Wine cellars are designed to maintain proper wine storage conditions (ie 55-60 degrees & 60-70% humidity), whereas wine coolers are designed to maintain proper wine serving temperatures (ie 55-58 degrees for red wines and 45-48 degrees for white wines).  So, what about putting a wine cooler INSIDE a wine cellar – it’s the best of all worlds, right?

The answer is:  maybe.   Since the wine cooler would be located entirely inside the wine cellar, all of the heat load generated by the wine cooler would go into the wine cellar, and therefore it would need to be included in the box load of the wine cellar.  For a 50-bottle wine refrigerator, the total additional cellar load would be approximately 1000 BTUH, which is not insignificant.

So will it work?  Yes, of course - just make sure that the wine cellar refrigeration system is sized appropriately, and the thermal load is calculated to include the additional heat generated by the wine cooler. 

For more information, including box loads assuming various dimensions, construction materials and configurations, please visit http://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/information-center_cp/cooling-unit-buying-guide, or contact us and we’ll get back to you within 1 business day.

CellarPro cooling units are designed to maintain optimal temperature AND humidity conditions for proper wine storage and aging. This means that our cooling units are designed to maximize the sensible load and ignore the latent load inside wine cellars.

What does this mean? The sensible load is the amount of BTUs per hour (BTUH) required to change air temperature. The latent load is the amount of BTUH required to condense moisture from vapor in the air. Our units focus on sensible, rather than latent, loads because we want to condense as little moisture as possible and leave the moisture inside the cellar.

Now here’s the most interesting part: every cooling system has the ability to produce “x” amount of BTUH, equal to the sensible plus latent output. In other words, if the cooling system is generating condensation, this means that some of the cooling unit’s BTUH is being used for the latent load, and therefore the BTUH available for the sensible load is reduced.

The importance of this concept cannot be understated. One of the key takeaways is that cooling units lose some of their cooling ability when they are generating condensation, because some of the BTU is being diverted from the sensible to the latent load. This means that, in addition to insulation, vapor barriers are critically important in determining a cooling unit capacity. To achive maximum cooling performance from your cooling system, you must have an airtight seal in the wine cellar.

If you have any questions about this topic, please give us a call at 877.888.9137, or email us at info@cellarpro.com for more information.

The Wine Specatator’s August 31, 2011 issue has a great article about how to buy wine at auction, including nine strategies to help newbies participate with success. 

Here’s a (self serving!) excerpt from the article:

“Auction houses offer catalogs of their upcoming sales.  Read the catalog’s condition reports carefully.  Wines kept in professional or home temperature-and-humidity-controlled storage are preferable to collections housed in natural or ‘passive’ cellars, because the latter are often subject to temperature fluctuations, whihc can affect wines adversely.”

Only Le Cache wine cabinets feature CellarPro cooling units with adjustable humidity control.  For more information, visit www.lecachewinecabinets.com and www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com.  At www.sonomawineaccessories.com, we carry the complete lines of products from Le Cache and CellarPro, as well as other high-end products from well-known manufacturers of wine cellar racks, wine storage products and wine accessories.

We get tons of calls from customers, contractors and HVAC/R technicians asking what to do about the condensate drain line - where to put it, whether to use a self-contained evaporator or a pump, or if they should build a drain specifically for the drain line. 

The reason for the calls is that they have experienced massive amounts of moisture and condensation generated by our competitors’ refrigeration equipment, and they want to make be prepared.  Smart! 

What they don’t know is the following:  assuming the cellar is AIRTIGHT with a MOISTURE (AKA VAPOR) BARRIER, our cooling systems will generate very little excess condensation (with 2 caveats* – see below).  The reason why our systems are different is as follows:  when we designed our wine cellar refrigeration systems, we sized the evaporator coils and the compressors so that cooling system can do its job WITHOUT running the evaporator below the dew point.  In contrast, other manufacturers’ coils are much smaller, which means that the coils must be colder to achieve the same BTUH.

