Wine storage that works - includes related article on storage options

Sunset, Nov, 1996 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

CARDBOARD WINE CARTONS. Easy and free. A section of Sunset's wine cellar has unopened boxes of wine stacked on their sides. These wines are the ones we plan to serve within a few months, so it doesn't make sense to unpack, inventory, and stack them. Each box has all the information we need written on its side.

Others in the wine business feel the same way. Wiegand stacks his wines in their cardboard boxes. Hunt Patterson, regional sales manager for Pine Ridge Winery in Napa, cuts the tops off the boxes, lays the bottles on their sides, and sets the cartons on inexpensive but sturdy shelves. For stability, Patterson doesn't stack boxes on top of each other.

ABS PLASTIC PIPE. Norman Kiken, proprietor of Reverie Winery and Vineyards in Calistoga, California, uses low-cost ABS plastic drainpipe (from the plumbing section of the hardware store) cut into sections the length of a wine bottle. He uses 3-and 4-inch-diameter pipes to accommodate various bottle dimensions. He stacks the bottle-filled pipes in a box-shaped wood frame to keep them in place. ABS plastic pipe costs $1 to $1.80 per foot.

MODULAR WINE RACKS. Experts and amateurs alike agree that fabricated wine racks and bins that stack and fit together in a variety of configurations are one of the easiest ways to organize wine. The racks, available in a variety of designs, are made of metal, wood, and even plastic. Racks provide individual support for the bottles, while bins hold bottles in clusters. You can also buy modular units designed to hold cases of wine.

Most wine experts prefer units with connectors to keep the racks aligned and linked for stability. Expect to pay $1 to $2.50 per slot.

A NEW ANGLE. Tilting bottles slightly upward directs sediment in aging wine toward the bottom of the bottle, so the wine can be decanted without a long rest after the bottle is set upright (provided it is handled gently as it leaves the cellar).

QUAKE TIPS.

* Secure racks and bins to the walls or floor to keep them from moving.

* Angle the front of the rack slightly higher as the MacIvers do (see photo on page 108).

* If wine is in cardboard cases, don't cut off the tops of the boxes, and keep tops folded shut.

* Drape the front of racks with fine-gauge fishnet, heavy cloth, or even an old shower curtain, and secure the drape against the rack with a tie to help keep bottles in place if the earth shakes.