How to make a temperature-controlled wine cellar, on the cheap.

Odds are, you don’t have an expensive, temp-controlled wine cabinet, and don’t really need one. But you wouldn’t mind having decent wine storage, so you could keep a few special bottles. Maybe you’ve looked at some of those smaller cellar units in Lowes, Home Depot or Costco, but they were still more than you could rationalize spending. No sweat, I’ve got the hot tip for keeping your wine properly cool.

If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve got an old fridge in your garage. But it’s really too cold to let wines age. (In case you didn’t know, wines age best at 57F. Typical fridge temps actually put wine into a sort of suspended animation.) Here’s the good news: There’s a gizmo out there that’ll make your old fridge stay at 57F 24/7/365. That’s exactly how I started, all those years ago.

First off, I don’t know the folks that make these gizmos. Nor do I get any sort of compensation from any of them. Clear? Good, we’ll go on. But the things do work. Years ago I bought one called The Cellar Steward. (I’ve since given it to a buddy, and it’s still doing the job.) I couldn’t find it on the web, so they may be out of business. However there is one called the Winestat (wine + Thermostat. Clever, huh.) On their web site, they’re selling the base model for $149. I’m betting you can find one on Ebay for less, but that’s just me.

Anyway, these thingies work by controlling the temp the fridge stays at. Basically, they’re a box with a temp sensor on a wire out one end, and an electrical socket on the other. You put the temp sensor in the fridge, shut the door, plug the fridge into the box, plug the box into the wall, and that’s it. OBVIOUSLY, you should follow the directions your gizmo comes with, but that’s how simple it’s gonna be.

Now, you just have to figure out how you wanna stack your bottles. You can buy ready-made racks, use shipping tubes, or cut down PVC pipes. Or do what I did, and just use the fridge’s shelves (reinforced for the weight, of course). No matter what you do, always be careful how you open the wine fridge. And never put the fridge where it gets direct sun. That’s it, you’ve got your very own wine cellar!

Now all you have to do is fill it. But that’s the fun part!

Cheers!

On the fence about a TJ’s Syrah

OK, so I haven’t posted any thing in a while. I have tasted something recently, but I’ve been going back ad forth about whether I liked it enough to recommend, or not. My final decision is this, I’ll give you my thoughts and let you decide to try it, or skip it. The vino in question is a 2009 Trader Joe’s Reserve Mendocino County Syrah, for only $9.99 (here in Vegas, anyway).

Three things made me feel compelled to try this one out. First, decent Syrah is hard to find for less than a ten-spot. Most of it is cheap Aussie junk, with a cutesy name, like Kuala’s Bum. And that’s what it usually tastes like. Second, Mendocino has a clod climate, which is what you want for a Syrah to have a more elegant structure. This one is listed at 13.9% Alc, which is right in the range I’m looking for. Thirdly, TJ’s hit such a home rum with their Reserve Alexander Valley Cab, that I thought, “What the Hell, maybe they got two in a row.”

So how was it already? The color was a young purple. On the nose, it had blueberry & blackberry fruit, with a touch of pepper and underbrush. Not a bad start. In the mouth, it had a medium body, with blueberry & blackberry fruit, a bit of spice, and some decent acidity. But it lacked the same kind of depth and length to the finish that made the Alex Valley Cab so great. The Syrah didn’t suck by any means, but I wasn’t knocked out by it either. Maybe because it’s just a bit young, and needs time to come around. But that doesn’t help here and now.

My final verdict is this, for a $9.99 Syrah, it’s worth a try. It is from a specific place, not just a generic “California” blend. In the world of budget Syrah, that’s a rare thing. So, if you’re nuts about Syrah, roll the dice. You may like what you get. Me, I think I’ll keep looking.

Cheers!