In other words, you probably won’t see a lot of excess condensate (ie water) coming out of the drain line from a CellarPro refrigeration system.  The benefits of our systems are tangible: 

• Because the water remains in the cellar, the humidity remains much higher inside the cellar.
• Because the amount of moisture will be minimal on an ongoing basis*, you probably can get away with draining into a bottle for the initial pulldown; thereafter, leave the drain line in the bottle, but you probably won’t see much moisture from that point forward. 

At CellarPro, our systems really are different!

*Caveats:  1.  During the initial pulldown, the cooling unit may generate a lot of excess condensate.  This situation will resolve itself once pulldown is achieved.  2.  The more frequently the cellar door is opened, the higher the risk of excess condensation (because moisture from the ambient environment will enter the room each time the door is opened.

There are two types of split refrigeration systems used in wine cellars:  conventional split systems and A/C split systems.  Whereas conventional split systems are designed to maintain proper temperature and humidity conditions, A/C split systems inherently cannot maintain ideal humidity levels inside wine cellars.

Conventional split refrigeration systems, like those made by CellarPro Cooling Systems, are specifically designed for wine storage applications.  Conventional split systems use condensing units with single-speed compressors and thermostatic expansion valves that are located in the evaporators, and are designed specifically for use in wine cellars and wine storage applications.

In contrast, home air conditioning systems that are modified for use in wine cellars are called A/C split systems.   Unlike conventional split systems, A/C split systems use variable-speed compressors and electronic expansion valves that are located in the condensing units.

A/C Split System Overview:

• A/C split systems consist of an outdoor air-cooled condensing unit matched with a single or multiple fan/coil evaporator units.
• These units use “Electronic” control (ie there is no liquid solenoid valve).
• These systems are pre-charged with refrigerant R-410A.  Additional refrigerant is added depending on the length of the line-sets.
• The system is inverter controlled, automatically speeding up or slowing down the compressor and condenser fan to match the system capacity within a given capacity range.
• The evaporator fan is 3-speed, with automatic speed control and forward-curved centrifugal blowers.
• Because the expansion device is located in the condensing unit, the liquid line is actually a two-phase flow line, and must be insulated.  These application rules are more complex and line run lengths are more limited compared to a conventional system.

A/C split systems are sub-optimal for long term wine storage applications, and should be avoided in favor of conventional split systems for the following reasons:

• A/C equipment is designed for both comfort cooling, (“latent cooling”), which removes moisture from the air, and “sensible cooling”, which reduces the temperature.  In contrast, conventional split systems focus exclusively on sensible cooling, thus reducing temperature while removing as little moisture as possible.   As a result, conventional splits are better equipped to maintain the ideal humidity conditions in side wine cellars.
• The catalog design limit for most A/C equipment is 67°F DB, which is significantly higher than the optimal wine storage conditions of 55°F DB.  In most cases, A/C controllers cannot be set below 60°F, and therefore must be rewired and retrofitted to achieve desired wine storage temperatures.  Under these circumstances, the manufacturer’s warranty may become void, forcing the customer to rely exclusivly on the HVAC installer for any/all recourse.
• After A/C split systems are retrofitted, the coil temperatures necessarily will operate below the manufacturer’s recommended minimum temperatures, and therefore will reduce coil temperatures below the cellar dew point. This is likely to result in frosted conditions, thereby extracting moisture from the room and reducing the cellar’s humidity below ideal levels.
• A/C split system compressor ratings are quoted for air conditioning applications, making it difficult to calculate the correct BTUH for wine storage applications.  Therefore, contractors must engage in trial and error when sizing A/C split systems for wine cellars, as opposed to using proper engineering models and scientific data.
• Due to the complexities of the controller and the two-phase piping system, A/C split systems require a higher level of expertise and training than conventional split systems, thereby increasing installation and maintenance costs.

