Track bottle locations with shelves and slots

Make the map match your storage

A useful bottle map describes the storage you have. It does not need an elaborate cellar design. Choose shelf names you can recognize while standing in front of the rack. In a small collection, Main Rack and Reserve Rack may be enough; for separated spaces, make the names distinct. Keep your naming convention in a note beside the rack if other people help maintain the inventory.

Choose a consistent direction for rows and slots

Decide how you count rows and slots in the real rack and use that direction consistently. For example, count rows from top to bottom and positions from left to right. This is your storage convention, not a guarantee that every rack orientation matches the app automatically. Check the displayed layout against the physical shelf before assigning the rest of the collection.

In Cellarune, configure shelves and assign each physical bottle to the matching position. Save a bottle unplaced when its location is unknown instead of assigning an invented slot. An empty position on the map should match what you expect in the rack.

Find the record, then verify the physical bottle

Use My Wines List to search by producer, wine name or region. Switch to Map to inspect storage positions. When a wine has several bottles, select the particular bottle before changing its position: the list may group similar bottles, but locations belong to physical bottles.

The optional 3D cabinet view is another way to inspect the layout. The ordinary list and map remain useful without using 3D. Check label and vintage at the rack rather than treating a map position as sufficient identification.

Update the position when you move a bottle

Move one bottle at a time in the inventory when reorganizing storage. After the change, compare the old and new positions with the physical rack. If you cannot finish a reorganization, keep a short private note of what remains unverified instead of assuming the whole map is current.

When recording an opened bottle, check that you selected the right physical bottle. Its history belongs in Memories and it should no longer be counted as active stock. Occasionally compare a small section of the rack against the list to catch records that were missed.

Keep location records under your control

Cellar Data stays on your device and in your private iCloud account when available; the backend does not own your inventory. Apple schedules synchronization, so check counts and positions before relying on a second device. Export a CSV inventory copy before large reorganizations, while keeping in mind that CSV is not a full backup of photos or every app feature. You do not need to send shelf photos or your collection to us to participate in a usability interview.