History suggests that the earliest known production of wine occurred in what is now the country of Georgia, as early as 7000 BCE. The oldest winery was later discovered in the Areni-1 cave complex in the mountains of Armenia. Since then, cavernous sites in the Balkan mountains of Southeast Europe have revealed remnants of the world’s earliest physical evidence of crushed grapes. How have these remains lasted for so long?
A distinct similarity exists in all of these discoveries: caves. The protection and preservation of wine, this time-honored libation, suggests that in order to maintain the intended physical properties of a concoction as environmentally sensitive as crushed grapes, there are several key components which must absolutely taken into consideration:
- Humidity – It is a known fact that high humidity minimizes evaporation, and so, it is ideal for wine makers to consider humidity over 75% for reds and over 85% for whites, in order for them to store properly.
- Temperature – A constant temperature between 55 °F and 60 °F is considered by the wine industry to be optimal for wine storage and aging.
- Environment – Sun damage can alter the chemical composition of wine grapes as they age over time. Exposure to sunlight and potentially harmful air pollutants can contaminate and damage the purity of the wine.
In order to protect and preserve the valuable bottles of wine cultivated by priests and rabbis to be used for religious ceremonies, practitioners utilized caves as the Earth’s most conducive environment for storing wine. The homeostasis of the dark, enclosed space, protected from the potentially harmful rays of the sun, with high humidity (minimizing evaporation), and a constant, optimal temperature, mountainous caves offered a dependable level of consistency for wine-collectors in ancient times. In today’s modern age, it may not be so easy (or affordable) to find a local cave in which to store your personal treasures. Magellan to the rescue!
Magellan Storage offers easy, convenient storage solutions for all your climate-sensitive commodities, from vintage wine to pharmaceutical supplies to fine pieces of art. With exclusive access, complimentary loading cart, and climate-controlled spaces, Magellan Storage provides specially suited accommodations, in order to meet your particular needs. Those storing pharmaceuticals can appreciate our reception of shipment and deliveries, making it easier to usher your belongings, without the hassle of an intermediary step of hauling large boxes to-and-fro. Our pharmaceutical storage is tailored to meet the needs of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sales Professionals; and is conveniently offered at our Costa Mesa, Torrance, and Commerce locations.
Wine lovers truly enjoy visiting our facilities because we consider wine storage to be one of our specialties! As the early winemakers knew, wine preserves best at a temperature of 55 °F with 65% humidity. Not exactly the conditions in Southern California right now! With temperatures soaring in the high 90s and air conditioning blaring inside most homes, our inclement weather is not an ideal setting for the delicate composition of a venerable wine. So protect your keepsakes!
Store your bottles of wine in one of our storage units, at our Costa Mesa Facility, where we offer a premium wine tasting room, for you and your friends, family, or business associates. Whether you’re saving a nice bottle of wine for a special occasion, like a wedding, anniversary, graduation, or consider yourself a veteran wine aficionado, Magellan Storage can assist you in maintaining the integrity of your personal collection, until you decide to pop the cork!
If you’re visiting a winery in Napa or abroad, you can ship your wine directly to our facilities, as Magellan Storage gladly accepts shipments in varying quantities. From 20 to 400 cases, our lockers are designed to suit your particular storage needs, and when it comes to things like wine, environmental factors can be very particular!
Family heirlooms, if left unattended and exposed to environmental factors such as sun, dust, water, or extreme temperatures, can end up looking like the picture of Dorian Gray! Protect your valuables and honor the past by dedicating a specific area, a storage unit, to avoid messiness in the garage, clutter in the kitchen, or crowdedness in the bedroom. Our climate-controlled storage units are free from dust, pests, and other unwanted contaminants to help keep your items just the way you left them.
For thousands of years, wine, art, and medicinal properties, have been stored in safe structures, guarded in secrecy, with great care. Today, we continue that time-honored tradition by shielding valuables such as these in locations apart from the daily grind.
In the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and Orange County, Magellan Storage offers an enclave of limitless potential for all of your Wine, Art, or Pharmaceutical storage needs. Here, we have created an optimal environment for these precious items to last beyond the time of their initial purchase. At Magellan, we invest in the potential of a future that endures, in an environment as time-tested as the Earth’s caves.
If you are interested in visiting one of the many popular California Wine Caves in Sonoma County or Napa Valley visit: sonomacounty.com or napavalleyvineyards.org/napa-valley-itineraries/winery-caves-tour/ and experience the delicacy of a fine wine, preserved in its most naturally supportive habitat.
Filed under: Art and Antique Storage, Business Storage, California, Costa Mesa, Family Heirlooms Storage, History, How To, Los Angeles, Magellan Storage, Pharmaceutical Storage, Self Storage, Storage Tips Tagged: art storage, California, California Wine Caves, climate, Climate Controlled Storage, Climate Controlled Storage Units, Costa Mesa, environment, how to preserve wine, humidity, los angeles storage, monks, Napa Valley, orange county storage, Pharmaceutical Storage, Sonoma County, southern california, specialty storage, storage, Storage Tips, temperature, wine, wine caves, wine history, wine lovers, Wine Storage, wine tasting room
