An oenophile's cool way of storing wine

Mark Goldberger remembers his first taste of wine -- a glass of Manischewitz at a Passover seder when he was 8.

Today, Goldberger, 24, is the wine director at blu, a restaurant at The Sports Club/LA in Boston, where he oversees a list of about 300 wines.

To store his personal collection at home, Goldberger recently bought a self-contained wine ''cellar," an increasingly popular appliance for those who are serious about storing their wines properly.

The cabinets, which look like small refrigerators, are meant to mimic the conditions of actual wine cellars: constant cool temperature, some humidity, little light.

''The idea is that there's as little change as possible," Goldberger said, explaining that light and temperature fluctuations can cause wine to age improperly.

After hunting online for a few months, Goldberger bought a $350 model by Danby from The Wine Enthusiast, a New York wine accessories company. Set at about 55 degrees, a normal temperature for whites and reds, the cooler holds about 40 bottles, many of which he intends to enjoy years from now.

A good place to start in your search for a wine cooler is your own collection. How big is it, how much are you spending on it, and how long do you plan to store it? If you tend to buy less expensive wines and drink them right away, a simple wine rack might be all you need.

''You need to think about what your investment is," Goldberger said. Although he has an impressive wine collection, he said, he also wanted to be ''cost conscious" when it came to buying a cooler.

Because he rents his apartment, he chose a model that is small and easy to move. The Danby holds only the most prized wines in his collection, including bottles that were signed by their makers. But Goldberger also suggests looking at coolers that will hold more than what you currently have.

''You want to get a model that you can really grow into," he said. Appearance is also a consideration. Some have wood paneling, special finishing, or stainless steel features. Others are made to be housed under a kitchen counter.

The Wine Enthusiast sells several types of wine cellars, including its most popular brand, EuroCave, which begins at around $1,000, said Josh Farrell, a product specialist. The company also sells six-bottle countertop models for about $130, as well as custom-made storage racks. Fifty-bottle units tend to be the most popular -- the company sold about 2,000 last year -- and Farrell estimated that wine storage makes up more than half of The Wine Enthusiast's total business.

Goldberger attributes much of his interest in food and wine to family trips to France when he was a teenager. Although he has no formal training, he has worked in restaurants and traveled extensively. He believes proper storage is one way to ensure wines are enjoyed the way they were meant to be.

''You should go that extra mile," he said.

Emily Shartin can be reached at eshartin@globe.com.