Do You Need a Wine Cellar?

Owning a well-stocked wine cellar is the ultimate dream for the wine connoisseur. Wine cellars speak of wealth, status, and bottle after bottle of delicious wine stored stylishly in bespoke wine racks. Although having a wine cellar is the eventual goal, thanks to various limitations, most people never manage to achieve this target. But do you actually need a wine cellar, or can you store wine just fine without one? When considering whether a wine cellar will be worth the investment, there are several things that you should think about and bear in mind. Choices and Limitations Firstly, and most importantly, what are your habits when it comes to wine? If you tend to only buy wine on an ‘as and when you fancy it’ basis, then the chances are that there is no point investing in a wine cellar. However, if you have an extensive wine collection that you are constantly adding to, bespoke wine racks in a dedicated wine cellar could well be the way to go. If you do keep plenty of wine around the home waiting for that special occasion, then it is likely that you already have a wine rack handy. However, depending on the size of your wine collection, you may be in need of more storage space. Luckily, we can provide wine racks in a comprehensive range of sizes, from quaint, kitchen-side racks that store a dozen or fewer bottles to bespoke custom wine racks that are built with your intended space in mind, whether this is under the stairs or a dedicated wall in the kitchen. Storing wine improperly can lead to problems with your wine, especially if your collection contains a lot of vintage or fine wines. How wine should be stored to prevent problems Keeping your wine in a location that is either too hot or too cold or where there are notable fluctuations in temperature, can cause the cork to expand or contract. This can lead to small amounts of wine leaking out, leading to air taking its place which could lead to oxidisation, affecting the taste of your wine. The recommended temperature for storing your wine should fall between 45 (7°C) to 65 (18°C) degrees Fahrenheit - and never exceeding 75 degrees F (24°C), which can cause the wine to start breaking down. While cooler temperatures won’t negatively affect the quality of the wine, it can slow down the ageing process. Similarly, storing bottles in an upright position can cause the cork to dry out and crumble, again spoiling the wine. It’s also necessary to keep your wine stored in the dark, away from direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting, which can lead to your wine having a bad smell if left out for too long, even when the bottle is still sealed. Some higher priced wines incorporate darker glass bottles with UV filters to combat the issue, however, it’s always best practice to keep wine stored in a cool, dark location and prevent it repeatedly being exposed to light by covering/wrapping in a cloth or storing within an opaque box. Another important consideration to keep in mind when it comes to wine cellars is space. Thinking logically, do you realistically have space in your home for a wine cellar? The best wine cellars are located in cool, dry and well-ventilated spots, away from excessive heat, light, and vibrations. If you don’t have the capacity to accommodate a wine cellar, it will probably be a lot easier to simply stick to a traditional wine rack. A wine cellar without a basement? Is it possible to incorporate a wine cellar in your home if you do not have a basement? Nowadays, most extensions are built above ground, heading skyward with a loft conversion or using existing land the property is built on and the costs of adding a cellar to your home can be extremely high. Considering the volume of dirt that needs to be moved, existing foundations that may need to be included in the construction and the effect the work can have on your day to day life are all factors to bear in mind. Modern day wine cellars are more versatile, with the ability to be incorporated to any suitable location in the home, whether it’s converting a kitchen nook, partitioning a utility room or even building a dedicated shed in the garden, as long as you can account for proper wine storage requirements in your design, your dream wine cellar can soon be made a reality. Wine cellar or custom wine racks? At the end of the day, the need, or not, for a wine cellar is entirely personal. Every home and wine collection is unique, so it is the job of the connoisseur to decide which method will be best for storing their individual collection. Since it is essential to store your wine in the right way, bespoke wine racks can be the best way to keep your collection in order. Whether your wine rack is located in a wine cellar or simply in a cool, dry and quiet corner of your home, the need for a good quality wine rack is clear. For more information about bespoke wine racks for your home, please get in touch with us today.