Protecting Your Fine Wines in a Luxury Home Wine Cellar

If you have a growing assortment of wine, it may be time to consider constructing a wine cellar. Some time ago the custom wine cellar was unusual; today more and more wine connoisseurs are learning about wine cellar construction or contracting the work out to those who know how to do the job right.

Wine cellar rooms are more than a dark, cool place to store an assortment of wine bottles. Today's custom wine cellar is a controlled environment where humidity and temperature are regulated to allow wine to accurately age without harm to corks, labels or the wine itself.

There are two types of wine cellars. One is an area that has been particularly created to hold wine in the right conditions and the other is a stand-alone system that mirrors those conditions. A stand-alone wine cellar is not as effective as a custom-built version, but some people like the aesthetics of a small cooled refrigerator over a custom wine cellar. Those who do choose a custom cellar have three simple considerations for proper creation.

Temperature Control and Venting

A wine room is used to store and age the wine in the bottle rather than preserving it at a serving temperature. (A stand-alone wine chiller is best for transporting wine out of the cellar to maintain at serving temperatures.) Aging wine is a balance of time, temperature and the chemical reactions that take place as a result of the two.

Wine should be matured in conditions ranging between 55 and 65 percent humidity and a solid 55 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take one degree. Wine held at higher temperatures will age quicker and wine experiences chemical reactions at higher temperatures that spoil the notes of the wine over time.

In some parts of the country, property holders with basements often realize that conditions are right for basic wine storage, but seasonal temperature and humidity variations should be avoided. The best storage solution is a custom-built or DIY-construction wine room with climate and humidity control using a wine cooling component to keep the temperature at a steady 55 degrees.

These components are available in an array of sizes and the dimensions of your wine cellar will control what size you need to buy. By no means buy a wine cellar cooling system too small for your room; you most likely will never get an accurate, optimal storage temperature and the wine cooling system will become overtaxed trying to keep up.

Wine cellar cooling systems require proper venting, and your wine cellar construction plan requires either a hole in the wall to let venting outdoors or enough vent space to flow warm air out of the room. Check the specs of your wine cooling unit; most need a venting space at least two times as big as the wine room space itself.

Electrical power is also an issue. Custom wine cellar builders recommend a dedicated power source to run a wine cellar refrigeration system. Those who choose to use a common power source frequently find the system overloading with blown fuses and other electrical issues.


Insulation and Vapor Barriers

The wine cooling system is only part of your climate control plan for a custom wine cellar; you also need a vapor barrier made of plastic sheeting used on the "hot" side of the wall. Some people enclose the interior of the wine cellar before inserting the insulation, keeping the plastic loose so that insulation can be positioned between the studs in the wall. Wrap the ceiling and the walls, or your vapor barrier will be unfinished. After the barrier is installed, the insulation comes next.

Good wine cellar construction needs the right kind of insulation for your walls and ceiling. For instance, if you are building a 2x6 wall, R19 insulation is recommended, but if you have a smaller wall of 2x4, R13 may be your best bet. (The "R" designation represents the heat resistance of the insulation.) Ceilings require R30. Custom wine cellar builders should never put in the insulation loose without packing the substance into the sections, as this lessens the insulation's effectiveness.

The next phase is to install a style of drywall called green board, which is moisture-resistant, making it a bit more expensive than normal drywall. Install an exterior-grade door to the wine cellar and your climate control plan is complete.

Lighting and UV Exposure Control

Wine is spoiled by UV exposure, which is why the bottles are normally constructed out of dark glass. Stay away from putting in fluorescent bulbs in the wine room, as they give off UV radiation. Control the strength by using recessed lighting on a dimmer and avoid shining light straight on your wine bottles for long periods of time. Some wine racks are created with sections that hide bottles from the light which can help lessen the exposure, but if your bottles are stored in plain view, try to avoid the "spotlight" effect on your bottles.

Other Concerns

Almost any sort of flooring can be used in your custom wine cellar. If your home is large enough for a tasting room to complement your cellar, you may wish to give them both a similar look, but in no way use carpet and rugs in the cellar space. They simply can't hold up to the required humidity levels without surrendering to mold. Mold growth will wreck your wine, as can any strong odor from chemicals or cheeses. A wine cellar should be used only to hold wine; keep food in another area.

Always check the temperature and humidity in your wine cellar with an external sensor or gauge. By no means assume that the wine cooling component will always function correctly. A quick glimpse at the external gauge can give you early notice if the wine cooling system is having difficulties, or if the unit is giving a wrong readout because of a bad sensor or other technical issues.

Constructing a custom wine room may call for some thought to the design demands of correct wine storage, but once correctly built, you may realize that your collection grows rapidly; it's easy to invest more money in wine when you know it will be stored securely for maximum enjoyment.