Creating a Wine Cellar

Joining a wine of the month club is great fun and informative but, there can be a downside...what do you do with all the bottles? You can drink them all, gift some away, or find a good way to store them. Many people have them stored in the kitchen cabinets, on top of the refrigerator, or even sporadically spaced throughout their living areas! If that is you, how about creating a wine cellar? Don't get intimidated, it is not as hard as you may be inclined to believe. Let me take you through the basics.

Purpose of a Wine Cellar

When you create and maintain a wine cellar, you´re purpose is to effectively control the aging process. Once bottled wine continues to mature, therefore proper storage is essential to help it do so correctly.

Location

Ideally wine should be stored in an environment where temperature and humidity and can be controlled. It depends on your climate, but in many homes this can be accomplished in a basement. What if you don't have a basement? Where will you then store all these wonderful wines? What you want to look for is a cool place where your wines can be laid flat, free from vibration, high humidity, and varying temperature.

Darkness

Darkness is also an ingredient for proper wine storage. Why does it need to be dark? Natural ultraviolet light and bright artificial light can create premature aging.

Vibration

Most of us do not live next to a blasting site or a train track, so why should we worry about vibration? Normal household activity probably will not harm your wine. However, exaggerated vibration prevents the normal sediment process, especially in the fines wines such as your priceless Burgundy.

Temperature and Humidity

Our wines need to be in a constant temperature (approximately 52 degrees Fahrenheit), allowing the wine to preserve and age itself correctly. Coupled with the ideal storage temperature, keep the humidity up towards the 70% range. This will help keep the corks from drying and staying airtight. If you see any labels that have loosened or have any mold growth, then the humidity is likely too high.

Wine Racks

Inside your storage area you'll need to think about the racks that hold the wine. Wine racks come in a variety of materials and can be custom made to fit into unique spacing requirements.

Be careful not to waste space on placement, as your storage area might fill up quicker than you think. No matter what material or design is chosen, racks must be sturdy and able to store bottles on their side to this keep the cork moist.

Stacking the bottles two deep on their sides will still allow you access while saving space. The wines that will be ready for uncorking the soonest should logically be placed at the front, with those with ageing at the back.

Wine Cabinets

In many locations, the climate may necessitate that you purchase a small cabinet style wine cellar. These cabinets take up little space and are designed to maintain your wine in traditional wine cellar conditions. Cabinets are currently available that hold anywhere from 12 to 400 bottles. These freestanding wine cellars range in price from about $100 to about $3,000. Some are quite elegant that might be considered a fine piece of furniture.

Lastly

In determining your cellar needs, it pays to overestimate the quantity of wine you will collect in coming years. It is surprising just how fast your cellar can fill once the wine bug hits!

Contributor: WineDefintitions Staff Writer

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