4 replies to this topic

[jackie]

I will be moving from a house with a basement to a house without one. So how do you age/store your wine? I have two barrels and kept them plus wine racks in my basement for ageing. Now I have no idea what to do. I have no place to build a cellar and I'm not a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to construction anyway. My husband passed away so I'm on my own here. I've looked at Wine Enthusiast "cellar" storage units with temp/humidity control--quite expensive but maybe I could get one if that's the best option. I'm making mostly wines from grapes/must/juice now rather than kits though I do a few of those too. I have an extra bedroom I can use for the ageing/storage area. I've thought maybe I should make less so there's less to store but that didn't seem like a good idea to me.

[Wade's Wines]

Jackie,
So sorry to hear about your losing your Husband.
I use a spare bedroom for my wine room, with a 110 volt window a/c unit that keeps it just above 60. I'm on my second a/c unit in 6 years, but they're relatively cheap and don't use a lot of electricity. Do some research online and find a quiet one that's efficient. you'll need to keep an eye on humidity or you may develop some mold issues.
Best of luck in your move! And try to make it to a TWINE meeting some time.
Wade

[Pinot Clone]

Hi Jackie,

You may have already considered this but I will throw it out. If you have a garage you can build a "wine shack". A 2 car garage allows you to build a fairly large one. It is simply a storage shed with insulation and an air conditioner. If you have a one car garage AND enough room. You can build a temperature controlled closet just large enough to hold your barrels. Alot depends on the room you have to work with and the budget. A local inexpense carpenter can build something for you if you can find plans and talk alternations with him or her.

[jackie]

Wade, do you turn off the central air in that room? I was thinking I could just close the vent to the room in winter and add an air cond for summer. Why would mold be an issue since air cond takes moisture out of the air (I thought it wouldn't be humid enough)? I do plan to attend a TWINE meeting, I'll be living in Jackson TN.

[Wade's Wines]

I blocked the vent in that room with a piece of plywood over a carpet scrap. I block it all year.
If the room's on an outside wall, you might consider adding some styrofoam or other insulation before the room gets too full... I wish I'd done it, but huge undertaking now to deal with it. It would pay for the cost of insulating in no time.
In my room, moisture is a definite problem. Maybe the a/c doesn't have to run enough for the room size, not sure. I use one of the containers of moisture absorbing crystals in there.
Cool on coming to a TWINE get together! I suspect our next one will be in Sep/Oct, but nothing discussed yet.