I am just getting started in this hobby and am already running out of space…I have about 50-60 bottles right now and expect to add another 100-150 bottles this year. We consume 2-3 bottles a week so Im able to balance my inventory pretty well right now. Most of the bottles Ive been purchasing are daily drinkers or some wines with age Ive purchased on Winebid that I intend to drink in the near future to figure out which wines with some age on them I enjoy. Most of the bottles Ive been purchasing that I would cellar are in the $75-125 price range.
Here are a few questions I have:
How long can wine stay fresh at 67-70 degrees and will keeping bottles at that temp for 1-2 years really affect the long-term aging of a wine? Thats the temp at my apartment and I dont have room currently for a wine fridge. Most of what I`ve bought so far I have consumed within 12 months.
Self Storage vs. Dedicated Wine Storage - Has anyone had any positive experiences with storing wine at a climate controlled self storage facility? I`m leaning towards finding a climate controlled self storage unit and putting a remote temperature sensor of some sort to monitor temp fluctuations/ensure the unit is being kept at close to 55 degrees. Trying to justify this to save some money vs. some of the wine storage facilities in Dallas (if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know).
I`m planning on buying a house in the next 2 years and will have the ability to store 150-200 bottles at home so I will probably need offsite wine storage either way for long-term storage.
I don’t think you’re going to find a climate controlled self storage facility that keeps their temp anywhere close to 55 degrees. Might be lucky if it keeps an average in the 70s in the spring/summer. From what I’ve seen they usually say a range of 50s to 80s for climate controlled self storage.
This is just me, but 67-70 degrees for a couple of years would be just fine given you description of your inventory. Better that a self storage facility which is likely to have greater temperature fluctuations
I don’t think you’re going to get scientific answers.
In my opinion, keeping a wine at a stable 67-70F for 1-2 years is highly unlikely to affect the long term age ability or drink ability of a wine unless you’re talking about keeping something for 4-5 decades (or more) at which point, IMO, the peace of mind of professional storage makes a lot of sense.
They are not easy to find, but there are some out there. My wife checked with local restauranteurs (back when they kept wine for their own lists in storage) and found some places. The unit I have is a couple stories underground and is cold enough year round that I have to wear a sweater when visiting. It’s not explicitly for wine storage but there a bunch of collectors & restaurants all on the lowest level with me.
One might have to make some tradeoffs in how convenient these would be both for hours of operation, or distance, though.
I concur. We have a unit in one of the nicer “climate-controlled” self storage facilities in our area, and we looked at most of the others before deciding. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but the temperature ranges they promise are quite wide, and the upper ends were definitely well into the 70s. Maybe you can get lucky and find something like Arv describes, but the average self storage place isn’t going to cut it.
The main reason why I would prefer not to buy a Eurocave or wine cabinet at this point is that I plan on installing at least a built-in eurocave/similar type unit or building a small cellar if space permits in the next 2 years once I purchase a house. Another big factor is I dont think I have room in my apartment for even the smallest Eurocave haha. I currently utilize some cabinet space in the kitchen to store most of my wine and a 12 bottle wine rack above the sink. Im also fairly confident that I would out grow any unit I buy that can fit in my apartment very quickly and would need to look to offsite storage anyways.
Im going to get some quotes for Classic Wine, La Cave Warehouse and Roots and Water Wine Storage to do a cost comparison as to what my options are. Roots and Water advertises $700/year for a 24 case locker, which comes out to $2.43/bottle per year. That doesnt seem to be too expensive based on what I`ve read on WB.
I`ve at least eliminated a climate controlled self-storage unit from the equation…
You nailed it on the head… Peace of mind. Thats why I want to get an offsite locker. My main concern is Ill buy several cases of $100-150 bottles that I intend to cellar for 5-15+ years and the 2 years I had them stored at 65-70 degrees will ruin them.
Justin – Classic Wine absolutely keeps the temperatures at consistent temps – I’d be shocked if the temperature is ever above very low 60s even in Texas in the summer. Highly recommend. I have a large walk-in locker at Classic in Southlake and Mark and Lisa run an absolutely first class operation. Been with them for 5+ years. I always tell them that I wish all service providers in my life were so great. Several locations in DFW.
Huge bonus to have someone around to accept delivery all the time as well so you don’t have to go crazy messing with shipments to your house!