Since I occasionally see posts about about wine storage solutions, I thought some wooters might be interested in this.
Since finding Woot, my basement slowly got filled with boxes of wine that I don't drink fast enough. I finally did something about it and built a rack. This area of the basement was unfinished, and I'd been checking the temperature at various times throughout the year for about a year and a half. It stays between 58-62 year round without any meddling. I put paneling over the cinder-block walls and put subflooring panels and laminate flooring in. I haven't framed it in yet, so it is open like a panorama box right now. If anything, I expect that the paneling etc. will slow any temperature fluctuations but not change the overall temperature range. Being Michigan in winter, I'm only worried about too little humidity right now, so I might have to address that. I plan to build on and expand as the need arises; there's lots of extra room.

Very nice job!!!




You might want to also post this in the Coolers thread, so it won't get lost.

Nice rack! 8-)
How do you organize them in there?

MarkDaSpark wrote:Very nice job!!!

+1. I like that you made the slots large enough that they can accommodate burgundy's as well as Bordeaux bottles.

Nicely done. Did you buy these racks, use a kit, make them yourself, follow a diagram?

Inquiring minds want to know.

That's pretty sweet. Is that thing anchored to the wall or is it free standing? Couldn't quite tell from the pics.

chukon99 wrote:That's pretty sweet. Is that thing anchored to the wall or is it free standing? Couldn't quite tell from the pics.

It looks anchored from the pics. Note the three back braces on the wall, and the rack attached to them from the side. It also may be attached to the ground.


I also liked the small rack for dessert wines to the far right.

chukon99 wrote:That's pretty sweet. Is that thing anchored to the wall or is it free standing? Couldn't quite tell from the pics.

Looks from the pics like it's attached to the wall. Also, since there aren't any shear panels or diagonals, if it weren't attached to wall it would have collapsed sideways.

Nice! Would also like to hear people's ideas on storage order.

nealkb wrote:Nice rack! 8-)
How do you organize them in there?

There's no real system right now. I just went into cellartracker and entered which column each bottle is in. That gets me close enough to find a bottle easy.

jmdavidson wrote:Nicely done. Did you buy these racks, use a kit, make them yourself, follow a diagram?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I looked at pictures online at one of the kit websites that I saw in a banner ad. That gave me a general idea, then I went and bought wood and screws at Menards. There were a lot of pieces to cut, which took about 2 hours. Screwing it all together was probably another 3-4 hours.

MarkDaSpark wrote:It looks anchored from the pics. Note the three back braces on the wall, and the rack attached to them from the side. It also may be attached to the ground.


I also liked the small rack for dessert wines to the far right.

Yup - each vertical is screwed to the braces on the wall, then the front molding was attached.

Awesome job, sulakdd! Here's what I have in a previously unused room in the basement;



Ten Oenophilia Alexander 60 bottle racks with Oenophilia wine tags.

Five racks across with a sixth stacked on top hold 360 bottles on one wall, while four racks (2x2) hold 240 bottles on the other wall for 600 total.

I just wedged the bottom of the upper racks in between the top posts of the bottom racks and attached zip ties to hold them in place. That created a thin row between top/bottom racks that I used for 375ml bottles.

Nothing but the flimsy manufacturer provided wall anchors holding them to the wall but they are so perfectly balanced because of the even weight distribution that I have no worries about them crashing to the floor.

As for organization, there isn't much. I group bottles together from the same producer, that's about it. I tend to put bottles that I plan to cellar for awhile near the bottom since it's a PITA to get to/view those rows. I can find 90% of what I'm looking for within 5 minutes or less (of course the tags help).

Here is a close-up of some racked bottles....

chipgreen wrote:Awesome job, sulakdd! Here's what I have in a previously unused room in the basement

As if your's isn't?!

I remember basements from my Indiana youth. Sure could use one here in CA. Wondering how a larger earthquake might disturb something like that here however.

rjquillin wrote:As if your's isn't?!

I remember basements from my Indiana youth. Sure could use one here in CA. Wondering how a larger earthquake might disturb something like that here however.

Thanks, it's not fancy and I didn't break a sweat putting it together but it does the job.

I almost mentioned not having to worry about earthquakes here in Ohio but with all the recent fragging activity that could change. Already in the Youngstown area they have had like a dozen small earthquakes within a 2-mile radius over the last several years. Yippee.

chipgreen wrote:Awesome job, sulakdd! Here's what I have in a previously unused room in the basement;

Five racks across with a sixth stacked on top hold 360 bottles on one wall, while four racks (2x2) hold 240 bottles on the other wall for 600 total.

I just wedged the bottom of the upper racks in between the top posts of the bottom racks and attached zip ties to hold them in place. That created a thin row between top/bottom racks that I used for 375ml bottles.

Nothing but the flimsy manufacturer provided wall anchors holding them to the wall but they are so perfectly balanced because of the even weight distribution that I have no worries about them crashing to the floor.

As for organization, there isn't much. I group bottles together from the same producer, that's about it. I tend to put bottles that I plan to cellar for awhile near the bottom since it's a PITA to get to/view those rows. I can find 90% of what I'm looking for within 5 minutes or less (of course the tags help).

