If you’re one of the many people around the globe that are fanatic about wine then chances are you’ll want to invest in a wine cellar.  Most people aren’t quite as loopy about wine as the likes of Oz Clarke, instead they prefer to drink wine as soon as they bring it home from the supermarket.  However if this doesn’t describe and you’d like to keep your wines for a number of years to let them age or increase in value, having a wine cellar installed is an absolute must.

You don’t have to have the largest collection of wine either however it’s quite fun just saying that you own a wine cellar.  Because wine can’t keep its flavour for eternity, you need to lay it down for some years to let it age.  The conditions that you store the wine in are crucial because if it is too hot, too cold, too dry or too humid, you’re wine would turn out to be a disappointment.  A temperature-controlled wine cellar is the best way to store wine over the long term.

What Do Wine Cellars Do?

A wine cellar is nothing more than a room which provides the perfect conditions for wine to age.  Storing wine at the correct temperature and humidity is so very important and should never be overlooked.  In days gone by wine cellars were always underground where the conditions were perfect.  Unfortunately not all of us have access to a naturally perfect wine cellar.  This why you need to install various items of equipment so that they can control all the elements.  Most restaurants will have a cellar but some people are building their own at home too.

There are many things you should understand before you go out and buy wine cellar equipment, including:-

Location of Wine Cellar -  As mentioned above, it’s not a requirement to have a massive collection of wine bottles to store.  You’re cellar can quite easily be just 3 x 3 x 3 meters in size.  The most ideal location is in your basement however for larger homes you can build one wherever you want pretty much.

Insulation -  Although you want to keep your cellar cool, insulation is very important.  Normally we think of insulation to keep a property warm however it can also work to keep a room cool.  That’s the reason the cool bag you take on picnics are insulated.  The amount of insulation you need is R-11 and for the outside walls you need R-19.  If your cellar is going to be built in the basement you need to see about a vapour barrier and concrete sealant for the flooring.  For the vapor barrier you would use a polyethylene plastic sheet which is 6mm thick.

Cooling System -  This is one of the most important aspects of building a wine cellar.  You’ve got two basic choices, you can either buy a standard system or you can buy a split system.  Unless you have a massive budget, you’ll probably buy a standard system because it’s cheaper and easier to install.  However the lifespan is only 5-6 years.  The split system is the opposite; it costs more and needs to be fitted by a professional however it lasts a lot longer.

Lighting -  Although you probably won’t spend much time in your cellar, you will want to visit it now and again to add and take away from your collection.  Plus you might also want to show off your cellar to friends.  However it’s important to remember that lights can damage the wine so you’ll probably want to have dimmer switches installed so that you have more control over the intensity.

Doors -  Not the most obvious thing you would to consider when designing your wine cellar but it’s very important all the same.  You must be very careful about which type you buy because wooden doors are not suitable.  You need to go for one which is solid, well insulated, sealed and has no window.

Flooring – The types of flooring you choose affect the conditions of your cellar.  Hard surfaces like stone, slate and tile are much better and never install carpets.

Wine Cellar Kits – If you don’t want to worry about making sure you’ve bought all the equipment you need, there are kits easily available.  As with anything, prices can vary tremendously and it’s all dependant on what quality you are looking for.  Remember that you usually get what you pay for so don’t just make your decision based on price.

Wine cellars are very accessible to anyone who wants to own one and it’s not difficult to achieve as long as you do your research.