The Auswine Forum

I'm looking for some advice around buying a wine fridge for the first time

-do's and definitely do not do's
-brands
-build material suggestions
-where to buy (delivery is ideal and I live in Sydney CBD)
-size (minimum) suggestions
-price range to expect

Etc.

Thank you!

For a global brand, I'll put a good word in for Liebherr. Mine has been solid & reliable, outlasting two other wine fridges

Other thoughts
- If in the house, there will be some gentle noise, and if in lounge / kitchen / dining room, I think the (smoked) glass fronted fridges look much better than solid door models
- Factor in a little space at the back, as they rely on airflow at the back to function
- Think ahead / have a cellaring strategy. Basis stuff like, am I buying more than I'm drinking, so I need to buy a larger fridge to accomodate the extra, or is the wine fridge & its limited capacity exactly what I need to limit spending. Is the wine fridge just part of the strategy e.g. short term wines in passive, with the fancier wines in the fridge, or offsite storage providing the long term ageing, whilst the fridge gets refreshed every month or three with what I take from storage for drinking.
- Running costs. Might not be too bad if you have air-con, but if not, running costs might be higher than you'd think.

I've a couple of Transtherm now and a couple I've sold.

The most basic models are brilliant. Anything else, glass door, multiple temperature cabinets etc were susceptible to icing and upon investigation, I found out totally unsuitable for humid climates. So new models I don't recommend without very careful evaluation. The Australian distributor was pretty honest when discussing my models I'd bought in HKG. I'm guessing they'd be pretty expensive in Australia?

The Aussie designed wine fridge has gone out of business I understand?

Liebherr are very good, but expensive. Mine is rock solid.
Vintec seem solid, mine was a bit smelly (lining outgassing) but I'm pretty sure that particular model was an exception to the rule.
Not a fan of Vinovault, but can't speak from personal experience, just what I read.
I've owned a few cheap 'no-name' brand ones and they were good too, 8-10 years life on average, so paying a premium doesn't always guarantee device longevity, less vibration and better temp control, but I suspect it helps.
I wouldn't get a Peltier system one personally, and yes Kitchener are out of business, so avoid them.
Bottle capacity is based on Bordeaux size bottles, burg/champagne/syrah size bottles will reduce the capacity.
Wooden shelves are nice, but not essential.
Get a bigger one than you think you need!
Expect to feel a need to immediately fill any empty spaces with more wine.

What is the purpose of the fridge? Storage of drink now wine and recent deliveries or long term cellaring?

I've only had Vintec brand fridges (the 40 and 110 bottle sized ones) mainly from the TWE promotions, however I'm thinking of getting a couple of large fridges. Has anyone had any experiences with Grand Cru fridges?

Can give a thumbs up for Vintec. Not in the upper echelons of Liebherr in terms of aesthetics and build from what I've observed.
And as I've said in other threads, consider surge protection one way or another.
I've had one vintec go bang due to surge. Having said that Vintec were very very good in replacing it.
I've had a cheap banger in the past too. If it's going to sit out of sight than consider a cheapie to start with.
All comes down to the value and size of your collection I suppose.

But perhaps the best advice?
Whatever you're thinking of in terms of bottle capacity...double it.

I started with a Leibherr and ended up with 2, a EuroCave, a fridge in the shed, 2 wine racks and plenty of wine stored at other locations. Buying the first fridge is basically like taking a draw of your first cigarette.

I still have my EuroCave - it’s the easiest to use and has the best capacity - but if I was to buy another, it would be Leibherr. Good compromise between quality, space and price.

I'm down to 4 wine fridges. 3 Vintecs and a Vinovault. I've had one Vintec replaced under warranty and all the LED displays are shot on them.

The Vinovault has been fine so far, but doesn't keep a good temp from top to bottom (most don't). I dreaded having to do a warranty with them (although way out of warranty now, have had it about 5 years) I think I paid about $1100 for it 222bottles a Vintec equivalent is about $3500.

I got rid of my cheapy ones but upon saying that they did the job. One had the fans seize up, but was fixed with a PC fan. The other lasted about 12 years.

I still can't understand why they are priced so high, considering what they are comprised of.

