I am one of the many members of the under the stairs crew. So far seems to maintain a constant temp of around 13-15 C altho I'm yet to monitor what it's like in the summer

It is a much better alternative to my old man who leaves his laying down in his dining room with exposure to the sun and 20C plus temps (not that he has anything that he intends to lay in excess of a few years - altho sure the damage can be done pretty quickly) I have told him about it and to shift them somewhere cooler and dark as he has been given a few nice bottles in the past as a gift.

Where do you keep yours ?
Does anyone use a wine cooler/cabinet or even better lucky enough to have their own cellar ?

(guess with the mention of the cooler I have just come up with a solution to both my dad's problem and my problem of deciding what to buy him as a gift for his 60th in November ! )

I'm forced to be an under the stairs girl. Luckily, there's a stone floor and it's by a dark, North facing, shady side passage, so gloomy and cold.

I would love a cellar, but building an entire extension, just so I can have a cellar seems excessive. Have looked at the spiral cellar people, and it is moderately appealing.

Might just have to move house.

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mel

Yeah, when I saw the spiral cellars being advertised at a decanter tasting I was impressed. I checked it out on the net and would love one but need to save the pennies for a bit and also think I'd probably need to move house because I don't think it possible for them to install one at my house coz of the type of foundations.

I have converted our Larder. It is in the centre of the house with no windows, maintains a steady temp and is racked out on two sides. It started with just the far wall but has steadily overtaken three sides now, much to the annoyance of my wife.

Also, for the small amount of stuff I 'lay down' or wish to hide from her indoors, I have a special place.... behind the kickboards under the kitchen units. I have a load stashed away including my Ports. It’s surprising how cool it is down there, and dark. Just make sure there are no heating / water pipes running nearby.

These examples always make me smile when I see them, its amazing how many there are out there..

http://www.goldenrealtync.com/granada/granada16.JPG

http://www.millercabinet.com/Custom%20d ... 20kind.jpg

I grew up in a house built in perhaps the 20s or 30s and it had fitted wardrobes built into alcoves, with a drawer at the bottom. Every bedroom had one, and the space under the drawer was enough to get a bottle of wine - about 2 cases per room.

Again, you'd need to be careful of heating pipes, and I doubt it was particularly chilled, but dark, still and away from burglars.

Sadly, very little in my house is worth nicking and burglars aren't likely to classification-aware.

You can imagine a couple of boys in balaclavas with a torch, saying "only take the 82s, and nothing lower than a deuxieme - oh, and leave the St Estephe"

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mel

Ever thought of a couple of grey haired hoodies ! from Berkshire ?

You are a women after my own heart. We''l have to have a banter about St Estephe one day. I bought some extra ripe 2003 ones from affodable propeties in the north of the appellation in 2005, so I'm expecting something rather delicious in a few year time. Haut Marbuzet and Hauts de Pez.
Many years ago when Asda just started out, Yeah, I found some 1989 Maitre d'Estournel (the house red that Bruno Prats assembles from outlying parcels ) Asda in Slough West near Burnham. A Store flag, that I could see on my way home down the M4. It was just on the off chance, I was early, so I pulled off, drove all around the houses trying to find it at the end of a new housing estate. I went in there because I could see the building being erected from the west going carriageway. Oh well lets see what they have ! This Estournel, crikey !! ok, not the grand vin, was just in a heap on the floor on a small palate, yep about 60 bottles with special offer written on dayglow card stuck on the side of the matchboard crate. Why should Asda knock this out in it's grand opening week ? I still swear to this day that the price was totally wrong, the first digit had been left off the price by the new manager, and I had to show them the sign, when it was not recognised from a non existent barcode on the tills.

10 years later, and into the new millenium as well (I was a tiny bit greedy and walked out with 10 bottles in doubled-up carrier bags in my arms)

My luck was rewarded, very approachable, but never-the-less, rich and fruity with lots of Cab mint and cigar box as well.. Ha ha...No one makes mistakes anymore
You never forget these moments, when the gods have lead you to nectar without any planning or rhyme or reason.

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Duncan

What is it with Gloucestershire? This has never happened to me. I've never found a heap of reduced wines in any supermarket. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right place.

Don't suppose anyone gets the Telegraph on Saturdays. There was a QO write up last weekend and the site got zillions of new readers, but I didn't find out why until today, by which time any Telegraph readers that I know have already recycled.

Their website had a good QO article the previous weekend, so perhaps it's the same one, just a little later. Usually the other way round.

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mel

Saw online the other week that they had the top 5 wine websites (meant to mention it here but forgot)
My dad's a weekend Telegraph reader so will get him to have a rummage thru his recycling box to see if he still has last Saturday's paper

Actually, a friend dropped it round last night. Good PR for little effort!

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mel

looks like the Spammers read the article too
Think I'm gonna go down Tesco later to see if they're stocking the 2009 Youtube on HardDrive recommended in the tasting section

Yes, the little **er must have applied to be a member using a believable name - so devious.

Unlike Shezza, who I dismissed initially.

Will get him pulled today. Still, it's been clear for a while, compared with a while ago.

Just cannot see the point in their lives. We could probably think of an amusing way of culling them.

Drowning in The Big Kahuna White - a NV Chard from Aus in Tesco - a very nasty way to go.

Colonic irigation with a 16% Zin?

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mel

or how about Chinese water torture using Sainsburys NV Vin Rouge de France (the one that comes in the 1.5ltr plastic bottle)

Whilst you're sorting out the spammers can you do something about Duncan. He's far too knowledgable and is making the rest of us look silly. Especially that GK. I suggest tipping him head first into a bottle of Blue Nun.

It's for his own good.

Trust me.

What, Me guv ? I speak as I find !

Hey 'mush face', exactly who's has been writing-up all these bleeding tasting notes. You gota have SB coursing thru ya veins by now

BTW, I'm hunting down the tropical fruit notes...... I've ordered some Stonewall 2007 from Laithwaites, just a few bottles, piggy backed onto a mate's order - Bet you've never tried that one

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Duncan

If you bottled my blood you'd have 2 parts Marlborough blackcurrant leaf, 1 part Marlborough capsicum, 1 part chalky Loire limestone and 1 part Leyda Valley grapefruit.

What a cuvee !!

Obviously i'd have to stop posting...