Easy Guide to Food And Drinks

April 16, 2011

Storage Factors In A Wine Cellar

Filed under: Wine Spirits — Tags: , , — CakeAuthor @ 10:53 pm

Not every wine enthusiast wants or demands a wine cellar and except in cases where they’ve got more than a couple dozen bottles of wine, they probably do not need one. Generally, only those wine enthusiasts having an extensive collection of wine will have to have a wine cellar, although many dining places which include a variety of wine beverages keep a well-stocked temperature controlled cellar. A properly designed wine cellar  is more than purely an area contained in the basement.

A lot of bigger eating places will probably have a comprehensive wine variety necessitating a substantial utility area. To be able to maintain the wine in its very best quality, heat and moisture content controls are always used in the best wine cellars. A typical wine cellar temperature of about 55 degrees F is appropriate for a lot of red or white wine varieties and the humidity suggestion can vary greatly by the kind of wine though humidity of around 70% may prevent cork shrinkage. Each time a client asks for a wine with their dish it is almost always pulled from the wine cellar and so be at the best temperature for serving.

Numerous wine enthusiasts even think of constructing their own wine cellar with racks of wine bottles displayed in a dimly lit  and dusty environment. Although subdued illumination is common where wines are kept, scarcely will owners substantial wine selections permit dust to amass on the bottles. Plus a well enclosed wine cellar ought to allow for minimal dust.

Splitting Wine By Temperature Is The Usual Practice

Many commercial and home wine cellars will likely be segregated into the several types of wine stored at variations in temperature. The biggest segment might be for any stored at 55-degrees then with more compact sections used for those stored in colder temperatures. The majority of facilities apply exact temperature and humidity controls delivering an excellent environment for his or her wine collection.

The owner of a private wine cellar is more likely to own an area that is chilled to a solitary temperature; commonly close to 55 degrees Farenheit with seventy percent moisture content. This is often suitable for storing the majority of wine beverages for the longer term even though champagnes and a few white wines might need to be chilled further prior to serving.

Those that have simply a modest collection of wines may consider a private wine cellar as a misuse of time and money. Even so, a wine cellar ought to be thought about as being a definite investment. A wine collection by itself is usually a substantial investment with vintages which range from a few bucks up to a few thousand dollars and it deserves to be kept in a manner that will allow it to build up intricacy as it matures. You don’t require to possess a expertly designed wine cellar as a home handyman can construct a home wine cellar at minimal cost using basic guidelines.

July 10, 2009

Build Your Own Wine Cellar

Building your own wine cellar is the best way to age your wine collection. A wine cellar must be designed to store wine in the right conditions as it ages, ensuring that the wine does not spoil and that it develops complexity.

Building your own wine cellar from the ground up - or more likely, the basement up - may seem like an overwhelming task, but the proverbial first step is usually the most difficult. It usually starts with collecting the first bottle and eventually finding that your collection has grown to a point that you cannot store it without a cellar.

The cost of a well-constructed wine cellar can run to many thousands of dollars but so can a large capacity refrigerated wine cabinet, so you may find that a custom-built home wine cellar can be the most economical and cost effective way of storing your wine.

There are several items to consider before you begin building your wine cellar.

Temperature should be a chief consideration and also the amount of natural light. Ensure the room is well insulated – extruded polystyrene insulation is ideal. If you reside in a mild climate it may be possible for you to create a passive cellar that requires no cooling system.

A wine cellar is generally constructed with thicker walls. Two-by-six construction provides space for quality insulation, allowing the cellar to remain at a constant temperature. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system.

Temperature swings can quickly destroy your wine collection. Small temperature fluctuations from summer to winter will not damage the wine but those same fluctuations on a daily or weekly basis will cause your wine to age prematurely. Temperature should be maintained between 45 and 60 degrees F, and avoid direct sunlight. Thus, you can often successfully create a wine cellar in a closet and a humidity level between 50% and 80% is ideal for all types of wine.

When storing wine all vibration should be avoided; it agitates the bottles and speeds up the chemical reactions taking place inside the bottle – and not in a desirable way.

Vibration can become a major issue during transportation and is the reason most shippers recommend allowing your wine to rest after extended travel. This is important, too, when you buy wine at a cellar door or even from your local wine retailer. Never take it home and pull the cork out without allowing it to rest. In fact, all wine should be immediately placed in your cellar.

Remember that it is not just your wine collection which is valuable; the wine cellar itself will increase the value to your home. So the better-constructed and larger your cellar, the more the value of your house goes up as well.

Unless you live in a very cold climate a wine cellar is generally a lower temperature environment compared with its surrounding living spaces and therefore must be treated differently in relation to those spaces. If the temperature in your wine cellar suggests that it requires cooling do not attempt to cool it by using a domestic air conditioning unit. Home air conditioning will remove the humidity from the air and will quickly destroy your wines by causing the corks to dry out. Several popular brands of wine cellar cooling units are available that will cool any sized wine cellar. Your wine cellar will become one of the most important areas in your home and will make a personal statement about you. It is the space for you to indulge your passion for wine collecting and where you will display your latest acquisitions. Discover how to build your own home wine cellar and, if you have the space, why not consider incorporating a bar and tasting area.

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