For more than two decades wine sales have grown steadily in the US. Direct to consumer wine sales have risen even more rapidly, and saw an18.5% increase in 2016 according to USA Today. Both drinking and investing in vino has become so popular that the last time wine sales didn’t increase in the US, Steph Curry was in first grade and a little dance craze called the Macarena swept the nation. Wine is definitely a good business to be in today, and storing wine is an emerging (and very lucrative) trend in the self storage industry. Here are a few things to consider if you’re contemplating getting into the wine storage business.
1. Is it hot in here?
With wine, temperature is key. The widely agreed upon standard for storing wine is 55℉. According to Wine Spectator, a temperature range between 45℉ and 65℉ is fine, but they urge you not to veer too far from this range. If temperatures rise above 70℉, you risk prematurely aging your wine. If you’re serious about monitoring temperature at all times while keeping an eye on your valuable collection, consider investing in FLIR temperature monitoring security cameras. This cool and inexpensive tech will alert you via email if your vino is in jeopardy of getting too hot or cold. Also, consider a backup generator in case the power goes out at your site.
2. Blinded by the light.
This is another universal wine storage must, and definitely worth mentioning. Both indoor light and sunlight can cause some nasty side effects—premature aging, fading labels. Sunlight is your biggest adversary because it can permanently age your wine. Indoor light can cause damage as well, so you’ll want to turn off all lights that come in contact with wine bottles unless they absolutely have to be on. Ever had a suspect glass of wine at a restaurant despite being poured from a freshly opened bottle? Chances are that bottle spent time near a window or under florescent light.
3. Wine Coolers.
There are a number of walk-in coolers that are both ideal for storage facilities and designed to maximize space at your site. Standard walk-in coolers range in price from $3,000-$6,000 and can be purchased from most restaurant supply vendors.
4. High value items need extra security.
Now that you’ve got a cool, dry, dark location to store wine at your site, you’re going to need to control access to the area. Let’s face it, you don’t want customers strolling in and out of a valuable, premium storage area all day. Plus, because temperature is critical to maintaining the quality of the wine, you’ll want to have the wine storage door opened and closed as few times as possible throughout the course of each day. Installing an Apex keypad from PTI Security Systems is the ideal way to limit access. Your customers can access their precious collection with an access code, proximity card, or EasyCode mobile app, making it as convenient as possible while logging all access to ensure the highest level of security. That’s a win-win.
There you have it: the wine storage basics. If you’re looking for more ways to add premium features to your self storage facility without a premium price tag, it might be time to consider door alarms. Learn more about door alarming options and technology.