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.
Unfortunately, Mr. Meltzer could have 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.”
Six of the seven brands are not wine cabinets:
– 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!
Mr. Meltzer could instead 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.”
The information is correct at first glance, but ultimately 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 Vinotheque 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 Le Cache cost: less than $5,000
Mr. Meltzer is clearly knowledgeable about wine collecting, and it is evident that he put a lot of effort into writing a comprehensive book for wine enthusiasts, but the wine storage chapter is an example of how important it is to compare cabinets carefully before purchasing, rather than going by first impressions.