Aging Wine and Storing In Your Wine Cellar

If you have graduated from casual drinker to wine aficionado then there are definitely wines out there that you would like to try that need cellaring. These are wines that will not reach full potential when tasted now; they need to be stored for a few years, sometimes even decades before you can enjoy the full flavor of a bottle. A custom wine cellar in your home is the way to keep your collection in good condition, however knowing some basics on storing wine will help you to choose the best method of cellaring.

Aging Wine Gracefully

Besides a suitable wine cellar that allows you to control humidity and temperature, the cork of a wine bottle plays an important role in keeping wine fresh. If air is allowed to oxidize the wine you will lose that amazing vintage and instead will be left with vinegar.

Always store wine bottles horizontally in your wine cellar. This will prevent the cork from cracking, a cork that cracks or shrinks will allow excess air into the bottle. The right level of humidity in your wine cellar is also important. Low levels of humidity and the cork will dry out, too much humidity and you will create an environment for bacteria and mold to grow.

The temperature in your wine cellar is very important. Old cellars were built underground but modern wine cellars look very similar to refrigerators. You can control the temperature but be careful not to make the inside of your wine cellar too cold. The ideal temperature to store wine is somewhere between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another thing to remember about temperature is that wine ages well when conditions are constant. Frequent changes in temperature can damage wine. Even if the temperature changes are within the recommended range you could still be damaging the wine by frequently making changes to the temperature.

The type of lights in your wine cellar is very important as light exposure can lead to a disagreeable smell in the wine. Choose incandescent bulbs over fluorescent bulbs where possible as they produce less UV light. Most modern bottles have good UV filters but it’s always better to be safe with the issue of light exposure.

Try not to move the bottles in your wine cellar around too much as even vibration can affect the aging process of wine. Keep movement to a minimum until you are ready to serve. A bigger bottle is also preferable for wines that you would like to cellar.

Designing Wine Cellars

Wine Cellars Dedicated to Storing Wine
Most restaurants with an extensive wine collection and avid collectors, have dedicated wine cellars in which to store their wine. While many may think that a room below the building’s grade will adequately serve the purpose, those who collect rare and often expensive bottles understand the importance of proper construction of wine cellars in protecting the valuable contents.

Wine’s health can be affected by different factors, all taken into consideration in designing wine cellars, such as humidity, temperature and infiltrating light from windows. Air circulating fans are also often designed into wine cellars to help maintain a constant temperature and humidity level throughout the entire area. Additionally, the racks used to hold the bottles should be constructed with the health and integrity of the wine in mind instead of the convenience of anyone who may visit the room to find a bottle.

Even wines stored in dark colored bottles should not be exposed to direct sunlight as in addition to the ultraviolet rays; the sunlight can affect the internal temperature of the bottle. Ceiling fans in wine cellars can provide a certain degree of air circulation, but fans that move the air around the room instead of simply blowing from the ceiling to the floor help maintain a more strict environment.

Wine Cellars Location

Another thing that can have an environmental impact on finished wines is vibration and wine cellars located close to railroad tracks or heavily traveled roads may not be the best location for a cellar in which to store expensive wines. If there is no suitable alternate site, the rack can be constructed to absorb most of the vibrations, especially if the floor is transmitting most of the minor movement.

Entry to wine cellars should also be restricted to only responsible individuals to help maintain the organizational structure of the room. In many cases, large wine collections are cataloged and sort by type or by region, but exactly how, is a personal preference. Keeping track of what remains in wine cellars is more important to those that sell the wine than it is to private collectors, but computer software is also available for private use to track their collection.

In any event, it is important to keep the door to wine cellars closed when no one is looking for a bottle of wine to maintain the constant environment in the room. Continuous opening and closing the door can interrupt the stability of the temperature and humidity controls.

« Previous Page