Before purchasing a split refrigeration system for your wine cellar, it is advisable to ask your contractor what kind of refrigeration equipment he intends to use.  If  you don’t understand his answer, feel free to give us a call and we’ll be glad to help.  Our toll-free number is 877.726.8496.

We are excited to announce the launch our new line wine cellar split refrigeration systems, covering 400 to 2000 cubic feet, as follows:

* Exposure to temperatures below 40°F requires the addition of our compressor heater.
**Our exterior hood (sold separately) allows our condensing units to be installed in external environments, subject to the temperature range noted above. Our outdoor hood will retail for $300.
***Decibels measured at low fan speed.

Our Split system evaporators use the same variable speed fans and advanced controls that we use in our VS Series through-the-wall cooling units. As a result, our Split systems provide super-quiet operation, outstanding cooling power and adjustable humidity control that our competitors can’t match. In addition, we offer 5 years for the compressor, and 2 years on the entire system, of warranty coverage. ETL certification is pending for all units.

Find images, cut sheets and more details about CellarPro Split refrigeration systems for wine cellars.

We are excited to announce the launch of our Dual Zone Modification for Le Cache Wine Cabinets.

The dual zone modification provides two completely separate temperature zones inside Le Cache wine cabinets, with optimal storage conditions in one hald of the cabinet, and optimal serving temperatures in the other half.

The zone modification is available exclusively with larger Le Cache wine cabinets – ie sizes 3100, 3800 and 5200. This modification is perfect for restaurants, hotels and bars that need to maintain both serving AND storage conditions inside one cabinet. Please note: the dual zone modification automatically includes an upgraded CellarPro 1800XTS cooling unit, which provides additional BTU required to handle the additional thermal load.

The dual zone modification will be available and ready to ship with cabinets at the end of November. The price of the dual zone upgrade (including the upgraded cooling unit) is $399.

For more information, please click on the following link: www.lecachewinecabinets.com/wine-cabinet-accessories-lc/dual-zone-modification.

We are pleased to announce the introduction of the CellarPro 1800XTSX wine cellar cooling unit.  In addition to the components in our popular CellarPro 1800XTS, the 1800XTSX adds:

• an outdoor weather hood;
• coated condenser coils;
• power cord modification (ie the cord exits from the front/side, rather than the rear, of the cooling unit); and
• wine cellar modification (ie drain line for excess condensate)

The CellarPro 1800XTSX cooling unit will cool wine cellars up to 400 cubic feet in capacity with R19 insulation. Check our wine cellar BTU capacity chart for more information.  The cooling unit can be installed and exposed to external conditions ranging from 40 to 95 degrees.

CellarPro is accepting orders immediately, and expects to begin shipping orders by mid November.  For more information, contact us via email anytime or call 877.888.9137 during normal business hours.

Storing and cellaring wine is a funny business! The goals are Goldilocks conditions:  not too warm but not too cold; not too wet but not too dry; you get the point!

The good news is that there are things you can do increase your odds for success.  Here are our top facts that you probably didn’t know about successfully storing and aging your wine:

1. The ideal humidity inside wine cellars is 60 -70 percent.  At higher humidity, your bottles labels will become moist and, eventually, moldy; at lower humidity, your corks may dry out and crack (read our Wine Storage Tips for more info). 

TIP:  To increase the RH (relative humidity) inside your wine cellar, you can increase the FON setting on the control panel of any CellarPro cooling unit.  In addition, you can increase the fan speed on your cooling unit if you have variable speed fans, like CellarPro’s 3200VS and 4200VS cooling units.

2. Wine cellars should be constructed with an airtight seal, lots of insulation and a moisture barrier.  If you don’t have enough insulation, no problem – you’ll just need a more powerful cooling unit, and your energy bill will go up – but these issues can be overcome.  However, if you don’t have a moisture barrier or an airtight seal, your cooling unit will generate a ton of condensation, which will need to be drained or evaporated somehow.

