Hello,
I live in a co-op apartment in NYC and I do not have the space to convert a closet in a cellar like I have read people doing.
We do have a storage space in the basement that is made of metal, just like at any self storage places. It doesn't seem to get cool enough because it is not totally underground and the laundry room is near by. My questions are the following,
1) is there a way I monitor it see if the humidity and temperature is good enough keep wine in.
2) We are going to re do our kitchen and I want to put a small wine cooler/cellar in it. I can't afford a eurocave or something like that. Can any recommend one of the other brands like Kenmore, Haier or Avanti that they have had good luck with. I know they are not for long tern storage, but we are a top floor and the summer was very hot?
Thanks

I've got 2 haiers 50 bottles at 299$ each ...

in the winter time I will put a wet tower at the bottom of the fridge to make sure there's enough humidity ... not as steady as a passive or active cellar, but in a coop ... it does it's job ...

To monitor your basement storage, you can pick up a digital thermometer with a temp probe at any Radio Shack. clicky
Put the probe in a wine bottle filled with water. It will store the high and low temps in the wine bottle. You can get other models that will store humidity as well but these cost more.

Don't really need a probe. Just go to home depot and they have $10 digital thermometers that measure temp and humidity and will keep track of max min temp/humid as well.

The more natural question is how compatible is wine and co-op apartments? (Unless there is something fundamental I'm missing.)

Hi Dijon,

Welcome to the threads. First off, since you're in a co-op and all, I'd want my good wines kept in a secure location. Nothing worse than a crappy friend of a friend of a roommate making off with some expensive stuff, or tossing back a couple bottles of your Bordeaux when you're at work.

I don't want to invest in a big eurocave, so have opted for offsite storage. I pay a LWS (Local Wine Store) less than 15 bucks a month, and I keep about 12 full cases under lock and key in a locker in their "cavern." It really amounts to a back room with constant temp/humidity controlled lockers. At home, I have a little 28 bottle Avanti that didn't cost that much, and is fine for cheaper wines, or ready to drink expensive ones that I want around the house.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not sure if everyone knows what a co-op apartment is, but in NYC and some other cities, most of the buildings are not condos but a corporation were instead of owner real property, you own shares in the building and when you sell, though you are selling the apartment, you are actually selling the shares.

So there is no problems with other roommates or people raiding the collection, unless my wife is doing it when I am not there, which is possible. She loves those Rieslings.

Cool, thanks for the info about your co-op,

I'd been picturing my college hippie friends all crowded around the hookah, drinking keifir, and trying to decide if Timothy Leary was in fact god.

quote:

Originally posted by indybob:
Cool, thanks for the info about your co-op,

I'd been picturing my college hippie friends all crowded around the hookah, drinking keifir, and trying to decide if Timothy Leary was in fact god.

still happens in my coop .. but that's why these lil fridges of locks =)

If you are looking for an offsite, which in the city I would recommend, I have been having great experiences with Chelsea Wine Storage. PM me over on WinoDepot if you have any questions.