Rating: 
Summary: Poorly edited.
Review: Not a bad book in general.It answered many questions concerning long and short term wine storage. BUT, very poorly edited, repeat phrases and words along with a very disappointing cover and binding quality. Be aware that Mr. Gold's views of wine buying, storing and drinking will not remotely match anyone elses views unless you are hanging with the very wealthy and snobbish. This was, by far, the most overpriced book I have ever purchased.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Focused and a waste of money
Review: The title shouldn't be "How and Why to Build...", but rather "Why, Why, Why, My thoughts on Wine and oh, by the way How to Build a Wine Cellar".There is way too much information in this book. If your looking for an Engineering 101 text book, this is for you. I'm sure the author is very learned, but the chapter long discussions about temperature cycles, humidity, and various cooling methods are way over the top. The part about actually building the cellar (which is less than 30 pages out of 248) is obviously written by someone with little experience in construction. His ultimate cellar is the single most over-engineered piece of construction that I've seen in my 20+ years as a builder. For any do-it-yourselfer who has enough confidence to attempt a project such as this, there is little in this book (construction-wise) beyond simple common sense. I particularly enjoyed the part about door building. Pure nonsense. The second half the book has nothing to do with building a cellar, but rather planning tastings, lists of wine publications, and an ending that is nothing but the author's rambling thoughts about various aspects of wine. IMO, don't waste your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Outdated Book
Review: This book appears to be full of good information. I used it to construct two small cellars, both using refrigeration. They measured up to 7' x 12'. For my third cellar (the collection just keeps growing) I hired a consultant, and discussed the cellar with several others. All disagreed with some of the very basic principles in Gold's book. He may have been first out with this information, but the book is not up to date. If you are undertaking a serious project, especially if it is underground, you are better off hiring a consultant with experience. As another reviewer pointed out, some of the information in the book is contradictatory. Some is just wrong. Some is useful only for cold weather climates.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of information - but not well organized
Review: This book is full of extremely useful information - and I have learned quite a bit by reading it. However, the author's writing style and organizational method makes it a hard read. In concept, there are a number of items that must be considered when planning a wine cellar. These are covered in this book, but the information is not presented in a clear and concise manner. I would have expected basic information in a step-by-step and easy to follow format. Instead, the valuable content is surrounded by stories and other interesting but not exactly useful words. This appears to be the best book on this subject available today. Therefore, if you're going to build a wine cellar, this is the right book to buy. However, don't expect this book to make it easy for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Stop whining about Dr. Gold's wine tastes!
Review: This book provides an excellent treatment on the technical aspects of building a wine cellar. That was its main goal and it achieved it. Some reviewers seem to focus on the author's attempt to explain his stocking methods as an example for actually using a cellar capable of holding a few hundred bottles. What's the big deal? Also, this was written when Bordeaux was much more affordable than it is today, yet Dr. Gold is labeled a wine snob. Go figure...
Rating:
Summary: Good Idea, Bad Implementation
Review: This is a great book. It tells you/shows you how to evaluate your house, and all the variables surrounding, for a perfect wine cellar. While many may read and rise to the occasion thus building the R to the perfect digit, some may simply read and concede. There is a spoke of perfection in a house with a proper wine cellar; yet most are lack this. I thank this book for steering me to my current course of renting storage in a wine storage facility. I appreciate all the information but it would have been near impossible (checkbook included) for me to follow through.
Rating: 
Summary: a perfect cellar
Review: This is a great book. It tells you/shows you how to evaluate your house, and all the variables surrounding, for a perfect wine cellar. While many may read and rise to the occasion thus building the R to the perfect digit, some may simply read and concede. There is a spoke of perfection in a house with a proper wine cellar; yet most are lack this. I thank this book for steering me to my current course of renting storage in a wine storage facility. I appreciate all the information but it would have been near impossible (checkbook included) for me to follow through.
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