TIP: You can reduce the amount of condensation on your evaporator coils by increasing FON setting on the control panel of any CellarPro cooling unit.  In addition, you can reduce condensation by increasing the fan speed if you have variable speed fans on your cooling unit, like CellarPro’s 3200VS and 4200VS cooling units.

3. The ideal temperature for STORING ANG AGING wine is 55-60°F.  In contrast, ideal wine SERVING temperatures range from  low 40s (Champagne) to high 40s (white wines) to mid 50s (red wines). 

TIP:  If you want to lower the temperature of the cooling unit to achieve serving temperatures, you can reduce the minimum setpoint of any CellarPro cooling unit by first changing the LS and ALL parameters on the control panel.  For step-by-step instructions, please contact CellarPro Cooling Systems.

4. The most cost-effective wine cellar cooling units are through-the-wall units like the CellarPro 1800 series.  These units are self enclosed, fully charged and ready to install out of the box.  The downside can be that the rear of the units generate hot air, they need cool return air, and they create noise, all of which can be negative if the unit will be installed in a living space.

TIP:  You can install the ENTIRE cooling unit inside the cellar with our CellarPro 1800 rear duct kit.  You’ll still need to duct the hot air exhaust, and cool air supply, from outside the cellar, but the noise and disturbance will be drastically minimized.  If you install the entire cooling unit inside the cellar, don’t forget to insulate the outside of the duct hood.

5. The cooling unit will cycle on and off to maintain the desired temperature inside your wine cellar.  The more insulation you use when you construct the wine cellar, the less it will run to maintain a given temperature.

TIP:  If you want to manage the cycle times (and therefore the noise from the cooling unit), you can do any of the following:

1. Increase the FON setting, which will reduce the compressor cycle time, save energy and increase humidity inside your wine cellar
2. Increase the minimum temperature setpoint.  The higher the temperature, the less the cooling unit will run.
3. Increase the thermal mass inside the cellar.  Initally, the cooling unit will run more to get the thermal mass to the desired temperature; however, once the pull-down is complete, the cooling unit will run less frequently with a larger thermal mass
4. Keep the coils clean.  This will improve the efficiency of the cooling unit, and therefore reduce the cooling unit’s run times.

Q: Is a vapor barrier really necessary in my wine cellar? What if I don’t have a vapor barrier?

A: Yes, a vapor barrier is a critical element in the construction of a wine cellar.  Without a vapor barrier, moisture-laden air from the ambient environment will be pulled into your wine cellar.  If this happens, the cold evaporator coils inside the cooling unit will develop a lot of condensation, and the resulting water will need to be drained from the cooling unit.  Otherwise, the water may damage the internal components of the cooling unit, as well as the wall and surrounding surfaces where the cooling unit is mounted.  In addition, without a vapor barrier, the insulation and drywall may develop mold over time,

Many wine collectors – and homeowners – dream of building a wine cellar in their home.  It’s no wonder – what better way to increase the value of your home, and show off your sophistication to your friends! Just make sure you plan ahead and follow some basic rules, and you’ll soon be sipping wine from (or in!) the wine cellar of your dreams.

1. Where do I start?

Before building a wine cellar, ask yourself why you are building the cellar.  Will the cellar be purely for storing wine, or will it also be used for entertaining and displaying your wine collection?  If your wine cellar will be used purely for storing wine, then you should opt for unstained wood racks made from pine and metal, which sell for as little as $2 per bottle. You can skip the “display” racking – you’ll get increased bottle capacity for the same price.

If you want to create an area where you can proudly display your wine and entertain guests, consider common upgrades like islands, archways, tabletops and waterfalls, which will add elegance and personality to your wine cellar. Also consider using premium hardwoods like redwood or mahogany, which can be stained in a variety of finishes, to match the décor or achieve a distinctive look.

2. How should wine be stored?

The ideal conditions for storing and aging wine are 55-60˚F and 60-70% relative humidity.  If you don’t have a space where these conditions exist naturally, you’ll need to create a controlled environment to store your wine.  Ideally, wine will be stored in darkness, with minimal vibration and disturbance as it ages.

