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Published on January 6, 2008

While gems like Henschke's Hill of Grace or Pomerol's Petrus may not be among your new treasures, all wines deserve to be treated well if you expect to enjoy them later. Proper wine storage is an absolute necessity for those of us residing in sweltering climes.

If you are fortunate enough to periodically add a few stars of the wine world to your collection, you likely already have adequate storage facilities. These can range from insulated rooms where temperatures are kept at a constant 12C by thermostatically controlled air-conditioners to storage space you rent from importers with ideal warehouse conditions. 

If you want something showy to impress friends, take a look at some of the arrangements in several upscale restaurants like the Royal Cliff's Grill Room or the Millenium Hilton's Prime steak house.

When making your storage plans it's okay to dream, but throw in a modicum of practicality. Examine your buying and consumption habits before converting your guest room to wine storage.

If you regularly have a bottle of wine with dinner, you're likely buying about 24 bottles a month. Most are probably decent, everyday table wines with maybe six or eight more expensive buys reserved for special occasions.

A 60-bottle wine-storage cooler would allow you to hold 30 or 40 special bottles while still giving you enough space for wines you are regularly drinking and replacing every couple of weeks.

Sixty-bottle storage units, which are about the size of most kitchen refrigerators, can run anywhere from Bt25,000 to Bt65,000 depending on finish, fittings and random bells and whistles.

Danish craftsmanship and design are apparent in the Vintec line featured at Verasu's main store on Wittayu Road. Vintec wine cabinets feature adjustable wood racks, dual temperature controls for red and white wines, special humidity monitors and triple-layered glass doors to prevent condensation.

The same shop's 80-bottle unit runs about Bt64,000, while the 120-bottle unit hits Bt 94,000. These are excellent in every way if money is no object.

More practical for most of us are those that may occasionally have condensation on the door or lack certain design amenities, but still leave you with enough money to buy wine. Italasia shops sell 60-bottle and 29-bottle units for Bt32,400 and Bt13,400 respectively that maintain even out the temperatures while providing reliable storage.

If you're totally limited by space constraints but still like to keep a few bottles on hand for that special pasta night, most red wines of current vintages will keep in a standard wood wine rack at ambient room temperature for at least three months with little or no change.

Keep them away from direct light and vibration - never on top of the refrigerator - and against an interior brick or concrete wall if possible.

JC Eversole is a consultant to various companies in the wine industry and is employed by Bangkok Beer & Beverages Co.