Perhaps you moved into a house that includes an old wine cellar and you want to start using it or you want to build a wine cellar to house your existing wine collection. Remember though that a wine cellar is more than a place to store your fine wine, it is an environment that will allow your wine to age perfectly.
If you are building a wine cellar, you need to determine how large of a cellar and where the location will be. The size of your wine cellar truly depends on how much wine you have. If you have 100’s of bottles, you probably need a larger cellar than if you have a collection of 50 bottles.
To create the ideal environment for storing your wine collection, your wine cellar should have a steady temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity level of approximately 65 percent. This provides ideal conditions for storing wine long term. If you keep the temperature at this cooler level, the aging process slows down, which is exactly what you want if you will be storing wine for a long period of time. The recommended humidity level will prevent moisture from getting in the bottles.
Northern areas of the country are ideal naturally for wine cellars because they tend to be cooler with the right amount of humidity. If you live in a dryer or warmer climate, you will have to add the conditioning to create the right wine-storing environment.
Fortunately, there are some excellent wine cooling systems that make it possible to create the perfect climate conditions in your wine cellar. You can have a successful wine cellar even if you live in a hot, dry part of the country.
If you will be building your wine cellar, there are several things to consider. First, the wall framing should be 2″x6″, with the ceiling frame 2″x8″. Additionally, a polyethylene vapor barrier should be added to the walls and ceiling. Drywall can be used for the sheathing, but it has to be moisture resistant. Since the flooring has to be moisture resistant as well, hardwoods or stone should be installed.
Proper construction is critical when you’re building your own wine cellar. Otherwise, your wine may age too quickly or the room could have too much moisture.
You should consider yourself lucky if there’s a wine cellar already in your home. Before storing your wine, purchase a thermometer that mounts the wall to check the humidity and the temperature. Now, if the home you purchased has a very old cellar, you will be able to wonder how many bottles of fine wine have graced the shelves over the years as you are placing your own wine on the shelves.
A wine cellar provides a fun way to store your precious wine and allow each of them to age to perfection. It also gives you enough room to store the bottles that you will surely add to your collection in the future.
Penned by Robin Saunders, an accomplished writer that tackles different subjects including alcohol, breath alcohol, DUI etc. The author uses an alcohol tester himself, be safer and get yourself a tester.