What You Should Know About Wine Cellar Design

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at 9:10 am

You should learn all you can about wine cellars before you start your wine cellar design. Some guides make it seem like it is easy to make your own cellar at home when in reality the only easy part is assembling the wall mounted wine racks. The rest of it can be very difficult to get right and you have to get quite technical before you can get it right. You may be better off cellaring your wine at a facility that allows you to store your wine and then pick it up when you want to drink it.

Proper Temperature

The best temperature for wine is between 50F and 60F (10C and 13C). To keep wine at a contant temperature may be more difficult than you imagine. The home heating system will be the main obstacle in achieving this constant temperature. If your heater is on during the daylight hours the rising temperature will far exceed the ideal wine storage temperature.

Your wine will be subject to a drop in temperature at night when the heating is shut off. The wine will have expanded and then contracted due to the temperature changes. One way to get round this is to use your basement, which is the best substitute for the stone walled cellars in old mansions.

Unfortunately a boiler in the basement can cause those detrimental temperature fluctuations that are so bad for wine. To keep your basement cellar at the right temperature you should make sure your basement is well insulated with odorless insulating material.

Effects of Natural Light

The home basement (if you have one) is by far the ideal location for a wine cellar since your wine collection will not be exposed to light. Light speeds up deterioration in your wines. This problem will be less likely to occur with red wine since red wine normally comes in darker bottles that will reduce light exposure.

White wine and champagnes on the other hand are very sensitive to light and this is heightened by the fact that they usually come in light colored bottles. So make sure wine cellar design allows for very minimal sunlight coming through.

Appliances

Wine is sensitive to vibrations and movement. Ideally when wine is put in a cellar it should be lying horizontally with the label facing upwards. If washing machines and dryers are anywhere near your wine cellar then it could cause some problems for your wine. These factors should help you decide if cellaring at home is right for you.

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