Wine Coolers: Most wine coolers are temperature-controlled, and do a great job of maintaining wine at proper serving temperatures.  Wine coolers are ideal for short-term storage of wine.  However, most wine coolers have temperature variations that are too wide for proper storage of fine wine, and few maintain proper humidity conditions for long-term storage and aging.

Wine Cabinets: One option is to purchase a refrigerated wine cabinet. Generally, wine cabinet bottle capacities range from 100 to 700 bottles, and are available in a variety of styles.  At the cheaper end of the spectrum, you can purchase a wine cabinet with metal wine racks and a basic cooling system that will last for a couple of years.  At the higher end of the spectrum, you will find fine furniture pieces with all-wood racking, premium wood finishes and advanced cooling systems.

Wine Cellars: Another option is to build a temperature-controlled wine cellar.  Though more expensive than wine cabinets, standalone wine cellars can be designed any number of ways, with many options to store a variety of wine bottles, stemware and accessories.  Wine cellars must be constructed with adequate insulation, a moisture barrier and an airtight seal (see below for more information).

The rest of this article focuses on wine cellars.  For more information about wine coolers and cabinets, please contact us at info@SonomaWineAccessories.com.

The three most important aspects of a quality wine cellar are: insulation, vapor barrier and airtight seal.

• Insulation – we recommend a minimum of R12, and R19 if possible.  To the extent the cellar shares an exterior wall, R30 insulation is preferable for that wall.  Since most walls are constructed with 2” x 4” studs, you should be able to use 2 x 1½” bats (3” total) with R6 per inch, or R18 total insulation.
• Moisture barrier – it is IMPERATIVE to use a vapor barrier when constructing a wine cellar.  The most common vapor barrier is 6 mil poly sheeting (also called Visqueen), which should be wrapped around the entire wine cellar on the OUTSIDE (ie the warm side) of the insulation.
• Airtight seal – when the wine cellar door is closed, the wine cellar should have an airtight seal.  For example, the door should have weather-stripping and a door-sweep to prevent air from entering the cellar when the door is closed.

4. Concrete walls are great for wine cellars, right?

Unfortunately, concrete walls provide awful insulation and are very porous. The R-value of an uninsulated, 8-inch-thick basement wall built using normal-weight concrete is 1.35. By doubling the thickness of the wall to 16 inches, the R-value only increases by 0.50.  Given its porous nature, concrete doesn’t do a good job of keeping moisture out of the wine cellar.

If you have concrete walls in your cellar, you’ll need to attach a layer of poly coating and then rigid foam insulation to create a moisture barrier and adequate insulation for those walls.

5. How will glass (walls, windows or doors) impact the wine cellar?

Glass has low R-value, and therefore provides poor insulation in wine cellars.  The R-value of “thermal double pane glass” is around 3.

This means that you’ll need to account for the glass when you calculate the thermal load of your wine cellar.  Calculating the thermal load is the best way to size the cooling unit for your wine cellar.  Be careful about relying on the “rated capacity” estimates from the cooling unit manufacturers – their assumptions used may be very different from the conditions in your wine cellar, which is why you need to calculate the thermal load.

6. How do I select a wine cooling unit?

There is a direct correlation between price and performance when it comes to selecting a wine cooling system:

