Setting up a new Artevino Eurocave

EricZ · January 10, 2022, 10:24pm

Hi Everyone

I should be taking delivery this week, or next week, on a new 200 bottle Artevino/Eurocave.

Just in case I am on a call or not available and my wife takes the delivery I figured I should have some information a head of time and to let her know too.

The manual mentions it should be 7cm from the wall and there is some sort of bracket/brace - does that get screwed into both the machine and the wall? Is this something the Costco “White Glove” delivery people handle"
I know if you lay down one of these units it should stand upright 48 hours before turning on. What about delivery off a truck where you assume it has been upright and standing - same thing on the 48 hours?
not clear on how many shelves - but I think some are fixed and some are rolling - or are they all either/or as you can take any shelf and set it up to be fixed or rolling?

Any other advice? I am going to be using this + a 86 Bottle Sub Zero that is upstairs in the main part of the house (Eurocave in the basement) so I am thinking the stuff I don’t mind going to put in the Subzero but the stuff that needs more aging/stuff I do not want family/friends taking accidentally to open will go under lock/key in the Eurocave. Anyone have any good ideas for storage? I thinking to just note what is on what shelf and make a shelf a “bin” in cellar tracker so I can just go to a specific shelf to find something?

SeanHarding · January 10, 2022, 10:40pm

My experience with Costco “white glove” delivery is very, very mixed. They use different logistics providers in different parts of the country, and the quality of the delivery personnel varies pretty widely, I’ve found. If there is something specific you want them to do and you’re not going to be there, definitely arm your wife with detailed instructions. Do not expect them to know what to do, or (heaven forbid) read any instructions.

ClarkstonMark · January 10, 2022, 10:41pm

My experience with Costco white glove delivery is the leave the box in the garage and that is it.

EricZ · January 10, 2022, 10:45pm

Ha excellent - well that is why “white glove” is in " " above.

Are there a few things we need to insist on - such as does this unit need to be physically mounted to a wall or is it heavy/stable enough and doesn’t get mounted? the User manual isn’t clear on that “spacer” piece they call it.

I doubt delivery will know if we need to wait 48 hours, which of course to be safe I can always do if need be.

And then just from a user perspective, are the shelves universal and are just fixed or rolled based on how we set them up? Is there a “normal” configuration which I am sure we can do once the delivery people leave.

Chris_Crutchfield · January 10, 2022, 10:50pm

The spacer is just added to the back to ensure that you have enough space between the coils and the wall. It does not need to be mounted to the wall.

I let mine sit for 48 hours before turning it on, even though it came off the truck upright.

All of the shelves slide in and out and can be repositioned up or down. This will be important for maximizing the space usage, as you will likely dedicate some rows to Bordeaux bottles (so set the height to be as small as possible) and other rows to larger bottles.

Dennis_Atick · January 10, 2022, 11:01pm

Thread drift: What’s the dimensions on this unit? Hard to find online.

EricZ · January 10, 2022, 11:05pm

Technical Specifications
Dimensions:
27”W x 72”H x 27-1/4”D Weight - 282 lbs.

EricZ · January 10, 2022, 11:06pm

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

MikeHill · January 11, 2022, 12:08am

The spacer is just added to the back to ensure that you have enough space between the coils and the wall. It does not need to be mounted to the wall.

I let mine sit for 48 hours before turning it on, even though it came off the truck upright.

All of the shelves slide in and out and can be repositioned up or down. This will be important for maximizing the space usage, as you will likely dedicate some rows to Bordeaux bottles (so set the height to be as small as possible) and other rows to larger bottles.

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

I believe the shelves included “slide” in and out, but it is a simple rail (eg no rollers) so it can get a bit awkward/heavy. They are also fixed wooden slats, so bigger bottles mean you can really lose capacity. You can buy separately better shelves on rollers with adjustable slats to optimize for different bottle sizes. If you plan on pulling bottles frequently, it might be worth getting for a couple/few of the shelves.

If you plan on stacking bottles on a single shelf then you need to mount so it can’t slide in or out - that’s for safety because you’ll break the shelf and drop all the bottles due to the weight.

Chris_Crutchfield · January 11, 2022, 12:16am

I wouldn’t say it’s a throwaway. It keeps the wall from coming into contact with the coils. Maybe somebody pushes the unit back, or maybe it tips back. You’ll want to have it there because the coils are completely unprotected without it.

EricZ · January 11, 2022, 3:52pm

The spacer is just added to the back to ensure that you have enough space between the coils and the wall. It does not need to be mounted to the wall.

I let mine sit for 48 hours before turning it on, even though it came off the truck upright.

All of the shelves slide in and out and can be repositioned up or down. This will be important for maximizing the space usage, as you will likely dedicate some rows to Bordeaux bottles (so set the height to be as small as possible) and other rows to larger bottles.

