I'm looking for wine storage-?!
I'm looking for wine storage-?
I'm loooking for something thats temperature and humidity controlled. I'm not a collector but I've got some bottles that I'd like to keep and not have to worrie if there gunna be good when I go to drink them. I've heard there are cabinets and things out there- Know of anything?
Answers:
There are several options for you.
Wine refrigerator is the cheapest and the easiest option. Wine fridges come in all sizes and shapes, starting a simple 6-9 bottles up to 200-500 bottles. Most of the standard size are 30-60. You can pick up a cheap 6-9 bottles in stores such as Target or Walmart, usually under $100 and most likely $70-80. For the 20-40 bottles capacity, you will have to go to stores such as Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com) or Conn's (www.conns.com). Wine stores sometimes carry those as well. Expect to pay $200-400 for those. As for larger ones, the 80-100 bottles capacity can be found in more specialty storees, including Lowe's (www.lowes.com), Fry's (www.frys.com) and nice wine stores, as well as online like IWA wines (www.iwawine.com), and you will be spending at least $800 and above, depending on the size.
The second option is wine cabinet, which is basically wine refrigerator but nicer, with usually wood frame and more like a furniture. You can get cabinet with 200-500 bottles capacities, as well as custom design to match your home. Expect at least $2500 for 200 bottles, and with higher capacity and nicer features (dark oak, French door, ambient lighting, etc), you will pay much more. However, they are nice pieces of furniture to match your house. You can also get them in Curio form with less capacity for less.
Renting a space is also a good option. You will have to find a storage with "Wine Storage" specified. Most of the regular storage facilities have temperature controlled only to 78F. Wine Storage, on the other hand, will keep their temperature to 50-60F standard. You can rent space/locker as little as 2 cases but as many as 400 bottles. They are secure, fairly convenient, and you can meet other wine lovers there. For small lockers, expect $30-40 per month, but for larger ones, may expect up to $100 a month. Add insurance to that, and it can get pricey.
Asking your wine loving friends to store your wine may sound like a cheaper alternative, but who would trust their collection in someone else's hand. Besides, it is too much trouble to get them out when you want them.
Converting a small space in your home into a wine cellar is an option if your collection grows large. You can take a small closet space like a pantry or a small coat closet, lay them with insulation material and add a cooling unit, and you can convert them into a wine storage at your home for a reasonable price. You can get a wine cellar kit from iwawine.com for $600-800, depending on the size and model of the cooler. Add wine racking, the whole project may cost you $100-1500 for a collection of 150-250 - a pretty good investment for your home if you want to take on a home improvement project.