When you decide to build a wine cellar, it can be a huge elaborate room with ornate decorations, marble floors and furniture but it can also be a converted room, a small closet or even an unused space (i.
e..
under the stairs).
It might seem pretty simple and straight forward to build wine cellar...
get some wine and store it in a cool dark place.
But, there are a few things you should be aware of.
The top 5 mistakes that are made when people build a wine cellar are: 1.
Poor choice of cooling system.
The temperature of the cellar should be maintained at between 55 - 58 degrees Fahrenheit (approx.
12 - 14 degrees Celsius).
This maintains the wine in a perfect condition and keeps the wine maturing at a slow and gradual pace.
If it is too warm, the wine will age too quickly and, conversely, if it is too cold, the ageing process will be slowed down.
2.
Inadequate (or no) vapour barrier.
The humidity of the cellar needs to be maintained between 55 - 75%.
This is important to ensure the heath and quality of the cork.
If it is too humid, the cork will grow mould and the wine will be spoiled and if it is too dry, the cork will crack, allowing air to enter and spoiling the wine.
3.
Poor insulation.
This causes temperature variations, which degrades the quality of the wine.
It also increases the energy and financial cost of having the cooling system running continuously.
4.
Poor wine cellar air seal and choice of door.
This causes air to travel in and out of the cellar resulting in temperature and humidity variations.
5.
Poor wine racking and storage positioning.
The majority of wine in your cellar should be laid down to keep the cork moist.
This prevents the cork from drying out and cracking.
(There are a small amount of wines that are designed to be stored in an upright position - such as port - and others for which it doesn't really matter how they are stored - such as wines with screw top caps).
It would pay to read up a little on this.
You should also plan where and how you stack and rack your wines, such that you don't have to move them until they are ready to drink.
This is important as stored wines create sediment in the bottle during the maturing process and if you move the bottle too much you mix and disturb this sediment, thus affecting the maturing process.
Finally, here are some extra tips for when you go to build a wine cellar: - When using wood, use redwood or mahogany.
It lasts longer and doesn't have an odour.
Don't use cedar because it has a strong odour that can taint your wine.
- For the floor, don't use carpet or vinyl.
Carpets attract moisture and trap heat, which promotes mould growth.
Vinyl isn't good either as the under layer of rubber and glue can bunch up and change the shape of the vinyl tiles with the high humidity of the cellar.
For floors, it is best to use tiles, wood, concrete, marble, stone or other solid flooring.
- For the door.
Use an external grade door as it is better insulated.
Avoid having glass inserts in the door as this adds to temperature variations.
If you must have glass inserts (for decorative purposes), strongly consider using double-glazing, which will aid in eliminating temperature variations.
Furthermore, make sure that the door is fully sealed on the top and sides and has a weather shield and threshold along the bottom...
again, to prevent air movement.
- For lighting, avoid UV light.
There is some evidence to suggest that UV light can damage your wine.
Stick to a traditional incandescent or tungsten lamp (the kind with the pull cord).
It looks better too and adds a little rustic charm to your cellar.
As you can see, there are a few things that you need to make sure of to ensure the integrity of your cellar and the quality of your wine.
I would encourage you to spend a little time to plan adequately before you go to build a wine cellar.
Good luck!