ChangeMe
Grape Picker
Posts:12
 | | 10/22/2006 8:09 PM |
| If i do not have a cellar or a rack in a room that keeps constant temps, would one of those wine storage refrigerators work well if it is set at a certain temp to store cabs? Or are those meant for wines than need to be chilled? Sorry for the dumb question, but Im thinking of getting one and dont want to be an idiot with this. | | | |
|
David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 10/22/2006 8:36 PM |
| Cabs and Chards (for that fact all still wines) want to be stored at the same temperature; 55°. These little refrigerators generally run a little colder but that is ok also. The main thing you are shooting for is to store the wine at a "constant" temperature. The little wine-refers work just fine.
Some "fancier" units have two compartments that you can adjust to be different temps. This is usually a lot more expensive and is of no benefit for storing the wine. | | | |
|
pizinah
Barrel Filler
Posts:1313
| | 10/24/2006 6:24 AM |
| First, I would trust anything davidn has to say about refrigerators.
For short to medium-term storage small home wine fridges work fine. We use primaily off-site storage but have a relatively small wine fridge (~60 bottles) at home. The temperature read-out on the unit fluctuates as widely as 52 and 59 degrees, but the wine stays (I assume) slightly more constant than that (maybe 54-57), which is totally fine for up to a year or even several years. My real long-term wines are stashed away off-site at a professional facility at a more constant temperature/humidity, but I never worry about anything stored at home (barring the unit failing while I'm on vacation, but that's a different issue...). | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Grape Picker
Posts:12
| | 10/24/2006 5:09 PM |
| | Jeeze...how do you guys just not want to break open a bottle and drink it when you get one? I mean, when I buy a wine, I take it home and cant STAND it unless I can actually taste it. You guys talking about having a "small" stash of around 60 at home and rest offsite makes me jealous. I was getting the fridge for more like 10-15 bottles. LOL. Do you guys just collect it or do you actually drink it? LOL. | | | |
|
Jack Brewer
Grape Stomper
Posts:169
| | 10/24/2006 9:21 PM |
| | Oh Boy, Here we go | | | |
|
Marco
Barrel Filler
Posts:1041
| | 10/25/2006 3:45 AM |
| I strongly suggest that you not buy a wine storage unit for a few weeks or even a few months. Simply store your bottles under a bed or in the bottom of a closet for a while. Dark and cool.
Hang around this site a bit and I am certain that you'll come to the conclusion that you need a storage unit considerably larger than 10-15 bottles. Trust me on this. 
I only buy wines that I intend to drink and I believe most posters here feel the same way. Many wines are good on release, but have the potential to improve considerably with a few years, hence the need for proper storage. | | | |
|
David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 10/25/2006 4:29 PM |
| If you're going to drink what you buy within a year you don't need a refrigerator unit. Just find a closet on the north side of your house and stick the stuff away in a wine-box on its side.
OTOH, if you become an obsessive compulsive wine nut like me you're in trouble. It is only recently that I have figured out that one is not supposed to drink one bottle and then replace it with two or three new bottles. The ol' drink-one-buy-two disease is prevelant on this board. It took me over 10 years to figure out this was not what you were supposed to do.
My golden plan for an individual wine is to buy six bottles, drink one almost immediately (after a resting period in the cellar to avoid travel shock) and then drink another bottle every year after that on the same date (or at least close). I even try to drink it with the same people I had it with before. Keep good notes and see how the stuff changes. If it is a "long term" wine maybe I'll only drink it once every two years.
I do find that I have to keep a diary and stay true to the course or I end up with the other five bottles sitting there forever.
Wonderful plan, ain't it. Now ask me if I stick to it  . | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Grape Picker
Posts:12
| | 10/25/2006 5:22 PM |
| | Guys, thanks for the replies...DavidN, your replies are always so helpful, especially to a newbie to this whole game like myself. | | | |
|
David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 10/25/2006 5:40 PM |
| | | | | |
|
TBird
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5169
| | 10/25/2006 5:53 PM |
| Quote:
Do you guys just collect it or do you actually drink it? LOL.
yes. | | | |
|
kevin baker
Grape Sorter
Posts:281
| | 10/29/2006 11:18 PM |
| i started hanging around this site and others just under a year and a half ago. i bought my first 60 bottle wine fridge last spring and outgrew it before the spring mailer season was over! spending time on these boards creates a very slippery slope when it comes to wine purchases, but at the same time a very fun and enlightening one indeed.
i'm now researching much larger wine storage, but i can see myself quickly outgrowing these not far down the road as well. | | | |
|