You don’t need a $100,000 wine cellar to maintain your best bottles. Marvel Industries makes a weather-resistant outdoor series for poolside. Under-the-counter wine units are generally the size of a dishwasher and can hold up to 30 bottles of wine. Sub-Zero’s 400 Series wine storage maintains a nearly perfect humidity of 60 percent to prevent corks from drying out, and you can set temperatures to your liking, from 38 to 65 degrees. Sub-Zero’s largest wine storage unit holds 147 bottles with a tilted display shelf.
Most wine storage units are tri-temperature controlled, which means that reds can be maintained at a higher temperature than the whites. Remember, the point of storing wine properly is to protect your bottles from extremes in temperature, which cause the cork to expand and contract, ultimately loosening it and allowing air to enter the bottle. If you keep any significant larder at all, one of these wine units will be well worth it. Expect to pay between $900 and $4,500, depending on size, brand, and features.
