Whether you want to extend the shelf life of your favourite wines or want to start your own wine collection, building a wine cellar right in your home can be a great option. This will allow you to look after your wines and give them the perfect environment to develop as they should. But contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a millionaire in order to build your own wine cellar and its possible to build a perfectly fine wine cellar on a budget. Let’s look at how to create the perfect wine cellar in your home.
Find the Perfect Location
Wine does best when it is kept at the right temperature consistently. Because wine doesn’t survive exposure to UV light, it needs to be in a dark enclosed space. And the temperature in the room should always be around 14°C. The humidity in the room should be around 57%.
Determine the Right Size
Size will depend on how many bottles of wine you’re going to hold. If you have a small collection, a climate-controlled cabinet might be enough. If you’re going to protect and maintain a 200-bottle wine collection, you’ll need at least 30 square feet of space. The longer it needs to be maintained, the more equipment you need to keep the temperature, humidity, and other environmental variables at the right levels. You can buy a wine cabinet that big but getting it in your front door is a challenge. An even larger wine collection requires a dedicated space.
Start Selecting Wine Racks
Instead of standing the wine up on a shelf, you want to keep it at an angle, as this keeps the cork moist. That prevents it from drying out and deteriorating. Once the cork deteriorates, the wine is ruined.
If you’re looking for wine racks, sites like www.wineandbarrels.co.uk have a wide selection. They offer utilitarian wall racks that maximise accessibility and minimise the space taken up. They provide wine systems that allow you to show off the labels of each vintage, making it easier to find whatever wine is best for this occasion. Their artistic designs can turn the wine rack into another decorative piece. They even have a shelving system that protects cases of wine while giving you ready access to them. You can move the wine racks to their final resting place after it has been built.
Build What Works for You
If you need to maintain the right environment for a large wine collection, you’re either converting a basement or cellar or building a dedicated room. If the humidity in your climate is too low, you could now look at installing a water feature to maintain the right humidity instead of putting in a humidifier.
And don’t be afraid to get creative either. If you want to enjoy your wines in your cellar with a group of friends, you can also add insulation, air conditioning, and a bar to an enclosed room that will allow you to show off your wine collection while preserving it.
Conclusion
Part of the joy of wine is the ability to collect it and show it off. A wine cellar, whether it is a corner of your kitchen or a dedicated room in your space, makes this possible.