• Through-the-wall cooling systems are the most cost-effective and easiest to install. They are shipped fully-charged and ready-to-use in a self-enclosed case. The downside of through-the-wall cooling units is that they take up space inside the cellar, and noise from the cooling unit can be heard inside and outside the wine cellar. They also require a hole in the wall to fit the cooling unit, and sufficient space on BOTH sides of the wall so that proper ventilation can occur.  Cost: $1,000 – $3,500
• Split cooling systems are built so that some of the components are located outside the wine cellar, and some of the components are located inside the cellar. The two sets of components always will be connected by two refrigerant lines, which need to be charged and braised by a qualified professional in the field.  In addition, power and drain lines may need to be setup by the professional. The advantage of split systems is that the condensing unit can be located in a remote location, which mitigates noise from the compressor, and split systems don’t require having a big hole in the wall.  The disadvantage is that split cooling systems require professional installation, which is expensive. Cost: $5,000 and up
• Ducted cooling systems, where the entire cooling unit is located remotely and cold air is ducted into the wine cellar, are the most expensive wine cooling systems. Their main advantages are that the wine cellars won’t be subject to noise from the cooling unit, and commercial systems can be serviced by most HVAC professionals. In addition, space in wine cellar can be maximized for wine storage, because the cooling unit doesn’t take any space inside the cellar. The disadvantage of ducted systems is that they require professional installation, and the vents must be designed and constructed into the building structure, so that retrofits can be prohibitively expensive. Cost: $3,000 – $6,000 plus installation.

7. How do I select wine racks?

The most popular types of wine racks are as follows:

• Individual bottle storage: each bottle is cradled in its own cell, either single or double deep. Difference size cells are designed to accommodate various types of bottles, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy/Champagne, Magnums and splits.
• Diamond Bin Storage: Diamond bins provide bulk storage with flair. Bins provide maximum flexibility because they accommodate any size bottle, but they’re best suited for long-term storage because bottles at the bottom are difficult to access, and bottles must be handled carefully because they are resting on each other.
• Case Storage: Wood and cardboard case wine racks are designed to hold wine bottles in their original cases. Some case storage comes with sliding shelves for easy access. Make sure to specify wood vs. cardboard cases, because wood cases are wider/shorter and cardboard cases are narrower/taller.
• Tabletops: With individual bottle or bin storage below, tabletops provide excellent spaces for opening bottles and pouring wine. Tabletops can be made from matching woods and/or stone surfaces to match your design. Tabletops also provide space to store and display accessories like stemware, decanters and bottle openers

8. What about my large-format bottles?

Have you ever noticed the difference in size between Bordeaux/Cabernet and Burgundy/Pinot bottles?  For most wine cellars, individual bottle storage for 750ml bottles will make up a large part of your wine racks, so you’ll want to make sure that the slot sizes are wide enough to accommodate today’s large-format bottles. Generally, 3 ¾” is wide enough for most Bordeaux, Burgundy and many Champagne bottles.

If you have a lot of Magnum or split bottles, you’ll need dedicated storage for each of these bottle types.  Same goes for larger bottles like Double Magnums, Jeroboams, etc.

9. Are wine racks kit Ok, or do I need custom wine racks?

Wine rack kits are offered with a variety of configurations and options, so in many cases, it’s possible to attain a custom look while paying a mass-produced price. First, decide if you want your wine racks to go all the way to the ceiling, or is it Ok if they stop at six feet. Then, think about which configurations, options and wood species you want in your wine cellar. Wine rack kits offer many – but not all – of the configurations, options, stains and wood species offered by custom wine racks, so if you have flexibility, you’ll probably save money.

10. How much will it cost?

The cost to build a wine cellar will include some or all of the following components:

• Construction – wine cellars need proper insulation and moisture barriers to create an airtight environment inside the cellar. Framing for the cooling unit and structural support in the floor also must be included in the construction of the wine cellar. Cost: Variable depending on the size of the wine cellar
• Wine Cooling Unit – constant temperatures ranging from 55-60 degrees and humidity ranging from 50-70% are ideal conditions for wine storage and aging. Wine cooling units are designed to maintain ideal conditions, and are offered primarily in through-the-wall, split, or ducted systems. Cost (including installation): $1,000 – $10,000
• Wine Racks – choices range from kits to complete custom solutions, and vary in cost based on the number of bottles, amount of customization, type of wine racks, type of wood and choice of upgrades and options. Metal racks also are a low-cost option, especially for bulk racking. For individual bottle storage, metal wine racks are sub-optimal because they can tear bottle labels and, over time, may lose their form and crumple under the weight of the wine bottles. Cost: $2.00 – $20 per bottle
• Wine Cellar Door – Exterior-grade insulated door must provide an airtight seal and high thermal insulation. Cost: $600 – $3000
• Wine Cellar Floor – From tile to concrete to cork wood, just about any floor surface will work as long as it matches your décor and aesthetic design. Keep in mind that softer surfaces (like cork wood) will be more forgiving if/when you drop a bottle, and sealed surfaces (like tile) are easiest to clean and repel stains. Cost: $3 – $15 psf
• Accessories – Lighting, wood paneling and artwork are examples of accessories that add finishing touches and create unique wine cellars, but add cost to the project. Cost: Variable