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

I believe the shelves included “slide” in and out, but it is a simple rail (eg no rollers) so it can get a bit awkward/heavy. They are also fixed wooden slats, so bigger bottles mean you can really lose capacity. You can buy separately better shelves on rollers with adjustable slats to optimize for different bottle sizes. If you plan on pulling bottles frequently, it might be worth getting for a couple/few of the shelves.

If you plan on stacking bottles on a single shelf then you need to mount so it can’t slide in or out - that’s for safety because you’ll break the shelf and drop all the bottles due to the weight.

Thanks Mike - so the shelves that come with the unit are all the same, and you can install them to roll out, or install them to be fixed and then they can take on a few levels of bottles? If so that is pretty easy, I’ll likely do more bulk storage because like I mentioned I have another 86 bottle fridge off the kitchen upstairs that will have most of the ready to drink stuff. And since I drink most of the wine with a wife just taking a few sips, 86 bottles lasts a pretty long time!

I saw the MDS shelves at Wine Enthusiast but I thought I’d see how things go with the ones with the unit and in due time, if I need a better configuration because of wasted space I can always upgrade.

EricZ · January 11, 2022, 3:53pm

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

I wouldn’t say it’s a throwaway. It keeps the wall from coming into contact with the coils. Maybe somebody pushes the unit back, or maybe it tips back. You’ll want to have it there because the coils are completely unprotected without it.

Ah good points thanks - seems like if the “White glove” delivery people don’t do this it is fairly simple where I can always affix it later - though I’ll try to make sure they do set it up properly. I have a ton of space and I know the space is for 7cm, I can give more space without any issues so should be fine.

Charlie_T · January 11, 2022, 4:18pm

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

I believe the shelves included “slide” in and out, but it is a simple rail (eg no rollers) so it can get a bit awkward/heavy. They are also fixed wooden slats, so bigger bottles mean you can really lose capacity. You can buy separately better shelves on rollers with adjustable slats to optimize for different bottle sizes. If you plan on pulling bottles frequently, it might be worth getting for a couple/few of the shelves.

If you plan on stacking bottles on a single shelf then you need to mount so it can’t slide in or out - that’s for safety because you’ll break the shelf and drop all the bottles due to the weight.

Thanks Mike - so the shelves that come with the unit are all the same, and you can install them to roll out, or install them to be fixed and then they can take on a few levels of bottles? If so that is pretty easy, I’ll likely do more bulk storage because like I mentioned I have another 86 bottle fridge off the kitchen upstairs that will have most of the ready to drink stuff. And since I drink most of the wine with a wife just taking a few sips, 86 bottles lasts a pretty long time!

I saw the MDS shelves at Wine Enthusiast but I thought I’d see how things go with the ones with the unit and in due time, if I need a better configuration because of wasted space I can always upgrade.

When you take delivery of the cellar the shelves are “unsecured” and can slide all the way out. You get a pack of locking dowels which enable you to choose whether a shelf can be pulled out (for single layer bottle storage) or locked in place (for multiple bottle layers). All the shelves can be moved around as necessary to create the necessary spaces to store your bottles. I have the double unit from Costco and really like it.

mike_pobega · January 11, 2022, 4:21pm

Congratulations on your new cellar. If it’s your first it’s quite an exciting time and I’m happy for you. If you’ve had previous cellars, it’s still exciting and I am still happy for you! Either way I am…well, you get it. Excited for you!

Matt_G · January 11, 2022, 4:36pm

The two Artevinos I purchased in 2015 are both going strong. No issues. I have around 16 cases in each.

I did let them sit for 48 hours before plugging them in to ensure the oil had drained back into the compressor in the event they were laid down in transit.

JIMCOH · January 11, 2022, 5:22pm

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

I wouldn’t say it’s a throwaway. It keeps the wall from coming into contact with the coils. Maybe somebody pushes the unit back, or maybe it tips back. You’ll want to have it there because the coils are completely unprotected without it.

Since this weighs 282 lbs empty, unless you’re hosting a party for an NFL offensive line I doubt it is in danger of getting pushed back against the wall;
Less chance yet when full.

Chris_Crutchfield · January 11, 2022, 5:27pm

Yeah, I know it’s unlikely; it’s probably 800+ lbs fully-loaded. But if you knock those coils it would definitely be a bad thing. Ditto if you place the unit too close to the wall, as it would lose cooling efficiency. There’s no reason to go without attaching the spacer, IMO.

TomC · January 11, 2022, 6:37pm

ah ok so the spacer is almost a throw away - just a small device to measure to make sure you have enough space.

So the shelves are all one in the same? if you decide to stack then just keep them fixed and don’t roll them out but no difference in how you set them up and affix them to the unit itself? if so that seems easy - I’ll probably do something along the lines of what the photo has with 2-3 fixed on the bottom with extra space and then tighter ones as you go up. Since I have an 86 bottle unit upstairs I hope to use this more for bulk storage and not every day grab/go items.

