I recently invested in a 2.5 X 2.5 foot unit at a storage facility near my house. I wanted more space in my home wine fridge and liked the idea of having my more special bottles in a very still, very consistent climate controlled room (55 degrees, 70% humidity).
The unit costs $25 a month for the first year and then $45 after that. I think I can fit around 77 bottles safely so that’s around $.58 per bottle per month once it goes up to the $45 cost, which doesn’t seem too bad.
I put the first layer in today and was able to fit 36 bottles plus a few half bottles on the side. I’ll be adding the second layer in the next couple days, though I’ll definitely need to be thoughtful since getting anything in the back row will require removing the full front row to access.
The front row will be more of the same, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne with some other Italian, dessert, and new world mixed in. But I’ll be putting older vintage stuff (80’s, 90’s, early 2000’s) in front since I’ll be drinking it sooner.
I’m really excited to have more room in the fridge at home for daily drinkers and I feel good about having these bottles, some of which were a large investment, stored as well as they can be.
Anyone else use offsite storage? Any other tips or things you wish you knew when you first started?
by Steamed-Hams
11 Comments
It sounds like you’re trying to maximise the number of bottles you can store in that space. You could fit in many more if you packed them in lie-down cardboard cases most wines are shipped in rather than using these wooden racks.
500$ yearly.
A brand new liebherr wine fridge with 140 bottle capacity is 1000€.
ac?
The best way to optimize storage is to either use cardboard boxes (not shippers, but domaine or other types of boxes) or cardboard or pvc tubes.
I started with the Weinbox brand but continued with rectangular plastic milk crates. I put a bottle mesh around each bottle but other than that I just stack them on top of each other. I think I can about 20 bottles in a crate, then stack the crates. It’s not super practical to get a bottle at a bottom of a crate but it’s optimized for max storage.
I throw it in whatever container it comes in. So for the good stuff it’s usually those wood boxes. And u just put the same domaine/producer on top of each other so the “tower” is sturdier. What sucks about this approach is the old vintages get put on the bottom so it’s a bitch getting to them. Also, put the best of the best that needs aging in the back cuz as you realized you need to pull out the first few rows to get to the back.
For singles, I use a cardboard box laid on its side. I write the inventory/bottles on the lid with a pen and have the lid facing front. I cross it out as I pull them or write in the new stuff I replace the empty slots with. It looks ratchet as hell.
And I have some very expensive shit stored this way.
Weinbox.
You’ve got some solid gems in that little collection.
Yes, I have a few pallets in storage.
Utilize some kind of inventory software and keep it up to date. If you’re putting a second setup in front that’s going to reduce visibility, you want to make sure you know what you have and where to find it.
Also second the lay-down cardboard boxes. Access is slightly more of a pain, but you’ll be able to fit many more bottles in there. Label them on the side and then inventory your wine accordingly, so you know which box to grab for which bottle(s). I also like to label the top with what’s inside.
Enjoy!
Get cardboard boxes to efficiently use that space, no need for racks. I have 13 cases in a locker that costs $25 per month th, so around $2 per year per bottle, and i still think that’s high. At $6 per year a $30 bordeaux costs $150 with 20 years of age, at that point its cheaper to backfill.
My advice, anything you’ll drink in 2 to 5 years you don’t need temp control. Put older, nicer bottles in the wine fridge, and put young, expensive, stuff that you want to age for 5+ years in offsite.
$6/bottle per year is way too much. For non-managed storage the goal should be around $1-2/bottle/year at most.