port under the stairs ? storage !!

[Symon B]

hi i keep my port under the satairs is that ok and what is max room temp
i could put it under the house were it is colder and damp can anyone help thankyou symonb

[Eric Menchen]

Under the house is probably better. Ideal temp is supposedly 55 F, and you want high humidity, 65-75% if I recall. I just know my humidity in winter is too low. I don't know the details about Limerick, but I'm guessing it is higher than Colorado east of the Rockies.

[Symon B]

hi eric
below the house goes from 40 in winter to 60 in summer we think
in house is 61 under stairs
dificult problem were do you ore others keep there port thankyou very much symonb

[Glenn E.]

I have a pair of wine refrigerators that I keep set to 55 degrees.

The exact temperature isn't as important as a consistent temperature, though. If the spot where you are currently storing your Port maintains a consistent 61 degrees year round then it's a fine place for Port. Your Port will age slightly faster while stored there than it would in a fridge at 55 degrees, but it won't actually hurt it to be stored at 61 degrees.

As Eric mentioned, humidity is also an issue. You want a relatively high humidity to help prevent the corks from drying out, so that might be a problem with the Port stored under your stairs.

[Symon B]

hi glen il get my gages out and check temp and humidity thankyou all symonb

[Andy Velebil]

With that large of temperature swing in the basement I would also recommend under the stairs where the temperature is far more consistant. Small seasonal changes are generally not a major issue so long as they are not extreme swings, which at 20 degree changes are. Also check the humidity, and if too low, you can add some home-made or store bought humidification devices to raise it up.

[Michael Hann]

One other thought is that you might somehow insulate your ports against rapid temperature changes in the stairwell. While these temperature changes may be less rapid than under the house, if the temperature is susceptible to daily change you could still possibly benefit by insulating your ports. You could place them inside of a box, for example a cooler or ice chest, that provides a temperature barrier. You could wrap bottles individually in some sort of insulator -- newsprint for example. Anything that would dampen the termal inputs from the ambient air in the stair well. Of course, there comes a point of too much hassle where you just say enough is enough. Just another thought.

[Roy Hersh]

Hi Sy,

I am not sure if it is easy to come by styrofoam wine shippers but if so, I'd keep my wine stored in them (on their side) and stacked neatly under the stairs.

Age plays a part in the decision too. Not sure how old you are, but for speeding up the aging of younger wines, you can handle storage at 61. If you are 20-40 years old, I'd suggest keeping your Ports at closer to 55 degrees if possible.

[Peter W. Meek]

Any protection from temperature variations (and from drying) is better than nothing, but history has shown that places like caves and deep cellars where the temperature varies by nothing or at most by a few degrees, slowly over the course of a year, gives the wine time to age in the bottle without damage.

By all means, the stair cubby is better than the basement, but if you are spending money on wine to age, spend a bit on a wine cellar, a wine fridge, or some other way of protecting your wines from temperature variation.

Wines I bought before I had a cellar, were kept in a conditioned basement, and I found more of them to have oxidized or soured from air pumping in and out of the bottle as the temperature changed. Many have developed a tang of vinegar that is not intolerable, but disappointing.

If a $1000 wine fridge saves 10 $100 bottles of port from spoiling, it's an even break.

[Symon B]

hi roy under the stairs wont get above 61 under the house i think wont get above 58 and is probably more stable i am guessing i am going to do a temp check
we are good humidity here
were do you keep your port roy by the way im 46
does having port under the stairs dry the corks and you are snookered it is worying and thankyou all for the advice il report back in the nexed 3 days re temps symonb

[Rob C.]

Symon,

I'm not sure what others with more experience think about the various wine storage units that are available, but I got a couple of small Transtherm units (combined capacity approx 160 btls) very cheaply after a few months of waiting on ebay. I don't have any suitable storage otherwise (not even a cupboard under the stairs!), so thought it was a reasonable investment that provides peace of mind that my wines and port are well stored. Port is hardier and less susceptible to heat variation than wine, so i am told, but if you are in the market for bottles such as the Fonseca 1912 and do not have a dedicated cellar it might be worth considering...

If you buy new they run from £1000 - £2000/3000 (for the 200+ bottle capacity), though cheaper versions that do not regulate humidity or minimise vibration are also available for far less.
http://www.eurocave.co.uk/classic-range.html
http://www.winess.co.uk/wine_cabinet_co ... stige.html

Otherwise i agree - something like the circular polystyrene packing case that single bottles are often sent in would insulate the wine from any rapid temperature change and might be worthwhile.

[Rob C.]

These are the polystyrene tubes i was referring to - not sure if it was the type of thing Roy had in mind:

http://www.winebox.co.uk/s.nl;jsessioni ... t=A&id=340

[Symon B]

hi very helpfull we have good humidity here so no prob there i think unde the stairs away from heaters and the polystyreen etc in the dark
i think dark room is good so we dont loose colour i dont have 1912vs coming out of my ears but it does need looking after symonb

[Symon B]

HI indeed the temp is more stable in my farthers cellar under the foundations of the house so the cellar they will go symonb

[Peter W. Meek]

More stable is better than less stable, but if you are storing valuable ports, I suggest going for STABLE with no qualification.

Take the cost of a few bottles of valuable port and make or buy a temperature and humidity regulated cellar or refrigerator. It will more than pay for itself if you should have a series of very hot days that cooks the entire collection and reduces its value to near nothing.

[Derek T.]

if you should have a series of very hot days that cooks the entire collection and reduces its value to near nothing.

Unless Symon plans to keep his port until the year 2434 he is unlikely to experience this type of disaster in Limerick

[Symon B]

hi all indeed we have good humidity and crappy weather iv only been here 4 months and its never got higher than 55 so i was comfertable with the port under the cool /cold stairs but for absolute safety and long livety the cellar is superb and i dont need to lay out 3k on a fridge but understand why people in usa esp miami and the hotter areas need a good wine fridge we dont over here in the uk thankyou symonb

[Derek T.]

iv only been here 4 months ...we dont over here in the uk

Symon,

I've now just realised you have just moved to Limerick. It's probably worth pointing out that Limerick is not in the UK!! (there is a whole world of trauma associated with this subject which is best avoided here )

[Roy Hersh]

Symon is a Port loving Brit living in Limerick.

[Eric Menchen]

Symon is a Port loving Brit living in Limerick.

I sense a rhyme coming.