Wine Storage for the Apartment Dweller

Hi Chad,

I was wondering the same thing, asking a similar question here about a month ago. Despite buying a 47-bottle plug-in wine cooler (and I only had 2 bottles), I eventually gave in and am now renting a locker in a temperature/humidity controlled storage company nearby. I had thought about the wet cloth too, but my "babies" are just too precious to experiment with, and now I'm up to 53 bottles, so it was either that or buy more plug-ins. :(

...or build a wine cellar, which I promise myself to do within the next two years (but not an option for an apartment dweller though).

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Chad, The vibrations are unlikely to be a problem. The humidity problem is a bit moe thorny. You can put more moisture in the air by placing a dish of water in the cooler, preferably with a wick such as a washcloth or towel to accelerate the evaporation of the water. The problem is that your cooler's refrigeration unit is also functioning as a dehumidification unit (as it cools the air, moisture condenses out as water and is collected) so it's basically a footrace between your ability to evaporate water and the compressor's ability to draw it off. OTOH, you don't need some ideal humidity of 70% (or whatever) to store wine long term. If you can keep a constant 45% you'll probably not see cork shrinkage, though the fill levels of your bottles will decline.

HTH Mark Lipton

I have some of the same concerns in my walk-in cellar in PHX, AZ where the humidity is usually VERY low. I added a fountain for my purposes, after looking into several humidifying decives. Now, obviously, that is not a solution for you, but a pyrex pie-plate with a sponge might fit in the bottom of your unit. You would have to fill the plate, but then I have to fill my fountain. In the small, closed environment, the sponge should work. Barring that, you might stop by a good cigar shop and look at some of the larger humidistat products. These can be replenished with a fluid designed for them that should work and take up less space. You might need more than one, even of the larger units, but they can be attached to the walls, or door with either Velcro (tm), or double-sided foam tape. They too will require re-filling, but less often and the fluids are much more efficient, than plain water.

Just thinking, Hunt

. Any thoughts

I have the same problem, having moved from a Victorian pile with wine cellar, we have downsized to a 70's box.

Apart from buying a vinocave,( lots of dosh), I am using the old kitchen units, stripped out and fitted with racks. Outside I have put builders foam slabs, stuck with PVA. They are in the garage. Humidity this summer is not a problem in the UK.....raining again today. You can buy wireless max/min and humidity gauges in Maplins ( UK), and have the read out in the kitchen.

HTH