The Auswine Forum

Does anyone know anything about the ESPACE walk-in cellar unit? They look good on paper.

Transtherm sell them (http://www.transtherm.com.au). The prices seem reasonable (as compared to the Vintecs). Apparently they are a complete package - room, shelves, cooling unit.

(max) 900 bottles - $16000 ($17.70/bottle)
(max) 1900 bottles - $21000 ($11.05/bottle)
(max) 2900 bottles - $26000 ($8.95/bottle)
(max) 3900 bottles - $31000 ($7.95/bottle)

The best value Vintec/Transtherm is the Transtherm Ermitage which is RRP $5500 for (max) 240 bottles which is $22.91/bottle.

They don't look too bad a concept, although is that a regular aircon bolted to/in the wall of it. If so, I'd be wary of the noise of the thing (if in the house). I still think the Kitchener units (250-$12/b & 410-$11.5/b bottle) are pretty good for new buys. For me, I'll keep going with the converted deli fridge for now, @$2.50/bottle 400 bottle capacity.

Cheers,
Parb

I have an Ermitage stand alone in my Hong Kong apartment.

In oz, I have a Aussie made Kitchener- ugly bastard so goes in the garage.

The Kitchener is amazingly quiet compared to the Transtherm; so my advicce in all of this is check out the noise of the Transtherm gear.

Well I've ruled these out, but am now investigating these puppies:

http://www.sydneycommercialkitchens.com ... olroom.htm

Will advise as soon as I hear back from them re my questions about suitability for wine storage.

Hey folks,

Just came across your conversation about walk-in cellars and thought I could shed some light on the various questions you’ve raised – and perhaps be of some assistance.

To be honest, converted deli fridges are definitely a better idea than no storage option, but the most important thing to consider when looking into cellaring solutions is the refrigeration system. The Espace Walk-in Cellars, in particular, aren’t equipped with regular air-con units, but with specialised climate-control systems which maintain high humidity levels (to preserve corks) and are built around slow-cycling compressors (for a slower temperature draw-down).

FYI: on the contrary, regular air-conditioning units such as those fitted into converted deli fridges generate intense blasts of cold and dry out the ambient air (to prevent food from spoiling) – and could be potentially damaging for wine. You might also find the temperature range for cool rooms is generally limited to 2° to 4°, which is well below the recommended cellaring temperature of 12°-14°.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Cheers,
Tony