How do you organize your wine rack?

[mbitton]

Hello everyone, new to this board but have been reading it for quite some time.

I just recently built a new wine rack and finally getting all the bottles together when I hit wall...how should I organize them? I must have shuffled all the bottles around 10-15 times before I gave up.

So for you guys out there that have already been through this...how do you organize your bottles?!

Thanks. Mike.

 

[robie]

I put like wines together. Within this, I also put the older wines above the younger.

 

[BobF]

Mine hold 30 bottles per shelf, so each 6 gallon batch gets a shelf. 3g batches share, with tags and capsules differentiating them.

Commercial wines share shelves as well.

When remainders get small enough, partial shelves get consolidated to make room.

Every few months, once or twice a year, I play 'move the bottles'.

 

[tonyt]

Same as what Robbie and BobF said plus I also keep a lot of wine in corrugated boxes that the wine comes in to stores. I prefer the 6 bottle cases so that they are not too heavy to move around. I lay them down on their side and label each box with what wine is in the box.

 

[mbitton]

Thanks for the info. I've tried grouping them by a variety of options and just when I think I got one I like...I rearrange them!

For anyone that's interested, the shelf is from Ikea. I took some black 1/2" melamine and dado cut them. Each box can hold 12 bottles (3 per triangle).

The picture was when I was messing around with it and got frustrated. It has since been filled up. I'll try and get a picture up of it full when I get a chance.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Rocky]

I usually load a rack from the floor upward for a couple of reasons: it is cooler near the floor than the ceiling, it stabilizes the rack with the low center of gravity and the wine is easier to reach.

 

[rucusworks]

I usually load a rack from the floor upward for a couple of reasons: it is cooler near the floor than the ceiling, it stabilizes the rack with the low center of gravity and the wine is easier to reach.

I second this.

 

[ou8amaus]

Mike, is the Ikea shelving in your picture all melamine with thicker but basically hollow side walls? I am curious as I have something similar, but I was always concerned about how much weight it could support. I have tried and if you stack the bottles right you can actually put 30 bottles into each square... Now mine only has 8 squares but that means the shelf could physically fit 240 bottles. Does anyone know the specs on these types of shelves, like how much weight they can hold?

 

[Tess]

I agree with Rocky. I also rotate. If I take a bottle from the boom I move one down in its place

 

[jamesngalveston]

I agree with rocky also...and Tess.
Also...the melamine racks are not a full 3/4 stock..more like 1/2 are 7/16..they will sag with time....its just not that strong.
Good luck.