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Mark Lipton[_1_]

wrote:

> When we arrived home I retrieved a bottle of 1997 Mauro Veglio Barolo
> we had been storing for several years in our New England basement
> which varies from 60-80 degrees. It tasted very good but we couldn't
> tell whether it might have tasted even better if stored more
> optimally. What do you think, is a wine fridge absolutely crucial for
> us? I was considering buying a 117-bottle Eurocave for $1,500.

I'll repeat what I wrote to Karen earlier this evening: for mid-term
aging (~5 years) I don't know that suboptimal conditions make a whole
lot of difference. For long-term (10-20 years) the issue of storage
conditions becomes more acute IMO. A basement that varies between 60
and 80 is far from ideal (constant 50-55°), so I'd invest in a wine
fridge or a cooling device for my cellar if I had bottles that'll need a
long time to come around. It's also true that the type of wine you're
aging plays a role: Barolo is among the sturdiest of wines, whereas
Pinot Noir or Chardonnay might be among the most sensitive.

HTH
Mark Lipton

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