Perfect Wine Cellar?

When it comes to what the phrase "wine cellar," one can often imagine European grandeur and luxury. We are all aware that most private villas in Europe pride themselves on their extensive, fully stocked, gorgeous wine cellars. In addition, most fine restaurants also brag about the elaborate methods they utilize for keeping expensive wines in top-notch shape.

With all of this focus on wine cellars, it can be a bit daunting to the average person, but a true wine lover can envision the importance of a personal wine cellars and consider the purchase of a home wine cellar.

Many wine lovers, however will not need an extremely, fancy storage system to house their wines. They might not even need a wine cellar at all, because they only keep a carefully selected collection of bottles in small quantities, which they drink regularly. There are, however, wine collectors who stock more than just a few bottles, and they might need a dedicated wine cellar at home in which to keep.

For the wine lover who enjoys stocking many different kinds of wines, or enjoys collecting wine, a dedicated wine cellar may be essential. A wine cellar can be placed in any convenient location within your home.

When purchasing a wine cellar, there are certain factors you must consider, among them: size, light, vibration, humidity, and temperature. Size refers to how large the wine cellar will be, and to how many bottles of wine it can hold. This may be related to the amount of space you have available for your wine cellar, as well.

Light, vibration, temperature, and humidity controls are necessary to maintain your wine in its highest quality state. Too much light (especially sunlight or fluorescent light) is thought to damage wines. Your wine cellar should offer a darkened storage space.

Vibration is another enemy of wine: too much vibration will disrupt the sediments in wine, causing it to change color or taste. The more delicate the wine, the more susceptible it will be to vibration and light.

Humidity is a third factor to consider, as too much humidity may cause the wine to mold, and too little humidity may cause the corks to shrink, leading to wine spillage and spoilage. The optimal humidity for wine is about 70%.

Temperature is also an important factor, because if the temperature is too high, it will decrease the flavor of the wine and if it is too low, it may cause the wine to freeze.

The easiest way to create a wine cellar in your home is through the purchase of a self-contained wine-cellar unit, which can range in size from 2x3 feet to 10x12 feet, and up. (If you are considering a very, very large wine cellar for your home, it may be less expensive, in some cases, to have it custom built for you.)

Small wine cellars can hold as few as 24 bottles, while the large wine cellars can hold up to 2500 bottles. Prices for the smaller wine cellars can begin at around $500 and go all the way up to $4000 for the large custom-built models.

There is a variety of exteriors when it comes to wine cellar designs. They can range from super-sleek, stainless steel to rustic oak or pine with additions such as interior lights, glass panels, locking doors, and the like. All of this adds to your price, so you need to take that into consideration when looking at wine cellar designs.

If you decide to purchase a wine cellar, you should have a checklist of things prior to getting a wine cellar design finalized including:

- Number or bottles that should like to store.

- How much space you have available for your wine cellar.

- How much control you need in terms of light, temperature humidity and vibration. If you are planning on housing expensive wines, you are going to want to invest in more sophisticated controls.

- Whether the wine cellar will be tucked away in a room or placed out in the open. If it is the latter, you may want to invest in a higher end finish so that it matches the rest of your house.

Ultimately, the purchase of the perfect wine cellar comes down to the best balance of features for the price and space. Know your wine drinking habits, and purchase the best wine cellar you can afford which meets your current needs, and gives you a little room to expand.

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