An off-site wine storage, as the name implies, is a storage facility that is located away from the wine collector. This is a separate facility from his house or any of his property. It is, therefore, a rented space, only that instead of people or other things, wines are being kept.
There are two general types of an off-site wine storage. One is the self-service locker and the other is a full-service facility.
Self-Service Off-Site Wine Storage
A self-service off-site wine storage is similar to renting a space for the wine collection. The rate is mostly based on how many bottles a space can hold. It is paid per block of that space; for example, $50 for a 50-bottle storage capacity every month. The fee never changes whether the renter has used up all of the space or not.
The self-service facility is more common because of its convenience to the provider and the renter. It offers privacy, as only the renter can get access to the rented space. Wines are secured by the renter’s fingerprint, selected secret code, a specialized key, or a combination of two or all of these security methods.
Full-Service Off-Site Wine Storage
Meanwhile, the full-service facility is a shared off-site wine storage. It is maintained and accessed by all renters who have wine deposits in the facility. Therefore, it is not a separate space like how the other type is set up. But the advantage of full-service is that it is paid not per space but per case.
Although more expensive, the self-service off-site wine storage enjoys more additional features than the full-service. For instance, self-service allows control of humidity and temperature while the full-service maintains their set standard refrigeration, which is typically the ideal for most wines in the specific region.
Generally though, all of the off-site wine storage providers offer the basic services that are extremely needed for wine storing like dark rooms, enclosed space, and stable location. Providers only differ on how better the offered basic services are like how dark the rooms are, how enclosed the spaces are, and how stable the location is.
Since services widely differ, it is the job of the wine collector to select an off-site wine storage that offers the most ideal condition and location for his wine collection. The reputation of the facility must be highly considered especially that they will be keeping highly valuable investments.
What makes an off-site wine storage the best for every wine collector is that it can be an extended space for keeping more wines for a short or long period of time. In one way or another, every wine collector will need a special facility like that.