Here is a close-up of some racked bottles....

Thanks! And wow! Your setup looks awesome. Looks like it's time to expand too. You could always block off the windows to complete the second row . . .

Not the best picture, but here is my cooler:



I have since stacked up around this with smaller desert wine bottles and filled up the bottom shelf (which can't really be seen here. I 'think' this is supposed to hold about 160 bottles, I've got 180 or so in there with another 3 cases stashed in a closet.

sulakdd wrote:Thanks! And wow! Your setup looks awesome. Looks like it's time to expand too. You could always block off the windows to complete the second row . . .

That is a great idea! I was thinking of building a box-like structure to raise those racks up to make searching the bottom rows easier but your idea is much better.

North316 wrote:I have since stacked up around this with smaller desert wine bottles and filled up the bottom shelf (which can't really be seen here. I 'think' this is supposed to hold about 160 bottles, I've got 180 or so in there with another 3 cases stashed in a closet.

Ahh, sweet pyramids of juice! That looks like a really nice cooler.

chipgreen wrote:Ahh, sweet pyramids of juice! That looks like a really nice cooler.

PITA to get to stuff some times, but it does the job nicely.

6 months of diligent daily searching and I scored it on craigslist for $200. Now if I can just get my stash to a point where it all fits in the cooler, I will be in good shape. I've so far managed to slow the down the purchasing, just need to speed up the drinking.

sulakdd wrote:Thanks! And wow! Your setup looks awesome. Looks like it's time to expand too. You could always block off the windows to complete the second row . . .

Just chop a few racks in half and put them on top of the bottom row, and you won't even have to block the windows!

Of course, if you keep buying wine at this rate, you might as well just buy another house to store it in.

Wow, that was a steal at $200!

I told myself that I was going to drink my way down from 690 bottles to below 600 and instead I'm about to surpass 800. They're breeding like rabbits!

chipgreen wrote:Wow, that was a steal at $200!

I told myself that I was going to drink my way down from 690 bottles to below 600 and instead I'm about to surpass 800. They're breeding like rabbits!

Well, at least you are well-organized hoarder.

North316 wrote:Well, at least you are well-organized hoarder.

When I die, I want to be suspended in a vat of my unconsumed wine with Tercero screwcaps covering my eyes and clutching a 3L Jana Cathedral to my chest.

chipgreen wrote:That is a great idea! I was thinking of building a box-like structure to raise those racks up to make searching the bottom rows easier but your idea is much better.

Plus, blocking off the windows entirely will help keep even the little amounts of indirect sunlight from hitting those bottles.

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Plus, blocking off the windows entirely will help keep even the little amounts of indirect sunlight from hitting those bottles.

Anyone know how much it might cost to have a 200 bottle cooler recharged? Is it just putting more freon/coolant in there? Is 800 a reasonable price?

nealkb wrote:Anyone know how much it might cost to have a 200 bottle cooler recharged? Is it just putting more freon/coolant in there? Is 800 a reasonable price?

800 for a recharge seems steep, even for a sealed system. Did they provide a breakdown of costs for hours and parts?

For a sealed system, the process involves desoldering the service port, connecting a manifold to the service port and pulling a vacuum (capturing the old refrigerant for disposal at the same time), recharging the system with new refrigerant and soldering the service port closed.

ajrod27 wrote:800 for a recharge seems steep, even for a sealed system. Did they provide a breakdown of costs for hours and parts?

For a sealed system, the process involves desoldering the service port, connecting a manifold to the service port and pulling a vacuum (capturing the old refrigerant for disposal at the same time), recharging the system with new refrigerant and soldering the service port closed.

Or you could just use piercing service valves on the high and low sides. If just charging, no need to pump down, but if it all leaked out, well, find the leak, repair, replace dryer, pump down, recharge, test.

$800 sounds like a compressor or evaporator replacement was also quoted.

rjquillin wrote:Or you could just use piercing service valves on the high and low sides. If just charging, no need to pump down, but if it all leaked out, well, find the leak, repair, replace dryer, pump down, recharge, test.

$800 sounds like a compressor or evaporator replacement was also quoted.

I probably should have clarified. It's a 200+ unit someone is selling for 800$. He says there's something wrong with the compressor/evaporator because it only blows out room temp air. Is this worth it? Or should I look elsewhere?

nealkb wrote:I probably should have clarified. It's a 200+ unit someone is selling for 800$. He says there's something wrong with the compressor/evaporator because it only blows out room temp air. Is this worth it? Or should I look elsewhere?

Personally I would look elsewhere. That's a gamble since if the compressor is actually bad, it's going to cost you at least $400 for a used replacement and at that point you are just better off buying a new unit.

nealkb wrote:I probably should have clarified. It's a 200+ unit someone is selling for 800$. He says there's something wrong with the compressor/evaporator because it only blows out room temp air. Is this worth it? Or should I look elsewhere?

Did you see this cabinet?

also check out the coolers thread to get some ideas for other places to buy both whole units and just the chillers.