Practical Tips for Building

Your Wine Cellar

Every wine lover eventually runs into the conundrum of too many bottles, too little space.  Wine is something that is sensitive to outside forces. Consequently, it is important to create the right environment for storing your growing wine collection.  Variables such as heat, humidity, temperature variation, and light exposure can drastically affect the quality of a wine.  A wine collection, which is a great investment in personal and financial resources, is deserving of proper care and attention.  With a few guidelines, building a wine cellar can be a very rewarding experience. 

Temperature is one of the first considerations when designing a cellar.  The chemical changes that occur in aging wine are affected by the ambient temperature.  The rate of chemical reactions in wine double with every 18°F increase in temperature.  Wines that are aged too quickly develop an awkward and clumsy character and deteriorate more quickly than wines aged slowly.  The best temperature to store wine for aging is 55°F, while any temperature under 70°F will do for short-term storage. 

Temperature variation is also detrimental to wine, accelerating the rate of chemical reactions and affecting pressure within the bottle.  This alters the cork and leads to oxidation.  Cellars with external walls are subject to temperature fluctuations outside, while cellars whose walls are in the interior of the building are more stable.  Many cellars are even located entirely or partially below ground, where temperatures are cooler and variation is less apparent. 

The 18th century brought us cork-sealed bottles, which made aging wine possible.  This cork, which is wine’s only barrier against detrimental oxygen, must be kept in an environment that will prevent shrinking or shifting, which allows air to enter the bottle.  Consequently, bottles are stored on their sides, which keeps the cork moist enough to fit the neck of the bottle.  Humidity that is too high, however, can lead to mold formation and warping of wooden wine racks.

Exposure to ultraviolet light affects wine’s chemical reactions and promotes the growth of free radicals, which leads to off-odors and flavors, and speeds up the rate of oxidation.  Direct lighting also can cause temperature fluctuation and can prematurely yellow the labels on wine bottles.  These are but a few things to consider during cellar construction, but always remember: collecting wine is about having fun and creating memories.