I’d say they’re priced high because they aren’t made in the bulk numbers as traditional fridges.
I’ve bought my three all off gumtree 2nd hand to be honest. Had to have my Delonghi repaired earlier in the year after 8 years of use and my other 2 (vintec and no brand) are going fine after 5 and 3 years respectively. I buy the ugliest looking models that hold the most bottles and I keep them in my garage. They aren’t for show, just to hold bottles.

dave vino wrote:I still can't understand why they are priced so high, considering what they are comprised of.

Next you'll be expecting a function centre to charge the same for a wedding as they do for a sales meeting.

"You have money to buy a fridge just for wine? Step this way sir, with your wallet please."

Graeme

GraemeG wrote:"You have money to buy a fridge just for wine? Step this way sir, with your wallet please."

Priceless!

All too accurate on both counts Graeme!

Ive had my bosch for 20 years!! Looks like a fridge, the racking is a little bit suspect, but can't fault it's performance!

I have a cheap vented too from those Penfolds promos, but that is noisy

Our Vintec lasted four years before dropping its gas. It looked great though.

Wife insisted we buy a wine fridge as I was taking up too much of the main fridge with my bottles. Smallish, Vintec V40SG2EBK, 40 - 50 bottle capacity, 2 temperature zones, a little under 2K.

Excellent in all respects, however too small. I have commercial storage too, but juggling between home & there is a hassle. Should have got another, or one with 120 bottle or so capacity.

Even though there seem to be some happy Vintec customers on this thread, there are plenty of unhappy ones...

See my friend's experience [url]http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?f ... ec#p156373[/url].

With an average life span of 4-5 years plus running costs, it's probably more economical to go the offsite storage route.

Diddy wrote:With an average life span of 4-5 years plus running costs, it's probably more economical to go the offsite storage route.

I just did the maths for my situation if I were to replace my 1800 bottle offsite at Kennards using multiple 166 Bottle Vintec fridges. I'd need 11 fridges to get the same capacity as my offsite (probably 12 in reality due to varying bottle shapes). Taking running costs into consideration (1kWh/day/fridge @ 25.3 cents/kWh) and the cheapest price online I could find for the wine fridge, the break-even point is 19 years, assuming no maintenance/replacement costs for the wine fridges. Obviously they won't last anywhere near 19 years, so it's a no-brainer to store my wine offsite. There's other factors I could have considered such as yearly cost increases at my off-site and yearly cost increases for electricity, but the outcome will be similar. For me, it's far cheaper to store offsite than in multiple wine fridges. YMMV.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/qvSxVdxb/chart.png[/img]

Fascinating post Ozzie.

Surely you'd look to build a dedicated 2000 bottle cellar if you are talking those numbers. I think the original question was for something smaller like 120 odd bottles. How does that stack up compared to Offsite.

dave vino wrote:Surely you'd look to build a dedicated 2000 bottle cellar if you are talking those numbers. I think the original question was for something smaller like 120 odd bottles. How does that stack up compared to Offsite.

I don't have the space at home for a cellar.

I've redone the calculations for the smallest locker size at Kennards, which is 100 bottle capacity. I couldn't find a Vintec fridge at this size, so have used 2 x 50 bottle units. Here's the chart with break-even is at 13 years.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/nL1911mn/chart-2.png[/img]

I've also compared using a single 121 bottle fridge as it works out cheaper than 2 x 50 bottle units. Break-even is at 10 years.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/d3nKHLBk/chart-3.png[/img]

Once again YMMV, but for my situation the initial capital outlay just makes wine fridges uneconomical.

Ozzie W wrote: For me, it's far cheaper to store offsite than in multiple wine fridges. YMMV.

I crunched the numbers some years ago and came to a similar conclusion, even without factoring in the fact that the upfront cost of the fridge could be put to other uses.

Thanks Ozzie!! some interesting reading.

I am still in two minds for myself, due to the random way I tend to buy wines. (auctions and so forth, rather than a regimented buying plan). And the ease of access can't be beat with a wine fridge especially out my way in the Western Suburbs. (with the nearest Kennards of my size being Waterloo which is an hour each way). You'd still want a wine fridge for say 50 bottles you want to keep on hand so for me it kind of defeats the purpose.

