My Cellar is full but it has a narrow walkway between racks where I am contemplation utilizing a U-rolling cart stacked with Weinboxes to gain more storage. The dilemma is I would need to roll out the cart every time I access the cellar thus the bottles on the cart will not rest in place. I would need access 4-6 times a month.
What do you all think, Too much movement for long term bottle development?
Thanks,
Mike
I’ve done this exact thing. My hallway is long enough that I’ve basically just blocked off access to the last 20" or so of the overall space, and can largely still access the bottles in racks at that end.
I made a plywood plinth, and added casters, then stacked up weinboxes until they hit a soffit at that end of the cellar. I added cam straps around the tower to hold the boxes together- 2 boxes wide and I think it’s 7 boxes tall overall. I didn’t think through the casters interacting with the aluminum threshold at the door to the cellar, so have pulled at least some of the top cases off when I need to actually pull the contraption out of the cellar. Said another way, I would use larger casters next time.
I don’t think I would be concerned personally about the movement per se, though that might be a good point.
What if you rearranged your cellar so that the VERY long term wines sit behind the cart? Then maybe use the car for daily drinkers so even if you are moving it about it’s short term stuff anyway.
My cellar is nearing capacity after just 2 years and I’m looking at other nooks in the basement to build out a second cellar. Stories like this remind me the you should always build a cellar 3-5x what you think you’ll ever need!!!
I would think you’re fine.
Put your Champagne on the cart & call yourself the Riddler!
I think the wine will be fine until you stack too many boxes high and it all topples.
I do this with a Uline Boat cart in my locker. I don’t stack weinboxes on them, but rather just cardboard cases I don’t intend on touching anytime soon. Pretty easy to slide in and out of the tight space. The boxes stay in place no issues. Not sure how comfortable I’d be putting weinboxes in the cart though
Personally wouldn’t put anything on a cart that you don’t mind having broken, as carts move and things can slip off of them or they break down. Ever see a book with a cartful of books on them when the wheel goes?
one vote for the movement wont hurt the wine, if you are ok with the hassle and the stability of the cart, go nuts
This is the cart. Add some anti slip tape to the deck so the boxes do not slide or maybe even strap them down once loaded. 16” w x 63”L
Looks like a low-tech version of the compactors that libraries (etc.) use to maximize storage space. Great idea!
That style looks sturdy- Be aware the big middle wheels mean it has some rocker to it such that one end is always a bit off the ground. That would help with getting over a doorway sealing strip though.
Like others here, I keep finding that whatever space I have, I fill it to the ceiling. I’ll send pics in a bit of some creative high-altitude racks my finish carpenter came up with.
For off-site storage I use lie-flat cardboard Burg boxes or wooden 6s if I have them for space efficiency. They seem to hold up well in the cool temps. I asked Ian Halbert at Gordon’s once how their Burgs stacked 6-9 high fared over time and he said they were fine as long as you were careful with handling.
I also cram long aging bottles into the deepest reaches and try to keep the earlier-drinking ones more ready to hand, but am not rigorous about it.
You could easily fashion some side straps to prevent lateral slide as well
How many bottles do you need to store that way?
Mine:
It rolls easily inside the cellar but I can’t cross the threshold. As long as the wheels are swiveled in the correct orientation I can push the top box to make the cart move without the box shifting.
At the moment there are five 12 bottle OWCs on it with 55 bottles inside, according to Cellartracker.
How about a Harbor Freight Furniture Dolly for a low budget solution?
So neat and organized!
Yes, getting over the threshold is why I choose this type of cart.
Bigger house.
And you have a cart already to help with the move!
Here are the promised pictures. My finish carpenter thought I was mental when I asked him for over-the-door racks for a few more bottles. A true Georgia son of the South, he said, “Sir, I believe that may interfere with the aesthetic lines”. Anyway, he built some nice ones. The floor to ceiling curved champagne rack in the background was his idea.
I wouldn’t worry about the movement of the wine on a cart - too minimal to impact anything in my opinion. I would worry about the fact that, based on your picture, it looks like even a large cart is going to put only a small dent in your overflow. Is a new cellar in the cards?
No new cellar. Have to make do with what I have. An organizational overhaul in the fall is in order.
