Truthfully, there are many possibilities for wine storage that many people may be unaware of.
Cedrone tells of a more compact choice that is gaining popularity. "There are lots of companies now that offer different types of refrigeration and storing devices that look like mini-refrigerators with glass front doors in lots of different styles. They can look great sitting in a living room or a dining room and sometimes will have different temperature zones so that you can store your whites and your reds together. They are especially great for apartments."
If cost is a concern, you may also want to convert a conventional mini refrigerator into a wine storage unit.
John Whittaker, contributing editor for California Wine Tours and Accessories, offers tips on how to do so, by adjusting the internal temperature.
"By using an appliance timer and a thermometer, you can create your own cycle of power to the fridge which will only give it enough power to get to your desired temperature."
He recommends finding a common appliance timer with several cycles and pairing that with a digital thermometer to control the settings.
"The only work involved is the trial and error in finding the right settings for the timer to give you your desired temperature."
First, program your timer to work on a daily schedule, then set it to turn on and off accordingly to achieve your target temperature.
Whittaker explains "You want the time between 'on' and 'off' to be relatively short as you don't need much power to do the trick. Start with a short interval as you can always increase the interval between 'on' and 'off' within each cycle if you need to decrease the temperature. Your digital thermometer will let you know what your average temperature is."
He also suggests setting your refrigerator thermometer at the lowest possible temperature to avoid freezing your wine if the timer should malfunction. However, if a compact solution won't meet your needs, you may want to consider professional wine storage. Dave Cedrone notes, "Storage companies that provide storage for moving will also sometimes offer proper wine storage. You would want to look into what they offer and what kind of guarantees [they offer] and make sure that they are storing the wines properly, if you're going to be paying for it. Make sure that they are storing the wines at the right temperature."
As you're researching places that offer this service, keep a reference list of your needs handy to discuss with the companies, and also record what they have available. This way you'll be able to make the most informed decision.
Cedrone stresses that the average consumer can maintain a respectable collection of wines without fancy storage methods. "On a basic level, a wine cellar is definitely not necessary; you could certainly get by as long as you take care to keep the wines in a cool place."
