Trying to start the right way

[hotwine]

Welcome to the board, Island. Whites and reds should be stored at the same temperature, between 55 and 57 degrees F. Storage should be away from strong light (dark, preferably) and vibration-free. The kitchen environment is OK provided the temperature, light and vibration requirements are met with the storage unit. It's also desirable to maintain the relative humidity (RH) of the storage facility in the 60-70% range, to protect the integrity of the corks and labels.

As for long-term storage of Chardonnays: I'll defer to someone else on that, since that's not a grape I favor, given the usual tendency of producers to oak it to death.