Thanks so much!

If relatively short-term storage, the unit does not have to be as rigorous in maintaining an even temp, humidity etc. Most of the residential units should do ok, and it comes down largely to aesthetics, noise level, etc. Also, you need to decide if you want one or two temp zones...personally, in an undercounter unit I have a hard time believing that 2-zones really works that well. Perlick is very robust, though pricey; Marvel has a pretty good reputation and nice features, but is a bit loud (I can confirm this from personal experience now, it was a bit disturbing), U-Line seems to have really improved their product lately and looks pretty nice. Liebherr seems nice at a decent price, and they seem to place some priority on the segment. I Can't comment from any direct experience regarding the wine units from the mainstream brands like Kitchenaid, GE, etc., but in general I would think that if their other undercounter refrigeration has a good reputation - especially beverage centers - then you will probably be ok for short term storage use.

If you are looking to age at all, I would suggest you seriously consider a unit from a company specializing only in wine appliances. Eurocave does a built-in that you can integrate, though its a bit expensive given its size (about $2700). The Wine Enthusiast website sells a housebrand, N'FINITY, that is definitely worth looking at. They can be built-in, and are very affordable (usually under $1000) for what you get. Transtherm also has a small unit called the "mas" and/or "studio" that can be built-in; I own the bigger "Bastide" unit from Transtherm, and have been very happy with it for the cost.

Whatever you get, remember:

(1) Whatever capacity they claim, you will not fit anywhere near that number of bottles unless they are all exactly standard bordeaux bottles and you stack them for maximum capacity, not easy access. This is just a fact of life with wine cabinets.

(2) Extra shelves are often a separate accessory, and can cost more than you expect.

(3) Always keep the cabinet full, even if it is with bottles of water....the mass of the contents acts as a temperature reservoir to keep things even and prevent swings. By keeping it full, your conditions will be better and you will likely use less energy as well.

Hope that helps some, instead of making it just more confusing....

Also, are you looking to store reds, whites, or a little of both? If all red, proper storage temperature and serving temperature are pretty close. Probably a little colder than most are used to in US (about 55 degrees), but actually better usually than the full room temp usually served here. Its also a good temp for keeping/aging beers that improve with cellaring, like some Belgians. If you are looking at storing all white or sparkling, you can store a few degrees lower, but you will probably want to chill even further for service... you can store it at service temperature, but that retards aging so it isn't ideal for the longer term. I keep all mine at red storage temperature, and when I pull out a white or sparkling I either (a) put it in the regular fridge for a while, if I have planned ahead, or (b) use an electric wine chiller (the kind that has cold packs and swirls chilled water around the bottle - pretty cheap at bed bath and beyond or similar.

In general, the exact temp isn't as important as avoiding rapid swings in temperature - it is the rapid changes back and forth that damage the wine most. Choosing a temp too cold will slow down aging, and too warm will speed it up, but swinging back and forth rapidly will quickly destroy your bottle. Humidity and vibration are also concerns, of course, but temp is the biggie.

What part of the country are you in? If you are in a wine-growing area, there is likely at least one brick and morter store specializing in wine storage. In northern california, for example, the Wine Hardware Store (which is associated with the Wine Appreciation Guild, and is also online) has four physical locations where you can go actually see/touch units...

OTOH, we've had the unit for a few years and it seems to be doing a good job. Temp seems to be stable, no noise issues (although, frankly, it's in a storage room and that's no a huge concern) -- no complaints at all.

I have a big 400 bottle unit in the garage and a smaller unit in the house for mostly whites as jsceva recommends.

SECO, Where are this tips on your site? I just saw specs and product info. Tips would be like jsceva's post above.