The craze to declutter, inspired by Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever”, is taking the world by storm. Kitchens, closets, and everything in between are being examined thoroughly to find which items ‘spark joy’ and which should find a new life somewhere else. So how can this method be applied to your home wine cellar?
Step 1: Visualize What Kind of Connoisseur You Are
Visualize the kind of wine that you want to be drinking, and also how you want to be displaying and/or storing it. Is a six-bottle rack on the counter perfect for your lifestyle? Or do you subscribe to the theory that bigger is better and have dreams for a built-in wine refrigerator or fully insulated wine closet with a chilling unit? While not everyone has the space or budget to fulfill these dreams, it will bring into focus how much of a wine connoisseur you really are or want to be.
Step 2: Which Bottles Spark Joy
According to Kondo, the next step is to keep only those items that spark joy. Do all of the bottles that you have make you happy? Or are you just keeping bottles around because you feel guilty discarding them? Have your tastes and preferences changed over the years? Are you discovering leaking bottles or corks that are pushing out? Extend this process to your stemware and accessories as well. Do you love your mismatched wine glass collection or would you prefer to donate them and start fresh? Does your corkscrew work or do you have several that are broken stashed in your junk drawer? The point is to only have the things that are useful and that you want, not just collecting things for the sake of having them.
Step 3: Sort & Organize By Category, Varietal or Function
The chief organizing principle of KonMari is to store like items together. Take this as an opportunity to conduct an inventory of your wine stash. Do you always buy a bottle of Chardonnay at the store to have on hand for guests even though you only drink Cabernet? Seeing how much of each varietal you have will help you to make smarter buying choices in the future, and also make you the best party host when you know you have something that everyone will love.
Step 4: Store Vertically, Cool & Dark
Think vertically when you are ready to set up your storage. Bottles with natural corks should be stored on their sides so that the liquid is up against the cork, to prevent it from drying out. Horizontal racking that can stack vertically is a space-efficient way to store your cellar treasures without harming the wines themselves. Look for a space that can stay cool (between 45˚-65˚F) and is away from direct sunlight to protect the wine and keep it in the best condition until you are ready to open and enjoy it!
Tag us in your before and after photos on Instagram so we can raise a toast to your newly sparked joy!