I'd like to give my husband a wine "cooler" (makes me think of Bartles & Jaymes in the 80's ). But I hate to call this a "cellar".
Here is a 35 bottle model at Costco for $200 which includes delivery to the house: 35 bottle Danby cooler
From what I've read in my searches here, dual temp is really not a necessity (we mostly enjoy reds at the moment), and right now this capacity should be plenty for us.
Any input?
Is there a problem if the cooler is not kept mostly full? Like right now we only have about 20 bottles.
We are in Texas, so if we are going to be even remotely serious about learning wine, we need to do something for stable storage soon.
I like the idea of buying from Costco as they will stand behind the product, and I don't know anything about the company, "Danby".
I don't know enough about you from your postings here to give very strong advice, but here are a few thoughts.
1) Although I have no personal experience with them, Danby coolers have been pretty well excoriated here as unreliable for temperature regulation.
2) If your drinking window at the moment on your wines is not much more than a year (and if you're getting into wines, then "at the moment" is key here), then a cool interior closet should be fine for storing your wines, even in North Texas.
3) If you are looking to stores wines for multiple years right now, then a 35 bottle cabinet is not going to hold up for very long. Either look into storage facilities where you can rent a locker (I think that many people have grown from those small cabinets into using offsite lockers and moving their "ready to drink" wines into their small cabinets) or bite the bullet on a larger, higher quality, cabinet. It will fill - trust me.
But the Texas contingent on this board can help you far better than I can.
Posts: 1386 | Location: San Diego, CA | Registered: Nov 19, 2005
Amanda, I agree with SD on this. I am also fairly new to wine as well. Been drinking it for 5 or so years but more serious of late. I originally thought along the same lines as you, 35 bottle cooler will be plenty big. Well I started with one along this size, by the end of the month it went back and I came home with a 100 bottle wine cooler. In 2 months, I had 2 100 coolers. Now I am building a wine cellar because I have 2 coolers full and 6 full cases of ready to drink wine needing a home. The wine bug is very catchy----beware. Enjoy!
2) If your drinking window at the moment on your wines is not much more than a year (and if you're getting into wines, then "at the moment" is key here), then a cool interior closet should be fine for storing your wines, even in North Texas.
You might have two months a year an interior closet would work at the very most.
Please know many here on this forum (me) may be far more serious about wine than you and your husband are at this time. A cellar of 500 -1500 bottles is not uncommon here, but most started much smaller.
I have never owned a Danby product, but I do know people that own a Vinotemp. It looks like Costco has several under $500 if that still fits your budget, it might be a better buy. Also, if you are in North Texas, IWA is based in Garland. They have a showroom you can visit and buy from. They have several options also.
All that said, you must start somewhere and if you decide to upgrade after a year or two, no big deal. While you spent $200-$400 on a small short term cellar you may decide to sell off in a garage sell soon or gift to a "new to wine friend", you will have far more $$$ tied up on the wine in the cellar than the cost of the cellar, trust me!
Best of luck, and let us know if you have any other questions. If your in the Dallas Metroplex, we have several wine groups that meet each month that you both may want to join.
2) If your drinking window at the moment on your wines is not much more than a year (and if you're getting into wines, then "at the moment" is key here), then a cool interior closet should be fine for storing your wines, even in North Texas.
You might have two months a year an interior closet would work at the very most.
Not an option imo, just too darn hot.
See, I told you they could help you far better than I could.
Posts: 1386 | Location: San Diego, CA | Registered: Nov 19, 2005
I do appreciate the input and I'll check out the Vinotemp.
Beyond stable storage for some of the wines we will store for some period of time, we want something that will hold wines very close to drinking temp. Right now we have only Texas room temp, or refrigerator temp.
I know we are small potatoes at the moment (and may always be), but everyone here has been very helpful.
Wine + art, perhaps we will see you at an event around town. With "art" in your name, do you enjoy The Modern?
Wine+art, we are members at The Modern but only as of this year, when we went to view the Ron Mueck exhibit. We've been a few times and enjoy the reciprocal privileges when traveling.
Can you tell me more about your cellar? We are in the Metroplex (in one of those "fastest growing" cities). Do you have a picture, dimensions, specs or link to same? I don't see a PM feature here, or I would send you my email address.
). But I hate to call this a "cellar". 
