Aging wine

[hotwine]

Here are some ideas on the question of the types of racks to use in your cellar:
- Individual bottle racks - the type that have a pigeon-hole for each bottle - provide security and ventilation for each bottle. However, IMO they are not very efficient in their use of space, and don't lend themselves all that well to grouping in case lots.
- Diamond bins provide security for each bottle (they can't roll around), but if made of wood they don't provide good ventilation.
They do, however, lend themselves quite well to storage of case lots.
- Bookcase-style shelves provide no security for individual bottles (without the aid of blocks, wedges etc. to hold them in place), but provide good ventilation, if open at each end, and accommodate unopened cases.

For my requirements, diamond bins made of welded steel frames with walls of expanded metal (mesh)would work best. I haven't built any yet, but plan to get around to it before too long.

As to quantities: I have three plywood diamond bins and two bookcase-style racks, each with a capacity of about 168 Bordeaux -
style bottles, with room in the cellar for two more racks (each is 3' X 5').