Why Do You Need a Wine Cellar? The Enemies of Wine
by Jacqueline S., Wine Enthusiast Companies
I was recently working on organizing a wine cellar with a large collection of exceptionally old bottles. As I worked I stumbled upon several tragic situations of 1983 half-bottle Hermitages gone wrong over the last 25 years. I was shocked at their condition until I considered they were the only lost soldiers I had found throughout the whole project.
The wine cellar I had been working on, though a little disorganized, was kept in perfect condition and allowed for a majority of older wines to age beautifully. This perfect condition successfully battled all four of the Enemies of Wine:
1. Temperature Variations. The cellar room I was working in had a EuroCave INOA cooling unit to keep it at the perfect 55 degrees. (Anywhere between 50 and 57 is fine). This temperature prevented the wines from overheating or chilling, which would force them to either oxidize or freeze the aging process. The temperature must stay consistent. Wines in oscillating temperatures and changing environments can easily turn bad. Steady temperature is #1 when it comes to the rules for cellaring.
2. Light. Having a dark cellar is extremely necessary. UV rays can easily damage wine by penetrating the glass. The wine cellar room I worked in was pitch black with the lights turned out in the basement. Ideal for keeping wines for long periods of time.
3. Low Humidity. The corks, which are one of the key factors in protecting the wine, need a balance in humidity. A dry cork will crumble or allow air to enter the bottle. A custom wine built cellar or a free standing Eurocave will keep the humidity at a perfect level all the time.
4. Vibration. Last but certainly not least, stillness is essential in allowing wines to age well and continue to drink beautifully. Excessive vibration can generate unneeded heat that causes corks to shift.
The original wine cellars were actually caves. Cave is even the French word for wine cellar. So if you think about the environment of a cave: cold, dark, still and slightly humid you’ll understand how to store wine optimally. A EuroCave or a custom built cellar is ideal for protecting your wine against the enemies and keeping your wine happy, for the long term.
How do you protect your wine against the enemies? Leave us a comment, and let us know!
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Filed under: Wine Cellars, Wine Storage
6 Comments
6 Responses to “Why Do You Need a Wine Cellar? The Enemies of Wine”
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July 20th, 2008 at 4:48:59 PM
I protect my wines from the four enemies by drinking it ;) – Actually I do have a unique solution that was the result of a finished basement that had space behind a wall. In this situation the valve for the water supply is at the far wall of the basement is a corner. The contractor decided to put a door in front of the valve and set the finished wall out 24″ from the foundation. When the door is open the valve is accessible, but if you look to the left, there is a wonderful two foot corridor that ends at the junction of two foundation walls. I stacked my racks there and built a door that runs from the floor to the ceiling joists to keep it dark. When inside the corridor there is the unfinished side of the basement wall as well as the foundation wall. I built slats that run between the studs and rails so that I can store the empty bottles that i enjoyed along with hand written notes on the rails. It may not be optimal for long term storage, but for the amount of wine that I store knowing that no bottle will sit for more than 24 months, it seems to work very well and was a great use of dead space behind a wall.
January 26th, 2009 at 12:19:58 AM
I live in the Midwest in a 4-level house which has a sub-basement. The subbasement is 10×10x30 feet, is completely dark and has a concrete shelf at 48″ off the floor and 8 inches deep. The humidity varies a bit seasonally, but is generally 30-35%, and the temperature runs 60-62 in Summer and no lower than 50 in the winter months. There is temperature variation, but it is very gradual. I have installed redwood racking on the walls and improvised with “workout room flooring” made of a heavy rubberized foam material. This feels good underfoot and has saved at least a couple bottles and glasses from breaking on a concrete or tile floor. I have approx 600 bottles in the cellar at any one time and have tasted the results of my efforts over the course of a decade. The wines aged in the cellar have been mostly excellent and all appears to work well, but I wonder if there are any tips for improving my space without enormous expense?
January 26th, 2009 at 12:22:05 PM
Hi DS, thank you for your question. In terms of improving you current space, I’d suggest adding some active control cooling and/or humidification to the room. Idealy, we like to see a cellar stay at 55 degrees, with an acceptable range of 50-60 degrees. Humidity levels can be as low as 55% all the way up 70%. This will ensure the proper aging of your wine for the long term. In terms of cost investment, I’d start w/ the humidifcation option. There are many ways to do this from adding a water element(fountains) in the area to installing active control humidification w/ water lines. If you see your collection growing in size, I’d eventually close off this large space and create a room w/ insulated walls and correctly sized cooling system.
January 29th, 2009 at 11:00:29 AM
David,
Thanks again for the blog post and response. I’ve recently added a portable humidifier to the cellar and monitor the humidity levels regularly. It does beg the question, though: With the advent of screwcap closures will humidity become a concern of the past?
January 29th, 2009 at 12:03:42 PM
I’m glad to hear that you were able to utilize the low cost solution that you were looking for! Until you have a wine cellar made up completely of screwcaps, humidity will always need to be addressed in any wine cellar environment. I find that many people that have a passive cellar such as yourself are okay w/ the fluctations that may occur. However, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had clients that have built up their collection and then become very concerned about maintaining precise temp & humidity as well as preserving the wine labels. I always say, if you can stabilze the room now, you’ll thank yourself later.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:33:43 PM
I store wine in a one temperature wine cooler in my weekend house, but in my hot dry apartment, I keep only enough wine to last me a few months. Having had my share of disappointments, I’ve never dared go as long as six. I keep it upright as I’ve always assumed that the wine would turn before the cork dried out Any thoughts as to how long wine will last under these suboptimal conditions?