I believe the shelves included “slide” in and out, but it is a simple rail (eg no rollers) so it can get a bit awkward/heavy. They are also fixed wooden slats, so bigger bottles mean you can really lose capacity. You can buy separately better shelves on rollers with adjustable slats to optimize for different bottle sizes. If you plan on pulling bottles frequently, it might be worth getting for a couple/few of the shelves.

If you plan on stacking bottles on a single shelf then you need to mount so it can’t slide in or out - that’s for safety because you’ll break the shelf and drop all the bottles due to the weight.

Thanks Mike - so the shelves that come with the unit are all the same, and you can install them to roll out, or install them to be fixed and then they can take on a few levels of bottles? If so that is pretty easy, I’ll likely do more bulk storage because like I mentioned I have another 86 bottle fridge off the kitchen upstairs that will have most of the ready to drink stuff. And since I drink most of the wine with a wife just taking a few sips, 86 bottles lasts a pretty long time!

I saw the MDS shelves at Wine Enthusiast but I thought I’d see how things go with the ones with the unit and in due time, if I need a better configuration because of wasted space I can always upgrade.

I have two of these. The shelves are all the same, you can configure them to be movable vs not movable. It’s a wood dowel that you can insert that acts as a stop for restricting how much the shelf can pull out. Or if you don’t insert one, then the shelf can be pulled out all the way if you want that. Also, they don’t “roll” out, but instead they slide out.

My experience with Costco white glove was that they delivered it into the house where we wanted it, although in our case it was in a room right inside the front door, so it was not difficult. Then of course they took all the wrapping/packaging with them.

As for “any other advice”… if you’re like most here, you’ll need even more storage before long. Also, since the storage is two deep, I put bottles for aging in the back and bottles for nearer consumption towards the front. I put bigger and odd shaped bottles on shelves that are configured to not accommodate stacking and look for Bordeaux-like bottles to be the ones that are on shelves with bottle stacking.

EricZ · January 11, 2022, 7:12pm

I believe the shelves included “slide” in and out, but it is a simple rail (eg no rollers) so it can get a bit awkward/heavy. They are also fixed wooden slats, so bigger bottles mean you can really lose capacity. You can buy separately better shelves on rollers with adjustable slats to optimize for different bottle sizes. If you plan on pulling bottles frequently, it might be worth getting for a couple/few of the shelves.

If you plan on stacking bottles on a single shelf then you need to mount so it can’t slide in or out - that’s for safety because you’ll break the shelf and drop all the bottles due to the weight.

Thanks Mike - so the shelves that come with the unit are all the same, and you can install them to roll out, or install them to be fixed and then they can take on a few levels of bottles? If so that is pretty easy, I’ll likely do more bulk storage because like I mentioned I have another 86 bottle fridge off the kitchen upstairs that will have most of the ready to drink stuff. And since I drink most of the wine with a wife just taking a few sips, 86 bottles lasts a pretty long time!

I saw the MDS shelves at Wine Enthusiast but I thought I’d see how things go with the ones with the unit and in due time, if I need a better configuration because of wasted space I can always upgrade.

I have two of these. The shelves are all the same, you can configure them to be movable vs not movable. It’s a wood dowel that you can insert that acts as a stop for restricting how much the shelf can pull out. Or if you don’t insert one, then the shelf can be pulled out all the way if you want that. Also, they don’t “roll” out, but instead they slide out.

My experience with Costco white glove was that they delivered it into the house where we wanted it, although in our case it was in a room right inside the front door, so it was not difficult. Then of course they took all the wrapping/packaging with them.

As for “any other advice”… if you’re like most here, you’ll need even more storage before long. Also, since the storage is two deep, I put bottles for aging in the back and bottles for nearer consumption towards the front. I put bigger and odd shaped bottles on shelves that are configured to not accommodate stacking and look for Bordeaux-like bottles to be the ones that are on shelves with bottle stacking.

Very helpful - thanks!

My delivery is fairly easy too - wheel it in through a garage and into the main room in my basement and put it right there. so no stairs, tight doorways, etc so they should be able to handle it fairly easily.

I’ll likely wait the 48 hours, then load her up with about half the shelves fixed to maximize the storage space.

Daniel_Chun · January 11, 2022, 10:24pm

Make sure they include the wooden dowels and the metal grate that goes on the bottom of the fridge when delivering - both were missing from mine and had to go through customer service to get em replaced. Going through Wine Enthusiast was quicker than Costco (they were just relaying my messages to WE anyways).

I see you’re in the tri-state area, lmk if you’re ever interested in additional shelves. Replaced mine with MDS and sitting on a few unused Artevino ones as well as a few MDS that have cosmetic imperfections (if you’re interested in trying em out and don’t want to commit to the brand new price)