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Wine Storage Facilities for Fine Wine Collections

Karena Korbin, 2021 Summer Internship Program
Content Writing & SEO • July 5, 2021

The 1947 French Cheval-Blanc is widely recognized as the most expensive bottle of wine in history that was sold to a private collector at a Christie’s auction in Geneva for $304,375 dollars. The 67 year old bottle of wine is just one of the many that followed and paved the way for wine to become a serious investment.

Once bottled, a wine’s composition begins to change from exposure to oxygen. Proper wine storage ensures its longevity and can improve quality over time. Temperature, humidity, lighting and the angle at which the bottle is placed are all elements that need to be taken into consideration when storing wine bottles. 

Wine storage facilities across the world to consider:

In San Francisco, Acro’s Wine Storage is one of the only temperature and humidity controlled facilities in the Bay Area. Maintaining vaults at 55° F and 70% humidity, units range in size from 12 to 250 cases. Price ranges between $69-160 per month and the storage facility features over 100 security cameras providing 24-hour surveillance. 

Serving Toronto and Upstate New York, Iron Gate is located 20 feet underground and accessible only by staff. Iron Gate also employs knowledgeable staff who specialize in transporting wine locally or overseas. 

The Big Yellow Self Storage Company in London has over 560 private wine storage cellars. Bottles are kept at 12-13° C (54-55°F) with 55-65% humidity. Private cellars range from holding 15 to 500 cases of wine, which also feature adaptive lighting to protect the quality of the wine.

The Cave Wine Storage in Hong Kong takes inspiration from traditional French storage techniques while implementing state-of-the-art modern amenities. Located underground, the facility uses a soft lighting system to ensure harsh ultraviolet lights do not permeate the glass bottles and affect the wine’s quality. Room size ranges from 25 to 100 square feet, and a maximum 550 standard wine cases can be accommodated. 

In consideration of earthquake risk, a 60mm shock-resistance material is in the floor slab to prevent vibrations from interfering with the position of the bottles. The 24-hour security system allows customers to also access live footage via the internet at any time. 

With locations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Sunshine Coast and Perth, Wine Ark Storage is an Australian wine storage facility. Using concrete “bunkers” allows prices to stay low and requires less energy to cool while also protecting the wine’s flavor. Unlike wood, concrete does not transfer any aromas and is a popular and underexplored option for wine storage.

Lastly, Wine Cellar — in Cape Town, South Africa — is an underground storage facility dedicated to following environmentally friendly practices. Cellars are cooled by solar power to maintain a temperature of 57°F and equipped with surveillance cameras. It’s also an affordable option as single bottles can be stored for just 172 rands, or $12 annually. 

Proper storage is an important and critical element that fine wine collectors must consider to maximize the wine bottle’s lifespan, value and taste. Wine industry expertise and climate-controlled wine storage facilities are the best wine storage solutions for this purpose.

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