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 spoke last week, the customer called Whisperkool to learn about their 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 wine cooling units quieter than Whisperkool’s 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 – and his client loves the cooling unit!

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?

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’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!

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

There’s a big difference between wine coolers and wine cellars.

Wine cellars, which include freestanding wine cabinets, are designed to maintain all the optimal conditions for proper wine storage and aging. These conditions include cools temperature that don’t fluctuate, humidity in the range of 50 – 70%, clean air, darkness and minimal vibration.

By contrast, most under-the-counter wine coolers are designed to maintain wine at a desired serving temperature. Their cooling systems are not designed to maintain constant temperatures within a tight range, they are not designed to manage humidity levels, they often have clear glass windows and they cause too much vibration for long term storage and aging.

So what? The differences described above don’t really matter if you’ll be drinking your wine within a short time, say a year or two. But if you want to buy and store bottles for several years, you’ll need to create proper storage and aging conditions so that your your wine can age and achieve its full potential.

Click on the following link to read more about the Importance of
Proper Wine Storage.

Humidity DOES matter when storing and aging wine over long periods of time. The ideal range for humidity is 50 to 70 percent. Not enough humidity, and the outside of the cork could dry out and shrink, leading to ullage and possible oxidation of your wine. Too much humidity, and the wine bottle labels might get moldy and/or peel off.

If you live in a dry area, it’s especially important to cellar your wine in a sealed environment. That way, you can add moisture inside the wine cellar and the moisture will remain inside. To add moisture, try placing a shallow dish of water with a sponge inside the wine cellar, or spray a mist of water from a water bottle inside the wine cellar.

If you live in a humid area, make sure that the cooling system in your wine cellar will remove excess moisture from the air. For more information about the proper conditions for long-term wine storage and aging, see The Importance of Proper Wine Storage.

We believe that the choice of woods used in wine racks is very important, for two reasons:

1. Decay resistance – “Woods vary considerably in decay resistance and durability. Woods like cherry and redwood are “resistant or very resistant” to decay.

2. Tendency to warp – woods like cherry and redwood are among those with the lowest tendency to warp.

When we think of “decay,” we think of fungi – or mold – and how to deter the growth of fungi in our wine cabinets and wine racks. There are four basic requirements for wood-inhabiting fungi to thrive. Rendering any one of these unsuitable can control fungi:

1. Temperature- Between 75 and 90 degrees Farenheit is optimum for the growth of fungi. Beyond the extremes of 40 and 105 degrees Farenheit, growth essentially stops.

2. Oxygen – Fungi needs oxygen to grow

3. Moisture – Fungi can develop in wood with average moisture content as low as 20%.

4. Food – Woods vary considerably in decay resistance or durability. Where it is impossible or impractical to keep wood below 20% moisture content, the next best approach is to choose a durable wood or wood that has been impregnated with a chemical preservative.

The first three requirements all exist inside a wine cabinet, so the only way to control against fungi is #4. Therefore, the choice of wood used to build wine racks is very important, and it should be a wood that is resistant to decay, such as redwood, black walnut or cherry.

For more information, check out the book by R. Bruce Hoadley called “Understanding Wood, A Craftsman’s Guide to Wood Technology” or see our wine cellar shopping guide.