Short Term Red Wine Storage Solution?

I live in a small apartment in a city high rise, so space is an issue (no room for even a small wine fridge). Another issue is that my apartment’s south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows can make the apartment very warm during the day, even with the heat off in the middle of winter. Even kitchen cabinets still get fairly warm; according to my thermometer, the cabinet above my fridge ranges from about 72-77 F depending on the day, sun, etc. My storage locker in the basement of the building is also surprisingly warm, probably due to over heating, so while there’s no sunlight, it doesn’t seem like the best option either. The other option, which I’ve been doing lately, is that I can throw them in the kitchen fridge, but that temperature runs about 40 F, even at its “warmest” setting. But at least it would be consistent…

I only carry about 3-6 bottles of wine (mostly reds) at any given time, so it’s not like the length of storage time is very long. I imagine, I keep any given wine for as short as only a few days or to as long as 8 weeks.

What do you think: cabinet or fridge? Or are there other creative solutions that people have that I haven’t discovered or haven’t thought about?

Thanks!

fridge… I would not leave wine out on the counter in those conditions.

For the short time frames that you are considering, the floor of a bedroom closet might be OK if you can keep the door shut. Monitor the temperature there for a bit and see if it is consistently around 70 degrees. I am of the opinion that wine is not as delicate as many on these boards would have you think. If they sit in an environment for a few weeks at a relatively stable temperature, they should be fine.

If the temperature in the closet fluctuates, or if your wife has the silly notion that the floor of the closet is where her shoes should be stored, then I would agree with the previous poster that you should store them in the fridge.

What’s the average bottle price? If it’s relatively cheap and you are consuming it as quickly as you say, they should be fine in cupboard or closet.

Bottles range in price from $17 - $60. Avg bottle probably around $25.