;

- Clean, odor-free air that won’t taint the flavor or bouquet of the wine; and

- Minimal vibration which can disrupt the aging process

Wine collectors can protect their investments by storing their valuable wine collections in refrigerated wine cellars.

The type and thickness of the insulation used in building wine cabinets will determine the insulation properties (referred to as the R-Value) of the cabinet. Generally, a higher R-Value means better insulation.

Wine cabinet manufacturers use foam insulation to build wine cabinets that maintain inside temperatures without excessive use of the cooling system. There are several types of foam insulation available on the market, each with a different R-Value per inch:

Source: http://coloradoenergy.org/procorner/stuff/r-values.htm

When evaluating advertised R-Values, make sure to ask two questions:

1. which type of insulation is being used by the wine cabinet manufacturer, and
2. how thick is the insulation.

Some manufacturers advertise bogus R-Values, most commonly R-12, because it’s difficult to disprove these claims. But remember that the insulation must be at least 2 inches thick in order for the R-Value of the insulation to be R-12.

If you really care about the R-Value of your wine cabinet, the best way to increase the R-Value is to forego glass windows and instead use insulated wood doors on the wine cabinet.

How much insulation do you need? The warmer the environment where the wine cabinet will be placed, the more important the insulation becomes.

The trend towards large-format bottles is growing, fueled by the increasing growth of new brands and accelerating sales of Pinot Noirs, That’s why it’s so important that wine cellar racks be designed to reflect these trends and accomodate large-format bottles.

“There are a variety of reasons why one brand may fail while another succeeds, but…marketing plays a major part,” according to Barbara Insel, a wine market research expert quoted in the March 2006 issue of Wine Business Monthly. Unique bottles help new brands differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Moreover, Pinot Noir continues to be the fastest-growing wine varietal (84 percent growth for the 12 months from 10/04 to 10/05). Like Burgundy bottles, Pinot Noirs generally have large-format bottles that don’t fit in standard racks.

The proliferation of large-format bottles will continue to grow, and should be considered when designing or purchasing a wine cellar.

Lot’s of wine collectors are upset because many wineries are turning to heavier glass and bigger bottles in an attempt to distinguish themselves among consumers, who correlate better wine with bigger bottles. The problem for wine collectors is that these bigger bottles won’t fit in their wine racks, most of which is designed for standard Bordeaux-size bottles.

Larger bottle sizes can be frustrating. If you can’t fit large bottles – eg Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Turley Zinfandels, many Chardonnays, Champagne, etc. – in your racks, the only solution is to store these bottles in bulk storage areas that normally are set aside for Magnum bottles. Unless you have a lot of space dedicatd to bulk storage (and most people don’t), you’ll quickly run out of storage room for these larger bottles.

The problem is taking on epic proportions. Some collectors are threatening to boycott wineries who use large bottles, while others already have stopped buying large bottles altogether.

It’s hard to fault the wineries for using larger bottles. They’re just trying to distinguish their products and stay ahead of consumer trends, which are good business practices. Wineries must pay higher prices for larger wine bottles, and also higher fright costs to ship their wine – so it’s likely that the wineries have done the cost/benefit analysis and have concluded that larger bottles make sense.

Manufacturers of wine cabinets and wine racks have an obligation to follow changes in consumer trends. At Le Cache, we only sell wine cabinets with Universal racking to accomodate larger bottle sizes. Our all-wood racks will handle large size bottles without ripping the labels or scratching the bottles, saving the bulk storage area for magnums and really big bottles.

Jeff Grocott penned an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on August 19, 2005. In the article, Grocott compared three $35 to $55 bottles of red wine that had been stored for 4 years in his Haier wine cooler against three bottles of exactly the same wine that were “professionally” stored in temperature-controlled storage areas.

According to Grocott, “every time [his Haier wine cooler's] motor kicks on, it jolts the 45 bottles inside. [The Haier wine cooler's] cooling and moisture levels are all over the map: According to the the $20 digital thermometer-hygrometer that [he] bought at an electronics store and keeps inside the fridge, the interior air temperature has ranged from 57 to 75 degrees in the past year or so; its humidity has bounced from 30% to 80%.”

