Wine Cellars - How To Choose the Right One for You!

Wine cellars come in many different shapes, sizes and styles. But without a doubt, if you are a wine aficionado, it has probably been one of your fondest wishes to own your own wine cellar where bottles of your favorite vintages are aging to perfection. If you are a true wine lover, nothing beats having your own collection of favorites ready to share with like-minded friends.

Wine cellars can be built for just about every budget and storage situation. You don't even have to have a dedicated spare room for the smaller versions that are simply a rack designed to hold a few bottles and have them on display. Wine cellars vary significantly with respect to budget, available space and your personal interest level but assuredly you'll be able to find one just right for you.

We'll begin with smaller storage units to start our discussion. The smaller variations that are available hold anywhere from one to two dozen bottles and they're sized just right to fit into a corner of a spare closet or to display in a room of your choice. Depending on how much space you have to work with (and your budget, of course), you might want to look at the larger storage systems. Storage space need not be a limitation to your dream if having a smaller stock on hand isn't a problem.

Now let's discuss the important things to consider when planning your cellar. It is crucial to realize that wine is an ever-changing thing and the conditions under which it is stored will affect how well it ages.

Storing wine is very simple when you boil it down to the basics. It requires a constant temperature, humidity level, darkness, stillness (stored away from vibrations) and a well-ventilated clean area.

Folks who are only storing a few bottles of their favorites will probably not be able to control all of these variables as well as someone who is building a designated area for their wine cellar like a spare closet or room in the house but even if you are only storing a few bottles on display, it's best to store them in the best available space.

Those folks who are building a dedicated space for their wine cellars will want to consider the following recommended requirements:

1) Insulation - A room that is well insulated is best suited to wine storage because it will minimize temperature changes. It will be far easier to build an insulated room above ground than one below as it takes about three feet of dirt to provide the same insulation as 4" of fiberglass insulation or form insulation.

2) Temperature - It is generally accepted that a good temperature range for storing wine is between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit (10 - 15 degrees Celsius) It is imperative to keep the temperature of your storage area below the mid-70's Fahrenheit to prevent deterioration of your wine.

3) Humidity - Wine with natural corks requires a relative humidity level of around 70% to assure the cork's ability to do its job but anywhere from 50% to 80% is probably suitable. If your storage area isn't humid enough, you run the risk of corks drying out, allowing air to reach and damage your wine.

4) Darkness - Light will prematurely age a bottle of wine so the best option for good storage includes a dark area where the wine is exposed to only occasional light.

5) Finally, don't forget to store your bottles on their sides. The wine in a well stored horizontal bottle will be in contact with the bottle's cork, keeping the cork wet and preventing shrinkage which will allow air to enter the bottle.

Many different styles, sizes and types of wine cellars are available and hopefully this article will help you choose the right one for you.

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About The Author, John Mann
Interested in having your own wine collection? Visit Wine-Cellars-Sellers.com to find help choosing from the many different types of wine cellars available today.