Appreciation of fine wine has long been one of the distinctions of a cultured individual.
Owning a fine wine collection has always been a marker of a person who understands
and appreciates life's finer pleasures. Today, many people keep wine collections
not only for their own enjoyment, but also as a form of investment. Keeping that
investment safe is important. A fine wine can too easily turn into a very expensive
bottle of vinegar if it is not stored properly.
For proper wine storage, there are many options available. Some collectors choose
to have their wine stored at a professional storage site. Others would rather keep
their wine closer to home. Either way, there are numerous options available for
how best to keep a wine collection, allowing it to slowly age to perfection.
For some home owners, a wine collection is not for investment but for consumption.
Such wine collections also need to be stored properly to keep the wine fresh and
ready to enjoy.
Wine Storage Styles
When storing wine at home, the four main types of wine storage available are wine
racks, wine coolers, wine cabinets, and wine cellars. Each has its own advantages
and disadvantages when used for storing wine.
Wine
Racks
Wine racks help to store the wine at the proper angle so that the cork will remain
moist. Wine is best stored at an angle, and not sitting on its base. Wine racks
ensure that the proper angle is achieved.
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Wine racks can be small tabletop units, or large display cases that stand against
a wall. There are wine racks of all sizes and shapes. Some units can be mounted
on the wall, creating an attractive decorative piece that is practical for storing
your wine collection. Wine racks can store 1 bottle or many bottles.
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Wine racks do not have a cooling unit, nor do they control lighting and humidity.
If wine is to be stored for a long time (several years or more), a wine rack must
be placed in a spot with ideal conditions for storing wine.
Wine
Coolers
A wine cooler is designed to store wine at proper serving temperature. It is not
ideal for long term storage of a large wine collection, since the temperature of
a wine cooler fluctuates more than wine cabinets or wine cellars. In addition, most
wine coolers vibrate too much to be good for long term storage.
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Wine coolers come in many shapes and sizes. There are single-bottle insulated coolers,
and there are large refrigerated units that can store fifty or more bottles of wine.
The wine will be kept at the perfect temperature for consumption.
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Wine
Cabinets
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Wine cabinets are more ideal for long term storage of a wine collection, allowing
the fine wine to age properly. Wine cabinets keep the wine in a cool, high humidity
environment. Many cabinets come with a cooling system. Insulated surfaces keep the
temperature at an optimum level for storage of fine wine.
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Wine cabinets usually come with wood surfaces. They make very attractive display
units, allowing the owner of a fine collection of wine to show it at its best. There
are some small cabinets for storing a single bottle of wine. Other units are much
larger, storing even one hundred bottles. Some wine cabinets have a bar-top, allowing
space for preparing and serving drinks.
Wine
Cellars
Wine cellars keep a fine wine collection at the optimum temperature and light level
for slow aging. They are most useful to collectors who will be keeping wine for
many years. Wine cellars can be very large units, but there are wine cellars available
in all sizes. There are even small wine cellars that are suitable for small studio
apartment dwellers.
Wine cellars are the perfect solution for real wine collectors. They provide storage
at the ideal temperature and humidity level, in the ideal lighting conditions, and
they do so with minimal vibration. This makes for an ideal in-home storage solution.
They can hold up to four hundred bottles, and sometimes more.
For owners of especially large wine collections who fill up their storage capacity
in the wine cellar, the next option is to either convert one room in the house into
a wine cellar, or to store the wine outside of the home. Many collectors use both
of these options. If a home owner chooses to convert a room into a wine cellar,
wine racks such as those sold by Wine Cellar Innovations are especially useful.
Wine Storage Features to Consider
Shelves and Racks
The racks and shelves inside a wine storage unit will determine how many bottles
can be stored. In some cases, wine racks can determine the type of wine to be stored
as well. Large format bottles are becoming increasingly popular for wine, and not
all wine racks have slots large enough to accommodate these large format bottles.
A slot needs to be three and three quarter inches in order to hold a large format
bottle. For wine collectors, it is wise to find racks that have as many of these
larger capacity slots as possible.
For many wine cellars and wine cabinets, the inner racks can be pulled out for easier
access to all of one's wine collection. This is a useful feature for storage of
a large number of bottles.
Placement of the Storage Unit
Before purchasing a storage unit for one's wine collection, it is important to consider
the clearance the unit needs for proper cooling. Some wine storage pieces need up
to six inches of clearance around the whole unit. This should be factored in when
measuring the space in which the unit will be placed.
Cooling System
For proper wine storage, it is important that the storage unit not vibrate. When
looking for a wine cabinet or wine cellar, be sure and find one that is as close
to vibration-free as possible. Most of the better units have a very low level of
vibration, or are even completely vibration-free. This is the optimum storage condition
for a collection of the finest wine.
Another factor to consider is that some cooling systems can be quite noisy. Most
home owners do not want a loud cooling system running throughout the day, so it
is wise to be aware of this potential problem when purchasing a wine storage unit.
Check the sound level of the cooling system before making a purchase.
Insulation
Keeping fine wine at an optimum temperature is very important. Insulation in the
unit can play a big part in how well the wine storage unit's temperature is maintained.
Insulation that is less than one and a half inch thick is insufficient. In addition,
only the highest quality of insulation should be used.
Price Range
Wine Racks
A small rack for a single bottle of wine sells for prices ranging from $30. A small
tabletop rack with two tiers, suitable for storing about 6 bottles of wine, sells
for prices ranging from $10 to $45. There are several wall mounted wine racks with
very attractive designs. Prices for wall mounted units range between $50 and $450,
depending on how many bottles the unit can store.
Free standing wine racks can be placed against the a wall, creating an attractive
display for the larger wine collection. Hudson sells its wall unit for $558, and
Passport Fur has an attractive half-height wine rack selling for $270.
Wine Coolers
Wine coolers come in many shapes and sizes. That being the case, the price range
also varies greatly. A wine cooler for a single bottle sells anywhere from $25 to
$90. Wine coolers that store from fifteen to twenty bottles of wine sell for price
ranging between $100 and $250. Larger units that store more wine sell for higher
prices. G.E. sells a 29- bottle wine cooler for just over $400. U-Line's 24-bottle
storage unit sells for just over $1,000, while Summit's 50-bottle wine cooler sells
for just under $1,000. Electrolux's handy under the counter unit, which stores 48
bottles, sells for prices ranging between $1,400 and $1,500. Marvel and U-Line both
sell larger units for prices just under $2,000.
Wine Cabinets
Wine cabinets come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, and prices vary accordingly.
A wine cabinet for a single bottle, including a small tool set, sells for about
$50. Units that store about ten bottles have price tags in the range of $100 to
$500. Wine Cellar Innovations sells a vertical series of wine cabinets for prices
ranging between $300 to $500. Howard Miller's tall, slim Potters Creek Wine Cabinet
sells for just under $400.
More elaborate wine cabinets sell for higher prices. There are several models available
for over $1,000. Most of these more expensive units make very attractive display
sets for a wine collection. Marvel has various such units, ranging between $1,800
and $4,000. Touchstone's attractive liquor cabinet sells for $2,500.
Wine Cellars
Wine Cellars can be quite costly, but for the real collector, they are worth the
expense. The smallest wine cellars available, units that sit atop a table, sell
for $50 to $200. Half-height units sell for prices ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.
Full-height wine cellars come in a wide range of prices. Eurodib's oak finish wine
cellar unit sells for just under $1,000. Marvel's 24-bottle wine cellar with pullout
racks sells for just over $1,600. Electrolux sells a 160-bottle capacity wine cellar
for prices between $3,200 and $3,500.
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