Grocott held a blind taste-off with a five-person “panel of professional and amateur tasters” and, in every case, the panel preferred the wine from Grocott’s cooler over the professionally stored wine.

Grocott’s test is interesting, but it’s not very scientific. As Grocott points out, the three “professionally” stored bottles all should have been stored together. Moreover, the six bottles all should have been acquired at the same time from the same source. But most importantly, the test should have included more than three bottles to be meaningful.

If you leave your door unlocked and you don’t get robbed, does that mean that you should always leave your door unlocked?

Grocott admits that his tests are unscientific, but his conclusions are clear: First, that “wine . . . is pretty tough” and second, that “there’s no guarantee that a wine store or restaurant is doing any better than [he] is at home.”

Here’s another conclusion: Grocott was lucky. If you care about your wine, take care of it. You won’t be sorry.

If you’ve purchased a wine cabinet, you already know what you’re about to read…

Shipping is, hands down, the hardest part of our business, even though we have relationships with the best freight carriers in the industry. Our freight carriers are contracted – and paid – to provide white-glove delivery service, which includes inside placement and set-up of your wine cabinet, as well as leveling and door alignment, and removal of packaging.

We spend tremendous time and effort building the highest-quality wine cabinets on the market, offering straightforward pricing and providing excellent customer service. So far, our customers are telling us that we’re doing a great job. From the styling of our products to the quality of our construction, we’ve received high marks in extensive customer questionnaires.

We rely on freight carriers to deliver our wine cabinets to our customers and provide the same level of high-quality service. Though we’ve taken extraordinary measures to educate and guide our freight carrier partners, we have found that inexeperienced, unresponsive and/or careless movers have been used all too often.

So what can be done to improve the delivery process? On our end, we will continue to insist that the freight carriers follow directions, act professionally, take proper care and learn more about how to properly set up our wine cabinets. In addition, we will continue mailing the Owner’s Manuals so that our customers will have them in advance of the wine cabinet delivery.

Customers also have the responsibility to become knowledgeable about the delivery and inspection process and wine cabinet placement requirements before taking delivery of the wine cabinet.

Togther with our customers, we can improve the level of service provided by the freight carriers who deliver our wine cabinets.

Why should someone decide to upgrade to the Breezaire 2200? What about CellarPro?

Le Cache has switched wine cooling units from Breezaire to CellarPro in all of its premium wine cabinets. CellarPro wine cooling units offer better performance, more features, longer warranty coverage and adjustable humidity control, and they have the exact same dimensions as the Breezaire cooling units that they replace, so they are easily interchangeable.

If you are deciding between the Breezaire 1060 and 2200 BTU cooling units, each one has “pros” and “cons”.

One issue to consider is noise. The Breezaire 2200 wine cooling unit is noticeably louder than the Breezaire 1060 cooling unit, which is very quiet. This is because the fans and the compressor of the Breezaire 2200 are larger than those in the Breezaire 1060.

However, the Breezaire 2200 wine cooling unit is significantly more powerful than the Breezaire 1060 cooling unit; therefore, if your wine cabinet will be exposed to “extreme” conditions, you may want to consider using the Breezaire 2200 instead. “Extreme” conditions include placement of the wine cabinet in uncontrolled environments (such as the garage), and commercial use with frequent door openings.

Remember that both cooling units are designed to lower the temperature inside the wine cabinet. The Breezaire 1060 wine cooling unit can lower the temperature a maximum of 25 degrees below the temperature in the ambient environment, while the Breezaire 2200 wine cooling unit can lower the temperature a maximum of 30 degrees. In other words, if the ambient temperature rises to 90 degrees, the coldest temperature that the Breezaire 1060 will be able to generate inside the cabinet is 65 degrees, and 60 degrees for the Breezaire 2200. For this reason, we don’t recommend placing wine cabinets in locations with long periods of hot temperature conditions.

For more information about wine cooling units, see our shopping guide for wine cooling units.