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Refrigerator limit

W whoopdidoMember
I'm curious what some of you would consider the limit would be for a refrigerator vs a cellar like a Eurocave.

What I mean by that is how long would you be willing to keep a "good" bottle of wine in a refrigerator without humidity control and/or how good of a bottle of wine would you be willing to keep in a refrigerator? I mean, would you be ok with keeping say a 2005 Margaux in a refrigerator without humidity control? And, for the record, I don't currently have a 2005 Margaux, but who knows what the future will bring.

I should have known this, but I seem to be quickly outgrowing my fridges. Right now I have roughly 60 bottles of wine in 2 separate fridges that I keep at a constant 55 degrees. I seem to be buying more than I'm drinking and I've also noticed that my tastes are skewing more and more expensive. Yeah, I may have a problem. Smile

Most of my current wines can be consumed now, but I do have some Bordeaux that can benefit from some more aging. I guess what I'm asking is, based on how my wine experience is going so far, should I just bite the bullet and invest in a humidity controlled unit, or can I still get away with aging wines in my fridge for another 4-5 years and would you do that with a say $300 bottle of wine?
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purplehazepurplehazeMember
If I read you post correctly, you have approximately $25,000 worth of wine. If this is the case, it doesn't make sense to scrimp on quality storage.

Get more storage.

As far as your "drink" now bottles, I'd recommend staging a queue of bottles you plan on consuming in the next 6 months and remove those from your wine cellars if you have a reasonably cool place to park them. Get all your wines that need more time into proper storage immediately.

I do not, and would not store wine in a "normal" kitchen refrigerator for long. 40 F and below is just too cold for long term storage unless you purposely want to slow down the "normal" aging process.

PH
W whoopdidoMember
Sorry. I wasn't clear. I meant I have two fridges. One is smaller that cost me roughly $300 and the other one is larger and was more like $550. And they're both "wine fridges" that I keep at a constant 55 degrees.

Most of my 60 bottles are in the $50-100 range, with perhaps 10 or so that are north of $150 and could benefit from some aging.

Sorry again. Yeah, I read my post again and it wasn't clear at all. I should edit that probably.
purplehazepurplehazeMember
Ah....

So, the advice on "drink now" bottles is still in play. If you're going to drink them in the short term, get them out of your wine coolers and put them somewhere reasonably cool and dark. Make sure all your agers are in proper storage.

It sounds as though you have been bitten by the bug, and like many of us, storage will be an issue. I'd recommend that you get a new wine storage unit. Buy larger than you think you'll need. Trust me on this. There are plenty of threads here with recommendations and advice.

PH
purplehazepurplehazeMember
Don't get too hung up on humidity control. Neither of my 2 Eurocaves nor my VK 500 have it. I've never experienced a problem related to humidity. Get a quality wine storage unit. Avoid the rolling shelves. They just eat up space. Avoid dual temperature units. Waste of money.

Then think of the largest unit that you think you'll ever need, and get the next size bigger!

PH
M machineMember
quote:
Originally posted by Whoopdido:
Ha ha. Thanks. Yeah, the bug definitely bit me. Right from the get go I read advice to always go larger, but I didn't listen. Why would I ever need more than 30 bottles of wine? Little did I know.

And by "proper storage" I assume you mean humidity controlled such as a Eurocave or something similar?


Kill the bug. Step on it and squash it before its too late.
sd-wineauxsd-wineauxMember
quote:
Originally posted by Machine:
quote:
Originally posted by Whoopdido:
Ha ha. Thanks. Yeah, the bug definitely bit me. Right from the get go I read advice to always go larger, but I didn't listen. Why would I ever need more than 30 bottles of wine? Little did I know.

And by "proper storage" I assume you mean humidity controlled such as a Eurocave or something similar?


Kill the bug. Step on it and squash it before its too late.

I fear your advice has come too late. Sometimes I think back wistfully on the days when I'd go to Trader Joes and pick up some cheap bottle of wine and be happy with it and feel oh so sophisticated! Smile

But the imagined 30 bottle limit is what really had me chuckling. If you're getting into wines that need some age, you'll need a lot more space than that. How much more depends on whether "some age" means 5 years, or 10 , or 20...

As for the humidity question, you've already gotten the right advice. At worse, if you're in a dry climate then you might want to put an open bowl of water in your cabinet.

And for the near-term bottles, don't bother with your refrigerator. An interior closet should do nicely. I'd be willing to let bottles stay there for 2-3 years so long as your home remains temperature controlled throughout the day (set-back thermostats can save money during a work day but could make life rough on your wine).

Anyway, enjoy your journey and welcome to the forums!

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