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June 2, 2009
Storing Wine in Brownstone
What is the consensus on storing wine in brownstone? Should I keep it in the basement or should I buy the wine fridge? I do not have expensive wine just a couple of cases of cabernet. Still I hate when temperature fluctuates between 90 and 75 twice a day or when bottles moved or shaken.
Comments
I find it gets too warm in my basement over the summer, so I turn on the 2nd fridge to keep the wine.
Posted by: cornetor at June 1, 2009 5:39 PM
There's a ton of info on this on the internet, check the winespectator forums among others.
Ideally, wine should be stored at 55 deg F and should not be moved or shaken.
Having said that this rule really applies to wine that will be stored for the long term (years, decades) not wine that you bought in May and will drink by September.
Posted by: denton at June 1, 2009 6:27 PM
If I were you I would spring for the wine fridge or other fridge as applicable.
We have in the past cooked a really lovely case of zinfandel from having it in a basement.
Posted by: Brooklyn11218 at June 1, 2009 7:37 PM
Denton is right, 55 deg is optimal. However, even more important is avoiding extreme fluctuations. So, if your cellar can maintain 65 deg more or less, that should be fine. I found that my old cellar, even below grade and insulated to the outside, could fluctuate almost 10 deg a day, definitely "not cool."
Again, as Denton says, if you're just gonna drink it within a few months time, no bother to get all technical. But if you want to cellar your wine seriously, better off getting a cooling unit or building a dedicated climate controlled space in your basement.
Posted by: beatlife at June 1, 2009 7:40 PM
Play it safe, go with the wine fridge.
Posted by: Misty B at June 1, 2009 11:18 PM
you could also buy a wine fridge thermometer. They are fairly inexpensive and keep a record of highs and lows. That could tell you if part of your basement would work as a wine cellar.
http://www.wineenthusiast.com/wine-enthusiast-temperature-humidity-gauge.asp
Posted by: remyching at June 2, 2009 9:32 AM
I wished I faced this dilemma.
Posted by: Fjorder at June 2, 2009 9:55 AM
Bobjohn, my tenants left a brand new, barely-been-used Magic Chef 30 bottle wine cooler. It is in my garage and sells for between $220-$300. I would like to sell it for $100 or another suggested price. If you would like to take it please email me at : salross@verizon.net
Posted by: sally at June 2, 2009 10:32 AM
thanks for the suggestions. BTW, do I need to worry about humidity sipping though the cork in basement?
Posted by: bobjohn at June 2, 2009 10:33 AM
Yes, if you don't want to use a fridge, you should use a humidity gauge as well. Corks can mold, rot and mildew.
Posted by: Misty B at June 2, 2009 12:04 PM
Robert Parker suggests that 70 degrees and below (without fluctuations as previously mentioned - intra day and seasonal) should be fine for several years. Avoid light, movement and also vibrations. Should be fine for 0-2 years, likely more. Several articles on the web for natural cellars.
Humidity is generally an issue for the corks - remedy is to lay bottles on the side to keep the corks moist.
Rule of thumb on temp controlled storage is $2 per bottle, but some retailers (Sherry Lehmann) will store up to 1 year. Best to buy a wine unit in my view.
Posted by: boerumite at June 2, 2009 12:05 PM
I have a wine fridge but I must admit that I have always wanted to turn a portion of the cellar into a "Cave de vin"
I aleady have the cobwebs.
Posted by: sam at June 2, 2009 12:13 PM
Love this thread. What do you think is the average temperature in a below-grade cellar with dirt floors in the summertime in New York City?
Posted by: mopar at June 2, 2009 1:38 PM
If you're really cellaring wine, you really need more capacity than the small fridges offer. If you plan on drinking 4 cases a year (pretty low), and want to cellar for 5 years (pretty minimal also), you need space for 20 cases. Potentially much more. 30 bottles doesn't cut it. (Having made the mistake myself). Sadly, the cheapest units are pretty tall, and I don't think would fit in the typical brownstone basement. My plan is to build an insulated room in the basement and install one of the fairly inexpensive cooling units to stabilize the temperature in it. My current boiler (near end of life, very inefficient), does a great job heating the whole basement in the wintertime, which is another hurdle to cope with.
Posted by: jb312 at June 2, 2009 5:48 PM
I remember quite nostalgically the basement of a liquor store in California that was cool and dry and had thousands of bottles on shelves. It smelled deliciously of wine and cork.
Posted by: mopar at June 2, 2009 6:19 PM
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