Wine storage dilemma

I am on the fast track towards selling my house and moving into an RV for a year or more, while a new house is being constructed. I also have about 130 bottles of wine, plus another 11 gallons in carboys waiting to be bottled. I *think* I can find a way to put my 48-btl wine fridge in the RV (going for a 30'-ish 5th-wheel trailer), but I am at a loss for where to put the rest (what I don't drink up in the next several months). We have a climate-controlled mini-warehouse unit rented for the duration. Could that be a stable enough situation for wine? Keep in mind that my most expensive bottle is $50 California Cabernet Sauvignon, but I've several bottles that Cellartracker users estimate will age for 5-15 years. The storage facility operators spray pesticides in each unit when it is newly rented, but not while it is occupied, so mine won't get hit, but a neighboring unit might.

My only other option is to attempt to find friends in the area with available room with proper temps, and the willingness to board it for me without helping themselves too often. The new house - when built - will have a proper wine cellar in the basement. That's at least 18-24 months off, assuming neither of us joins the ranks of the unemployed in the meantime (in which case, we'll be in the RV for quite a while).

I will gladly take the carboys off your hands.

Robert
My initial thought is to box the wines up well and go for the temperature controlled storage - perhaps including those airport style all-round wraps if you're really worried about the spraying. Worth clarifying exactly how much temperature control there is (e.g. yearly min/max - if need be pop down on a cold/warm day with a thermometer and see for yourself). In this situation I wouldn't lose sleep if temps hit 20-25C at peak - as the potential risk seems acceptable for an easy practical solution. If you're worried about significant daily temperature variation, then look to add rolled up newspaper, polystyrene chips etc. to the boxes to improve insulation & reduce speed of temperature variation - as well as protecting againts knocks.

Dropping a case off with a friend may be a nice way of getting you invited over for a meal - with you supplying the wine from that case

Try to label the boxes clearly (especially your name, but I'd add contents even if in shorthand) and keep an offsite inventory:
a) for ease of dragging another couple of boxes out before you move in proper
b) Just in case! (fire/bankruptcy of storage/theft/etc)

I hope it all works out well!

regards

ian

Robert, one of the Oklahoma wineries might be willing to rent you a storage area; a friend of mine here in New Jersey did that and it worked very well.

Robert:

If you have a "trustworthy" friend with a large basement, I'd feel perfectly comfortable storing my wine there. I recently purchased a wine shop, and am in the process of changing locations. In the interim, while completing my state licensure procedure, I am storing my entire inventory in my garage. ( Basically, in the basement) I have monitored the temperature on a daily basis during this period. Outside temps have ranged from 9-78F. The garage has stayed consistently between 50-55F. Just make sure your wine is properly boxed and kept away from the furnace,water heater, dryer,etc. Along an outside wall is ideal, provided it is a dry basement. Best of luck and congrats on your new home !

CHEERS!
Art

Sounds like a good idea, Art, except the only person I know in this time zone with a basement is Gail's ex-husband.
I've got a few months to work it out.

[Jenise]

Robert, is your climate controlled warehouse unit an interior space, what temp do they keep the units at, and is the area it's in subject to power outages? If the answer to all those questions is satisfactory, the storage unit should work out well I'd think.

But, ELEVEN GALLONS IN CARBOYS? Do you make your own?

But, ELEVEN GALLONS IN CARBOYS? Do you make your own?

I actually have begun to make some homemade wine. I pulled it off successfully with some ale, and had the necessary equipment, so...
I've made 4 batches so far: And old vine Zinfandel from a kit (turned out well), a Cab Franc/Merlot blend from a kit (tastes while racking were promising), Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon batches from local juice purchased from a winery here.

Robert
This qualifies you as a "garagiste" winemaker - or at least will do when you charge $200+ a bottle!
regards
Ian

Reserve that thought until you've actually tasted one that I've made!