I reviewed the posting history of this newsgroup on the subject of
wine refrigerators. I'd love to hear more opinions. I'm about to
make a big decision and could use good advice.

My wife and I just returned from California's Napa and Sonoma counties
where we bought a few cases which will be arriving shortly. The tour
guide at Joseph Phelps said he could taste the difference between a
bottle of left upright in his office for 6 months from one properly
stored over that time. That got us a bit worried.

When we arrived home I retrieved a bottle of 1997 Mauro Veglio Barolo
we had been storing for several years in our New England basement
which varies from 60-80 degrees. It tasted very good but we couldn't
tell whether it might have tasted even better if stored more
optimally. What do you think, is a wine fridge absolutely crucial for
us? I was considering buying a 117-bottle Eurocave for $1,500.