GE Monogram Wine Vault - The Ultimate Wine Lover's Toy

Feb 9, 2011
Toby Welch

Wine Accounts for 1% of Canada's Beverage Consumption - Al Silonov

So your neighbours think they're special because of their fancy wine rack? Show them how it's really done with the General Electric Monogram® Wine Vault.

Designed for the sophisticated consumer who waits anxiously each November for the Beaujolais Nouveau to arrive or for someone who simply wants the perfect addition to their luxury home, the GE Monogram Wine Vault is a breakthrough in wine storage. With Canadians spending almost $6 billion a year on wines, we need somewhere to put all those bottles!

Forget the Rack, Get a Room!

More than an appliance, the Wine Vault is a spacious, self- contained storage unit that is professionally installed in the consumer's home. Installation takes less than a day as no complicated wiring or special plumbing is required. The Wine Vault offers the ideal location for storing or displaying wines without the complications that occur when creating your own cellar.

The G.E. Monogram Wine Vault is a 2.5 metre cube (8 feet high x 8 feet deep x 8 ½ feet wide). The stainless steel structure can be installed almost anywhere in your home and because it is self-contained, you can take it with you if you relocate.

A built-in electronic Cellar Management System comes pre-programmed with information about 20,000 wines. The system employs a 15-inch colour touch-screen console, label printer, and a scanner.

Cellar Management System Details

The computer system includes:

Bar code labelling to assist users in locating bottles.
Drop down menus that allow the user to pre-load the database and classify each bottle entered into the system.
Cellar charts to track your collection by maturity, recommended year to drink, and diversity.
Quick and easy look-up features to find bottles by country, type, producer, maturity, vintage, and more.
A bar code scanner that allows bottles to be entered or removed from inventory in seconds.

With high-speed Internet access at your Wine Vault, you can view your cellar software online from anywhere and queue bottles for removal.

Wine Vault Racking Options

Consumers may choose between the following two options for racking, both made of moisture-resistant redwood:

Storage racks - designed for the consumer searching for functionality and maximum capacity, this option holds almost 1,100 bottles.
Tasting racks - designed for consumers who like to display their collection, the maximum capacity is 1,031 bottles. Some of the inventory racks are replaced with angled rows for display and a tasting alcove in the back.

The racks are arranged for single, double, and triple bottle storage and also accommodate magnums and crates.

Wine Vault Information

The 3,000 BTU cooling system maintains the room at 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) and maintains a humidity level of between 60 and 70% to prevent corks from drying out. Electronic controls use a self-calibrating temperature probe to ensure a consistent temperature throughout the vault. Insulated panels with an R-33 insulation value and an airtight door seal help keep the temperature and humidity constant. The door can be locked to keep the wine inventory secure.

To make the Wine Vault truly your own, there is a customizable tasting area with an arched backdrop, European cork tabletop, and a storage drawer. The wood paneled wall space can be matched to your style with a stain finish, ceramic tiles, or decorative art.

The price tag for the Wine Vault? Between $49,000 and $55,000, depending on the redwood rack style you choose as well as other options.

References:

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - The Canadian Wine Industry

Statistics Canada - Control and Sale of Alcoholic Beverages