Nick Wine Guy wrote:I'm looking for some advice around buying a wine fridge for the first time

-do's and definitely do not do's
-brands
-build material suggestions
-where to buy (delivery is ideal and I live in Sydney CBD)
-size (minimum) suggestions
-price range to expect

Etc.

Thank you!

A friend recently purchased a Grand Cru Pro 194P direct from their website, delivered to a country destination. Looks amazing. Price was $3000 delivered. Great fridge.

I bought a 50 bottle Vintec off Gum Tree about 5 years ago, brand new & unused for $275, and *fingers crossed* has been working fine, its served its purpose well but too small now unfortunately I really need something bigger.

Another friend has 2 x Vintecs that hold 110 each, I think, both now well over 10 years old and they have been fine.

Matt@5453 wrote:I bought a 50 bottle Vintec off Gum Tree about 5 years ago, brand new & unused for $275, and *fingers crossed* has been working fine, its served its purpose well but too small now unfortunately I really need something bigger.

Another friend has 2 x Vintecs that hold 110 each, I think, both now well over 10 years old and they have been fine.

Interesting to see all the different experiences regarding reliability of Vintecs, positive and negative. I hear similar varying experiences regarding regular fridges as well. I wonder why there's so much variability in reliability? Is it manufacturing related (cheap materials, cutting corners, etc.) or environmental (poor airflow due to installation location, dust, etc.). I suspect a combination of both.

dave vino wrote:I am still in two minds for myself, due to the random way I tend to buy wines. (auctions and so forth, rather than a regimented buying plan). And the ease of access can't be beat with a wine fridge especially out my way in the Western Suburbs. (with the nearest Kennards of my size being Waterloo which is an hour each way). You'd still want a wine fridge for say 50 bottles you want to keep on hand so for me it kind of defeats the purpose.

I also buy randomly, but my Kennards is only 10 mins drive from home. I also love how I can have wines I've purchased delivered directly to Kennards -- so convenient for me. But if I had to travel an hour each way, it would be a huge inconvenience for me and I'd likely take a difference approach.

Nick Wine Guy wrote:I'm looking for some advice around buying a wine fridge for the first time

-do's and definitely do not do's
-brands
-build material suggestions
-where to buy (delivery is ideal and I live in Sydney CBD)
-size (minimum) suggestions
-price range to expect

There's some tips and information at Choice Magazine that you may find useful. I'm not sure which brand they rated best as it's behind a paywall.

[url]https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/ki ... ne-fridges[/url]

Ozzie W wrote:

Matt@5453 wrote:I bought a 50 bottle Vintec off Gum Tree about 5 years ago, brand new & unused for $275, and *fingers crossed* has been working fine, its served its purpose well but too small now unfortunately I really need something bigger.

Another friend has 2 x Vintecs that hold 110 each, I think, both now well over 10 years old and they have been fine.

or environmental (poor airflow due to installation location, dust, etc.). I suspect a combination of both.

I must admit I am a bit anal with it. It is set up dead level, good clearance around the unit and regularly clean around the rear of the unit (dust etc).
Its also in the part of the house that does not get overly warm, so not working too hard.

Ozzie W wrote:

Nick Wine Guy wrote:I'm looking for some advice around buying a wine fridge for the first time

-do's and definitely do not do's
-brands
-build material suggestions
-where to buy (delivery is ideal and I live in Sydney CBD)
-size (minimum) suggestions
-price range to expect

There's some tips and information at Choice Magazine that you may find useful. I'm not sure which brand they rated best as it's behind a paywall.

[url]https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/ki ... ne-fridges[/url]

Vintec 50 Bottle was first ($1900 though is silly money)
Vintec 170 Bottle ($3500)
Hisense 78 Bottle ($800)
Liebherr 193 ($3500)

The Vintec 50 bottle won on the back of it's Temp Uniformity score (60%), which given it's small size is kind of silly when compared to the others which are 6ft high. Most of the others were in the 35% score for uniformity

My dad bought me a wine fridge as a moving in present for our first home - its a Hisense 34 bottle. It is very basic but does the job for what I need it for, namely wines to drink now and wines that are in transit to my storage locker at WineArk where I keep my long term collection.

I believe it retails for about $400 (maybe less on sale).