Wine Cellar For Ordinary Wine Lovers

Over the recent past, many budget wine cellars have become available that are helping the ordinary wine lover to have some place where they can store their favorite wines in a manner that ensures that the wine does not get spoiled and in fact preserves its color and flavor.

A good wine cellar should be capable of protecting wine from three main threats. The first such threat is heat; the second is dryness while the third one is light. A properly constructed wine cellar will be able to store the wine at relatively low temperatures and it will also ensure that there should be sufficient amount of humidity and proper amount of darkness – all of which ensures that nothing will spoil your wine.

Finally, the right wine cellar is also one that will prevent major fluctuations in humidity and temperature that are the biggest enemies of wine – causing them to lose their color and flavor. The term wine cellar indicates to any place that is appropriate for protecting wine for a limited period. This term means that this place is located below ground level.

If the wine is stored above ground level then the correct term for such place would not be wine cellar; rather it would be wine room while if you stored your wine in a small fridge the appropriate term for such storage would be a wine closet. Given that not everyone can construct a wine cellar beneath ground level there have now sprung up alternative solutions such as the self-storage facility that provides the same benefits as any true wine cellar can.

Some people even go the extra mile and install or construct custom wine cellars. Such cellars ensure that everything in the cellar is made with a view to ensuring that your wine is not only protected and stored in the best manner possible but it also is built on a particular philosophy about how particular wines should be stored.

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Usefulness Of A Wine Cellar

Small-scale or on a big scale, a wine cellar should incorporate the following elements:

• proper insulation
• racks to protect and display the bottles
• good temperature controls
• proper lighting levels

Your wine cellar can be an expression of your taste - perhaps you have a preference for practicality, and as much storage in a small space as possible. Alternately, you may want a show piece where you can entertain friends and sample wines in luxurious comfort. Have your needs in mind when you design your cellar.

Also be aware that a wine cellar doesn't have to be reserved for a country estate, as people from all walks of life who enjoy a fine bottle of wine build or have wine cellars installed.

Embark on the design process with an understanding of how you view your wine collection. Some bottles resemble art pieces, so you may want to display them prominently. Sometimes you may desire to showcase a rare vintage, or perhaps decorate your space with wine-related arts or crafts that bring ambience to the area.

A variety of storage designs sympathetically combined will give your wine cellar the most versatility. You can buy modular storage systems that assemble in a customized fashion, or you can have a carpenter create the storage (this can be the more expensive option).

Simple storage racks (in wood or metal) will make sure that the wine remains efficiently ventilated and separated. You may also want an area reserved for wine accessories, like glasses, corkscrews, bottle openers and wine chillers or buckets.  Your wine cellar can also have purely decorative elements such as handcrafted doors or mood lighting.

Red wines benefit most from being stored in a cellar, particularly varieties that acquire their best quality from long-term storage. A lot of people imagine that cellars need to be located in the basement or else beneath the house, but they can actually be set up in any part of the house as long as the temperature and humidity levels can be properly controlled. Make your wine cellar a genuine tribute to your passion for wine.

If you want to discover more about wine cellars, head over to http://www.infoaboutwine.com

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Setting Up A Wine Cellar – What You Need To Know

• Michigan has 13,500 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• Most of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.

• About 700 hectares are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the eighth in wine grape production.

• Vineyard area has increased 24% since 1997.

• Michigan's 45 commercial wineries produce more than 200,000 cases of wine annually, making the state 13th in wine production. By far the majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

• Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 600,000 visitors annually. Some of these wineries also have retail stores where it's possible to purchase anything from a wine cellar kit to a wine cooler refrigerator.

• Wine production and winery tourism annually contribute $75 million to the state's economy.

• Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• • Vinifera varieties — these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; 58% of Michigan's wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1998, 71% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.

• • Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) — these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; 39% of Michigan's wine grapes are hybrids.

• • Native varieties — actually close relatives of true native varieties. Usual names are Concord and Niagara. A Mere 3% of Michigan's wine is made from these varieties.

• Nearly all of Michigan's best quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the "lake effect" protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.

• Michigan has four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan's wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state lie the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan's wine grapes are producedd. This area has a growing season of about 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 growing degree days. Both are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.

• Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of late August in the southwest and may extend into mid November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.

• Michigan wines win numerous medals at prestigious competitions year after year. More than 16% of the wines entered in the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition had already won Gold Medals in regional, national and international competitions. A list of winners is available upon request.

• Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).

• Michigan wines are typically "cool climate" – clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal character.
• Michigan Wines are very popular choices in the offerings of Wine Clubs
  where you set up a monthly subscription to order wine online

Next time you’re savoring your favorite Chardonnay, check the label. It just may not have originated in California!

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Wine & Grape Production in Michigan

Make sure your wine rack uses the most of your avaliable space. Wine must be kept in a specific environment for optimal flavor. Humidity helps the cork from drying out, and temperature helps the wine age correctly. Keep your wine away from direct sunlight above all else. That is a cardinal sin of wine storage. Keep the wine temperature from rising and falling more than necessary. Store the wine on its side so it keeps the cork moist. If you already have your wine cellar built, your job is 90% done.

A wine club membership gives you the ability to easily expand your wine stock as time goes by. As your number of bottles increases, so will your need for storage space. Wall-mounted wine racks are very nice. You can often store lots of wine in a small space. Reading of wine labels and finding different bottles is quick and easy as well. You can choose how elegant you want your wine rack to be. Bulk wine purchases often are offered at a steep discount. A money saving tip is to construct your own wine rack from a set of plans.

For a budget option consider building a wine rack at home. Lots of wine enthusiasts like to construct a wooden wine rack, it's also rewarding. You can find the wine rack plan on the internet and design it with most tools you'd find in your garage. Sometimes the cost of materials for a simple style racking system can be under ten bucks.

Likely the cheapest option is to build your rack with wood and bricks. Just put the bricks inbetween the planks, and you've got shelves, smaller pieces can be used as dividers. You make the call how expensive your wine racks will be. Making a budget wine rack is not overly difficult, and can be done without the aid of complicated tools. Check out our website for many more wine storage suggestions.

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Free Wine Rack Plans