The elegant hardwood cabinet with its rich brown hue, the double-paned French doors with ornate metal knobs, and the metal scroll work superimposed on the outer glass pane make the Vinotemp VT-Rioja4 Rioja Wine Cellar look more like an armoire than a wine cellar. Its dimensions of 67.5 inches for height, 34.8 for width, and 21.5 for depth do nothing to dispel this impression.
The “4″ in the name of the wine cellar denotes its four separate cooling zones whose temperatures can be set independently of each other. This means you can store dessert wines in one zone, sparkling wines in the second, whites in the third, and reds in the fourth and chill them at their own recommended storage temperatures. Each of these zones can hold 21 wine bottles in seven chrome-plated wire racks. These are scalloped to prevent the bottles from rolling over.
A hybrid cooling system chills your wine bottles. The Rioja4 uses both a thermoelectric and compressor cooling mechanism. Although thermoelectric systems are more energy-efficient, quiet, vibration-free, and environmentally friendly, they are sometimes unable to deliver low temperatures. This is especially true when ambient temperature and humidity is high. Compressors, on the other hand, are capable of generating lower temperatures. Along with R134a, the least ozone-depleting of the available refrigerants, the Rioja4 can chill your dessert and sparkling wines to their recommended temperatures of 40°F.
The double paned glass doors allow the showcasing of your wine bottles. An interior light illuminates them for an attractive display. Apart from this, the glass panes also insulate the cellar thus helping maintain a steady temperature in the four cooling zones.
The Vinotemp VT-Rioja4 Rioja Wine Cellar is not suitable for a built-in or recessed installation. At any rate, it would be a waste to conceal its elegant wood finish.