A new wine cellar in your future?
Posted By Dwight on January 11, 2009
Nurture Your Inner Oenophile
A wine cellar is a great way to store your collection—
and a beautiful enhancement to your home
Washington is a wonderful place to enjoy wine. Our local vintners and distributors hold tastings and tours, which is a fun way to learn about wines and decide what you like. Once you find a nice wine it is great to have several bottles or a case on hand—but this kind of hobby can quickly grow into a 100-bottle collection. So what are the options for cellaring your purchase?
There is an array of storage choices available, ranging from a small cooler to a basement tasting room and display area. Small coolers can store 25 to 100 bottles; larger refrigerated cabinets and small closet cellars can hold up to 500 bottles. With a walk-in cellar the sky is the limit—it can accommodate wines that are smooth and almost ready to drink, as well as the big Cabernets and French Bordeaux that will improve over many years. So when you are planning your cellar, consider what your needs are and then think about where your cave can go.
Natural Cooling
First, consider what kind of environment wines like: a cool, dark place with a constant temperature of 55-58 degrees and 55-75% humidity. A limestone cave would be perfect! If you don’t have one handy, a basement or even a crawl space in our mild climate can be good alternatives. One wine expert told me that although 56 degrees might be the optimal temperature for wine storage, a slow seasonal rise up to sixty degrees should not be a problem.
My first wine cellar was tucked under a staircase. We insulated the area well and installed a fan that brought cool air up from the crawlspace. This was an inexpensive solution that allowed us to display our wine, was easily accessible and functioned beautifully for us. If you’re leaning toward this alternative, be sure your location is in the coolest and most humid part of your house—and that your floor can support the aggregate weight of your collection.
Mechanical systems
After a few years passed and a few more bottles were collected, I built a larger wine closet with a rack capacity of over 500 bottles. I installed a “through the wall” chiller, which is a good option for cooling a smaller cellar. The warm air typically vents into the home, so it needs to circulate freely into a hallway or another room in order for the system to work properly.
The next step up is a “split system,” which has equipment both inside and outside the cellar. It works like a small heat pump or air conditioner, transferring the heat from the cellar to the exterior coil. Larger wine cellars that are not naturally cooled typically need this type of system.
Convenience and Display
Another great place to locate a wine cellar is near the kitchen or dining area. There are many ways to add character to the cellar, whether it’s with a carved cellar door or a wrought iron gate. Low voltage lighting can be tastefully integrated into cedar or redwood racks to create a lovely mood. A dark basement corner can come to life with racks surrounding a tasting table and chairs; add barrels, wine country posters or perhaps a mural to turn the space into a personal, valuable and useful part of your home.
Large or small, a safe place to store the “nectar of the gods” can add to the enjoyment of any home. Cheers!
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