Thinking about a wine cellar for your home or business? There are three very important considerations when building a wine cellar—light, humidity and wine cellar temperature. Dark cool places are a friend to wine. Your wine cellar should be dark to protect your collection from UV rays (aka direct sunlight) as it destroys important organic compounds found in wine that contributes to the distinctive taste, aroma and structure of the wine. Exposing your wine to UV rays will result in wine deterioration. (I know, just the phrase is hard to hear.)
You wine cellar should have moderate humidity level to prevent wine from evaporating faster than the normal rate. However, the most important consideration of all would be the temperature of the wine cellar. Consider building an underground wine cellar because it is generally dark, damp, cool and vibration-free. If a physical cellar isn’t possible or practical, a well-insulated room that can maintain temperatures is the next best bet.
Keep in mind the ideal storage temperature for different wines:
• Light red wine should be stored at 55 degrees F.
• White, rose, blush and dry wines should be stored at 46–57 degrees F.
• Deep red wine should be stored at 59–66 degrees F.
• Sparkling wine and champagne should be stored at 43–47 degrees F.
Wine Cellar Cooling Units vs. Traditional Air Conditioning Units
• It is best to use a wine cooling system rather than a traditional air conditioning unit because the latter tends to cause a quick drop in temperature. Sudden drops in temperature may cause some unfavorable results in the wine’s aging process.
• Room air conditioning units and refrigeration units tend to lower the humidity of the environment. This can result in higher ullage volume especially in aging wines when the cork tends to lose air tightness over time.
• A temperature display can be easily integrated with the wine cooling system. Temperature and humidity can be easily monitored without the need to enter the wine cellar.
Additionally, adjustments in temperature are quickly carried out with the integration of the temperature display to the wine cellar cooling unit.
When building a wine cellar, the most important thing to consider is the health of your wine rather than the aesthetics of your wine cellar. Only a proper wine cellar cooling unit can provide the right wine cellar temperature and humidity levels needed to produce fine wines. Additionally, hiring a professional wine cellar contractor is advised because they are more knowledgeable with proper insulation, humidification and vapor barriers required for properly controlled environment for your wines.
Whatever your wine needs may be, the wine cellar experts at Hobaica Services is are ready to help. To learn more about wine cellar, visit us at www.hobaica.com
