I started gently with a few 2009’s, few more 10’s, lot more 11’s, then more 12’s. Now working on my 13’s
My question is that im storing in the offsite in the styros but they are filled in a very chronological way so there are boxes of 12 Bedrocks’ 13 Bedrocks, Carlisles etc. So im trying to figure out what people do, is it a case of every year or two you goto your offsite, empty the entire thing and reorganize into a more drinkable pattern ? for example it does not seem like a good idea that in a few years I would grab a case of say 6 x 2012 Saxums and just drink all six over a few months, the whole point with a wine like that is you want to see its development over the years. So how do you organize the offsite that like I think a lot are just a locked closet space with no racking.
As someone who is only a couple of years into (partial) offsite storage, I’m curious as well.
My current plan, which I never get around to putting into effect, is to print out my offsite list, check off the few cases worth of wine I should bring out for consumption in the coming year, replace them with recent purchases that need a long sleep, and just roll up my sleeves and spend an afternoon there taking everything out and putting it back in. Lord knows when I’ll actually do it, though.
One thing I would suggest, Alan, is that you switch to normal case boxes, so you can use your space more efficiently. No benefit to styro in offsite storage.
Do the Uline type boxes stand up though ? I know its been discussed a lot on here and i have started threads but i cant get over how flmsy they look and if i have them staked 7or 8 high in my 8 ft high locker aren’t they going to collapse ? particularly if they are stacked with the bottles horizontal
I use cardboard wine boxes that I replace periodically. There are also some wooden bordeaux style boxes towards the bottom. There was once an order but no longer. I simply keep track of what is in every box with cellar tracker. I have ~600 bottles in offsite. I visit it once each shipping season to swap in and out bottles. Just doing that takes 2-3 hours. I can’t fathom reorganizing the whole thing.
My off-site storage is comprised of multiple boxes of about 75 bottles each. I try to keep one wine type per box: Bordeaux, Loire reds, Northern Rhones, Southern Rhones and Beaujolais, and miscellaneous which includes Zin. My home fridge is for stuff that is ready to drink, my office wine fridge is transitional space upon shipment of wine.
I use pine crates that hold about 15 bottles apiece and try to put longer agers in the bottom crates, though I find myself 2-3 times a year digging for something. For the most part it works. You can see I’ve numbered every crate and keep inventory so if I want a specific bottle I know which crate to get to.
I concur - if your offsite is temp controlled, dump the styro…takes up too much room and does nothing from this point on…
I have about 36 cases in 12 bottle cardboard wine boxes turned on their sides. Each one is labelled with a box ID and entered in CT. There are a few smaller boxes and a few loose bottles as well. If I want to pull any, I will need to find the box, pull the wine, replace the bottle (or not), and make the CT transaction.
Here is my strategy.
*My lockers hold 4 cases per stack and are 2 cases deep. There are larger ones but the cases on the bottom in the far corner are always the ones you need to get to. Keeps the amount of boxes you need to move reasonable.
*For what is in the box I try to mix them up so you can grab a box and bring it home and have a half dozen producers and a mix of varieties. I have storage at home so this allows a mix of items to be brought home without have to do the bottle shuffle and associated CT updates that usually result in bottles misplaced or missing.
*Number each box and have a box map to know where the box is located. You have to know where you are looking unless you love being in the locker instead of at the table sharing bottles.
*Have a paper print out of the inventory sorted by variety and box. Easy to get to wines if you get poor internet reception at the locker.
*Most importantly, store at a place that has a table with regulars that are there every Saturday. I have made some great new friends that have some incredible old cellars that think nothing of breaking out old Bordeaux, high end Napa Cabs, old Barolos and the like. I have enjoyed so much great wine since going to offsite storage that the cost of the unit is just an admission price to drinking wines I would likely have little access to.
For me its easy. My offline organizes everything and supplies me with a spreadsheet. I call want when I want or need something and then they deliver to my house.
Yeah, just lucked out on the Saturday tasting but this group has been doing this for 15+ years with a core group of 6-7 still actively engaged. Downside is I have to do more house/yard chores after work to be able to waste away a Saturday. So far my wife has not complained too much or with too much anger.
I just moved to a locker with 35 cases of capacity. When I moved up in size, the person who owns the storage moved it all over for me and sold me some inexpensive cardboard boxes to maximize my space. I typically send my “agers” which I order directly to offsite and don’t bother with them. I get over there maybe 2-3 times per year and send my more immediate drinkers to the house where I can store ~350 bottles. I’m right at about 600 bottles total now, with room for maybe 100-150 more, so I need to be careful this year on purchases, because there is no freakin’ way I’m going beyond the current locker - that’s it!
At Domaine, the lockers store “28 cases” of wine and pretty much everyone uses mostly 12- bottle lay- flat boxes. I just boxed as things come in so now, with four lockers, the first boxes are buried so far in back that it would take 20 minutes to get into them so I just pull bottles from whatever’s close. Sigh.
Some people really manage their storage well. If so want to get at something, I have to do some serious lifting.
I really don’t have a system. I like the idea of a messy storage space. I have some wedding year wine in certain boxes. Outside of that it’s a surprise.
Sorry Nolan I can one up you! I keep mine 7400miles away.
My avatar tells you all you need to know about how I organize the offsite. Total chaos with about 250 cases in a space designed for about 2000 bottles. Could be a full week to organize when I am reunited with the wine…
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