Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great.
Review: After reading the other reviews, I would have to agree that Dr. Gold's wine preferences and selections are rather dated, and probably are wines we will never lay our hands on. The information about the actual construction of the cellar is quite good, and I think he addresses the issues of temperature, humidity, and storage quite well. I would have liked to see more detail on the actual construction side of things, as his descriptions can get a little confusing without diagrams. Overall, the book is worth it if you are contemplating building a cellar - it will probably discuss issues you would not have even thought about otherwise. I could have done without the extensive discussion on how to throw wine parties, wine accoutrements, and so on.
Rating:
Summary: Good building advice, bad writing style
Review: Dr. Gold's advice on wine cellar building is extensive and should help anyone interested in building a wine cellar. The first half of the book is dedicated to construction, but the other half is dedicated to wine acquisition and consumption. The second half of the book could have been spared considering it is supposed to be a book about cellar construction. Be warned that throught the book from begining to end there will be endless references to Bordeaux wines that the majority of us will never lay our hands on, or care to for that matter. If there were not one or two references to Californian or Italian wine, one would think that Mr. Gold was from the 1860's when the majority of good wine was produced in France. Proabably overpriced, but definately helpful for in-home cellar construction.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbeatable for a Scientifically Built, Budget Wine-Cellar
Review: Gold is a Ph.D. and you know it when you read the graphs that explain the relation between humidity and temperature. Despite the forbidding subject, Gold has produced an easy-to-read guide on how to build a wine cellar, but more importantly, on why to build it and what the goals of the design should be. I am building my secong wine-cellar now and what I learned from this book is invaluable. The book will also save you a lot of money that you would otherwise spend on cooling that not only you do not need, but is bad for humidity and constant temperature (I learned the expensive way, had to take mine out).If I had to identify a drawback, it is the low-budget orientation of the book. Some can afford to spend more on wine cellars and it would be useful to know the more high-tech humidification and insulation alternatives, that the book does not cover. Then again, technology changes so fast, that such a segment would soon be outdated. Make sure to find a specialist insulation contractor.
Rating:
Summary: It worked for me !
Review: I read this book 18 months ago and I am just writing this review now because the only way to know if all of those principles and ideas really work is to put them into use and then monitor your wine temperatures for a year. I did and they do! I live in Minnesota and built a small cellar (cabinet, really). It holds about 150 bottles and is smaller than most. After reading this book, twice, I knew to place it in the Northeast shaded corner of my basement, build the walls to R-40, use no hardware that would conduct heat, and seal the opening well. The book is a fun read and is filled with all the info you need to build a storage spot for your wine. Don't buy good wine and store it badly !
Rating:
Summary: Great advice for building a "Wine Bunker"
Review: I spent several months trying to determine what I should do about wine storage. I had accumulated about 300 bottles and was keeping them in our under-house dungeon, but was concerned about the long-term viability of that method. This book promotes the idea of a passive cellar - no refrigeration/humidity unit. After reading it I set about building what really amounts to a "wine bunker" (the room is not for sitting about and sipping - only storage) based on its principles. The details are documented at www.rosebrugh.com I'm very happy with the results and am glad to have found such a tome on the science of wine storage. Worthwhile reading even if you don't decide to take this route.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Idea, Bad Implementation
Review: I think Mr Gold's book is a good idea and his heart is in the right place but he will not win any awards for simple explanations. I've read this book cover to cover, some parts multiple times, in an attempt to decipher what he meant versus what he said. I find it confusing that Mr Gold discusses vapor barriers in two parts of the book and seems to say different things in each section, for example. I'm an intelligent person and can follow directions but Mr Gold's writing style does not sit well with me nor did it help to truly understand what I needed to do. If you are building a wine cellar in an unfinished old stink cellar, this may be for you, but if you are building a wine cellar in a finished basement or other portion of your house, obtain the "room preparation" documentation from a "wine enthusiast" type company instead.
Rating:
Summary: A great gift idea
Review: I've been thinking about building a wine cellar and was given this book as a gift. I couldn't be happier. The book is not only informative, it is clear and well-written. What's more, I took Dr. Gold up on his offer to follow up with him with any questions. He got right back to me with some helpful advice, and even an unsolicited wine tip!
If you know someone who's interested in wine or thinking of building a cellar, this will make a most welcome gift. And if you're thinking of building a cellar of your own, then treat yourself. You'll be glad you did.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this book before building!
Review: I've recently begun collecting wine, and decided that I'd turn a corner of my basement into a cellar. I've read Dr. Gold's book cover-to-cover BEFORE even designing the cellar, and I'm glad that I did. He goes into detail telling you why something needs to be done (or ought not to be done), and provides lots of example. His dry wit makes reading the book easy and enjoyable. I can hardly wait to begin building so I can collect more wine! (ok, I want to drink some too :-) ) My only reason for not giving the book 5 stars is due to typographical issues. The fourth edition really does need someone to thoroughly proofread it - there's numerous instances of "is" being used instead of "in", or some repeated words (e.g., "it it"), and one page where some addresses should be, but instead 1/2 of the previous page is reproduced. Nothing that makes the book unreadable, just slightly more typographical flaws than you'd expect to find in a book - and especially given that the author is an extremely refined fellow. If you want to build a cellar, or are even just curious about doing so - BUY THIS BOOK.
Rating:
Summary: How and why to build a wine cellar
Review: If you are a lover and/or collector of fine wine, and your thinking of buying a manufactured, wine storage unit, STOP RIGHT HERE. This book will intelligently guide you through the process of planning and constructing your own wine cellar. Its a great step by step manual that covers everything from picking the best location, to creating the optimum environment(perhaps with NO artificial refrigeration), to acquiring and ultimately consuming your liquid treasures. Besides,if you have any background in light construction or know another wine lover who does, it makes for a very enjoyable project.
Rating:
Summary: Not your everyday How -To book.
Review: My appreciation for this book increased dramatically with a second reading. It's part technical manual, part memoir, part pure entertainment. While Dr. Gold gives us the most comprehensive how to guide I've seen on this subject, he also delves into the why. Not only the technical reasons to preserve your wine, but the reasons why it's an enjoyable hobby worth pursing. With skillful prose, he interjects anecdote and humor to illustrate the process by which he accumulated the technical knowldege for building a wine cellar. The main complaint I see in the reviews below is that people were expecting a book like the ones you buy at Home Depot giving you illustrated instructions on how to wire a wall socket. This is not that kind of book. You want to put some thought into what will work for you. Dr. Golds book guides you through this process and alerts you to some of the pitfalls.
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