For The Love Of Port

How many of you use off site wine storage for your Ports vs. your own cellar?

If offsite, approximately how much does it cost to store a bottle or a case per year? Is there a volume discount for large collections at your storage facility?

I store the vast majority of my cellar at an off site storage facility. The only bottles that I keep around the house are the ones that are going to be consumed within the near future. As a result I do need to plan my Port drinking strategy a little bit in advance and of course there is also the once a year reorganization of the off site storage space. As far as cost goes, I believe that it is currently running me about 9 bucks per case per year.

I have a small, modest collection I store offsite--my local wine store owner has a cellar and he hold my two cases of nice VPs--costs me $24/year. This fellow was a scientist so his cellar never varies by more than 1 degree and the humidity never varies either so it seems well worth it. I keep the rest of my port in my stone cellar which holds a good temp for short term storage. It does take preplanning but this arrangement also acts as a form of cellar defender.

Marc J. wrote:.... and of course there is also the once a year reorganization of the off site storage space. ...

Chuckled to myself about that part. Having an offsite storage for most of my stuff as well, the annual reorg is always fun. As even though I keep darn good account of what I have with Cellartracker.com I always seems to find a surprise bottle or two that I didn't know I had.

No off-site for me. There aren't a lot of places in Edmonton (that i know of) that offer that, and I would bet I'd be appalled if I knew what it cost.

That being said, a new place "Wine Ark" - what a great name! just opened up recently near to where my company is planning on constructing our new office. I will be dropping in there in the next couple of weeks to talk to them. If things are decently priced, I may just throw my long-term bottles in there. I have always had a fear of my house going up in flames and losing >100 bottles - it would be devesatating.

You gotta love Todd. In the rhetorical sense, he wonders allowed about his house up in flames and his first thought is his Port collection. Just kidding of course, but it was funny to read.

Wine Ark ... is this just for wine storage or are they a new wine shop in town?

Todd Pettinger wrote:That being said, a new place "Wine Ark" - .

Do they only allow you to store two bottles of each like Port?

yeah Andy, only by two's...

Roy, the kids come out first, followed by as much of the best bottles that I could carry before the firefighters inevitably shut down my efforts. Years ago, I would have said the racing bikes come out first, but now I've discovered that a new bike is always needed, whereas restarting the Port collection is much tougher.

Wine Ark is supposed to be a new storage place. Although the last time I drove by there, the sign was down, so perhaps it was a very short lived business... I have to look into it one of these days. If i can find a place to hide full cases, well, I may just be making a trip to Seattle-area a regular, monthly thing!

It's a little more expensive for me - roughly AU $20 per case per year. I could hire an airconditioned locker which would be a little more cost effective, but then I wouldn't have an online inventory of what I have stored at the facility and I wouldn't be able to get wine shipped directly to the storage facility (which helps me resist the tempation to drink any too young). About 1/3 of what I have stored is port.

Todd Pettinger wrote: yeah Andy, only by two's...

Roy, the kids come out first, followed by as much of the best bottles that I could carry before the firefighters inevitably shut down my efforts.

Each kid has their assigned OWC to carry out!

I keep the majority of my collection off-site at my parents' cellar. My cellar in Boston is equal temperature wise, but out of sight works better for me. My next home I would like to have a dedicated wine cellar with racks rather than pallets like I have now. Inventory? Who keeps that?

Moses Botbol wrote:I keep the majority of my collection off-site at my parents' cellar.

this is also the off site storage facility I use for most of my bottles

Moses Botbol wrote:

Todd Pettinger wrote: yeah Andy, only by two's...

Roy, the kids come out first, followed by as much of the best bottles that I could carry before the firefighters inevitably shut down my efforts.

Each kid has their assigned OWC to carry out!

I keep the majority of my collection off-site at my parents' cellar. My cellar in Boston is equal temperature wise, but out of sight works better for me. My next home I would like to have a dedicated wine cellar with racks rather than pallets like I have now. Inventory? Who keeps that?

Lol, yeah during fire drill practices at the Pettingers, old bottles are used filled with water and pictures of the labels of the assigned bottles for the kids. Doesn't everybody practice fire drills in the same way?!?

I too struggle with the concept of "inventory" Moses... I know my big hitters, but the rest, well, general ideas. Which is good because every once in a while when you shuffle things around you find a surprise you forgot you had.

I spent this weekend with Elys doing an inventory of wine cellar on the Cape. My back is feeling it! I thought I was more port heavy in my collection than I am. I know there are some bottles I couldn't find, but are in there somewhere. Did not use a wine tracking program, just Excel.

I am around 45% port of my total collection. I thought I would be around 50-55% port of my total collection.

Moses Botbol wrote:
I am around 45% port of my total collection.

Slacker!

Andy Velebil wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:
I am around 45% port of my total collection.

Slacker!

52% of my total collection is from Portugal at least.

That includes the Belgian ales I cellar to age. Need something to drink while watching the Spring Classics.

Moses Botbol wrote:52% of my total collection is from Portugal at least.

I have detailed tracking of my Port, but not of the other wines. I would guess 75% is Port.

Moses Botbol wrote:That includes the Belgian ales I cellar to age. Need something to drink while watching the Spring Classics.

Oh, now that throws things out the window if we include beer. I have cases of that as well, the Belgian quad aged in a merlot barrel, the Friek I made with Odell Brewing Company, ... oh, and there is a case of hard cider too.

Eric Menchen wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:52% of my total collection is from Portugal at least.

I have detailed tracking of my Port, but not of the other wines. I would guess 75% is Port.

Moses Botbol wrote:That includes the Belgian ales I cellar to age. Need something to drink while watching the Spring Classics.

Oh, now that throws things out the window if we include beer. I have cases of that as well, the Belgian quad aged in a merlot barrel, the Friek I made with Odell Brewing Company, ... oh, and there is a case of hard cider too.

France places 2nd at 35% of total collection. I would like to say it is DRC and Mouton , but not so much...

Hmm, just guesstimating here, but my cellar would likely be about 90-95% port. A few ice wines that we're waiting on an "occasion" to consume, a few other wines, mainly Portuguese Reds, but a few French Bordeauxs (cheaper ones), and some Canadian blushes which my wife likes, not for aging, but simply for someplace to put it until the bottles are empty.

My Whisperkool 4200 is a decade old and just stopped working a few weeks ago. My cellar is underground and two sides are backed up to earth, while two are adjoining other rooms in my downstairs. The original contractor is APEX but the local company (which was the national HQ) sold the biz a couple of years ago.

Do you think I am best served by calling them anyway ... a new company, a decade later ... or trying to find a refrigerations specialist that might be able to figure out what went wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Calls are free, give it a shot.