How you store your wine collection is one of the most important decisions you can make as a collector. Not all wine storage solutions are the same. If you don’t have your wine stored properly, you may find out years later that your treasured collection is worth pennies on the dollar.
Here are seven guidelines for storing your collection.
- Climate Control: Is your wine kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment? Make sure that the power system has a sufficient backup plan.
- Reachable: Can you access your wine or have it shipped to you in a timely manner? If using a storage facility, are they responsive to your requests?
- Utilization: Are you able to make full use of the space in your storage solution? Many facilities will advertise a cheap rate, but if you don’t use the full space, you may end up spending as much as 50 cents/bottle per month to store your wine. Try to find a facility that only charges you for exactly as much wine as your store.
- Security: Are you storing your wine in a secure facility? Do they have cameras and keypad access? Do they have an appropriate fire sprinkler system? Is your wine safe in case of a natural disaster? If you are storing your wine in California, make sure your cellar or storage facility is seismically sound.
- Hygiene: Is the facility clean? Unsanitary conditions may lead to moldy/damaged labels that will harm the value of your collection.
- Insurance: Do you have your wine insured? Surprisingly, only 4% of collectors have their wine insured. Most facilities do not provide coverage for your wine, so make sure that you are covered through your private insurance policy.
- Trackable: Can you easily track your collection? Do you know when you should drink your wine or which exact bottles you have stored? A facility that will inventory your wine for you will provide the most convenience and help you get the best value out of your wine collection.
