Storing Wine in Self-Storage

As a wine connoisseur, you understand there are two benefits to buying your favourite bottles:

To open and enjoy on special occasions.
As a long-term investment.

If you don’t have a proper or large enough wine cellar, it can be challenging to find enough space to correctly store your bottles.

And that could lead to disastrous consequences, such as:

Premature aging.
Freezing.
Loss of aroma (which occurs when bottles are frequently jostled or moved).
Dry corks (that allows excess oxygen to seep into the bottle).

Because of this, more and more people are choosing self-storage units to safely store their collection.

Here’s what you need to know about storing wine in a storage unit like those found at Ten Mini Storage.

Temperature and humidity are crucial

Ideally, wine should be stored at 55°F (12°C).

Now, with a climate controlled storage space, that’s not an issue. Just set the right temperature and you’re good to go.

Humidity is also important. You can’t have the levels too high or too low. Otherwise:

Mold can grow (if there’s too much humidity).
Corks can crack (if there’s too little humidity).

A smart, affordable, convenient, and effective solution many wine collectors choose is to rent a self-storage unit and place a wine refrigerator inside.

That way, you get the best of all worlds:

Enough room to properly store your bottles.
Pinpoint temperature control.
No worries that your unit will get too hot in summer or too cold in winter.
Peace of mind knowing your collection is safe and secure.

Keep your bottles away from light

As just mentioned earlier in this blog, it’s a good idea to place your bottles inside a wine refrigerator, and to then place the refrigerator inside the secure storage unit.

Should you decide to do this, make certain you keep the fridge away from light when you open your storage unit door.

Here’s why:

Ultraviolet (UV) rays will ruin the taste.
The wine will age quickly.
Light creates heat, which can dry out the cork and allow air to enter the bottle.

Look at it this way: There’s a reason why many wine bottles are dark in colour. It’s to protect the wine itself from light exposure.

With that in mind, place your wine as far away from the door of your self-storage unit as you possibly can.

Wine should be stored on its side

The storage unit size you need depends on the current size of your collection and if you plan on adding to it.

With that in mind, you’ll have to store your bottles on their side.

A few times, this blog has talked about “dry corks.” When a bottle is stored upright, the liquid inside settles to the bottom and doesn’t come into contact with the cork.

Storing wine bottles sideways:

Keeps the cork moist (so it can’t dry out).
Maintains an airtight seal.
Prevents deposits from collecting at the base of the bottle.

One more thing: Make sure you store your wine bottles with the labels facing up.

That way, you can see what’s inside the bottle without having to touch or move it.

Self-storage keeps your wine still (which is a good thing)

Each time wine is moved or disturbed, it ages a little bit.

When that happens, it loses some of its flavour and aroma.

If you live in a busy, active house with kids, each time they run upstairs or hang out in the basement, they’re creating vibrations and movement.

So if you store wine in your basement (or anywhere in the house), all that activity has a negative impact on your collection.

Conversely, wine that’s securely stored inside a storage unit won’t be moved, touched or disturbed.

Need a safe place for your wine? Contact us today

Due to the reasons listed above, more and more people are using self-storage to keep their wine collection in pristine condition.

(This is especially true for serious collectors who travel the world looking for new and exciting products).

If you’re into wine collecting – and require a safe, clean, and stable location – we can help.