I Buy a Lot of Wine — And This Is the Handy Organizer I Use to Store It All
I’m admittedly a bit of a wine nerd. Although I don’t collect rare bottles meant for aging, I do buy a lot of wines with the intention of drinking them in the near future. I love being able to “shop” for a bottle to pair with dinner in my own home, so I make a point to always have a variety of options available for the picking.
But, until recently, I did not have a good system for storing all of the bottles I was buying. In fact, my collection was a bit of a disaster, with some bottles being stored upright in the sunlight (which isn’t good for wine, even if you plan on drinking it young), and some bottles languishing, forgotten, in boxes. And, truth be told, there were more than a few bottles just hanging out on my counter, waiting to be opened.
I needed a no-frills system for storing and organizing my wine, so I went to my tried-and-true organizational solution: The Container Store. I was in the market for something sturdy and efficient, with the option for growing with my collection. I didn’t need something with a highly-designed aesthetic because I eventually plan to store my wine out of sight. (Remember, I’ve been trying to get it off my countertops!)
Luckily, The Container Store had just what I was looking for — and it even came with a couple of features I didn’t know I needed. These stackable iron wine racks are the perfect solution for both casual collectors and serious oenophiles. I bought two. And, it turns out, there’s lots to love about them.
First off, the racks come in two sizes. This model is available in either four- or eight-bottle capacity, so you can choose the size that’s right for you. Folks with less storage space may opt for the smaller rack, which is slim (two bottles wide) and can be nestled into just about any space. I decided on two of the eight-bottle racks, but here’s the best part: If you stack the bottles in pyramids, each one holds a lot more than eight. I was able to fit my current collection onto just one of the two racks — which can only mean I’m free to buy more wine, right?
I also appreciate that these wine racks are completely sturdy and strong. The racks are made from hollow cast iron — a material I know and love for its durability. They come with a set of pins to hold them in place if you plan on stacking, which I recommend doing, lest all of your precious bottles come tumbling down. I currently keep mine side-by-side, but in the future I plan to invest in more racks and will definitely use the hardware when I stack them.
Maybe someday, I’ll have a temperature-controlled standalone wine cellar. But for now, I just need a place to organize my prized bottle of Pét-Nat sparkling wine. The four-bottle rack from The Container Store retails for $25, and the larger one is $35. Either way you go, the racks are fairly inexpensive.
Another reason why I love this wine rack is how efficient it is. I used to have to remove every bottle from its cardboard box just to find the bottle I was looking for. Now I can easily check out the labels in my collection and do a quick scan of my precious babies while I decide which one to open. I’ll admit: With this proper wine rack, I’m already dreaming big. I’m going to move it from my rec room to the basement, where the ambient temperature is nice and cool. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll start buying bottles to age. After all, I’ve finally got a nice, comfy home for them.
Are you a wine-lover? How do you store all of your wine bottles? Tell us in the comments below.