A wine cellar is a room specifically designed for storing wine in bottles or barrels. Usually located completely underground, wine cellars keep their precious contents consistently cool and dark, away from direct sunlight and environmental factors that might change the chemical composition of the wine.
Just like other food products, wine is natural and perishable. If not stored properly, wine can spoil – turning to vinegar. This is why wine is kept in wine cellars: with the proper care, wine left to mature under the proper, cool conditions improves in taste, aroma, and even value!
For Best Results, Chill
Wine matures differently depending on the temperature of the wine room where it is stored. A consistent temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius is best for both long- and short-term storage. Residential wine cellars are kept at this low temperature using either an active or passive cooling system. Actively cooled wine cellars require significant more construction and technology. These types of wine cellars utilize special cellar conditioning and cooling systems to maintain the desired temperature and humidity. Passively cooled wine rooms are often built into naturally cool and damp areas such as basements, where there is little temperature fluctuation and conditions are fairly consistent.
Building Your Home Wine Room
If you are planning to build a wine cellar in your own home, it is important to consider the following:
Where will you build your wine cellar? This will determine whether the wine room will be actively or passively cooled. How big do you want your wine cellar to be? To answer this, it helps to think about how many bottles you will want to store. What design features do you want in your wine room? Think about color, rack style, etc. Last but not least, how much do you want to spend on the creation of your wine room? Different styles of wine cellar will demand different budgets. Do you want something simple in a corner of your basement, or do you want a walk-in wine locker, built off the gourmet kitchen? Anything is possible, but it all depends on what you want to spend.
Whether or want a tiny storage area for a few special bottles, or if you want a grand wine showroom, the sky’s the limit. With modern design, architecture and technology, there is no need to cool your dreams of having your very own wine cellar – your fantasy wine room can mature into a delicious reality!