Building a Wine Cellar For Your Growing Collection of Wine

                                                                                         

Wine Cellar Construction

If you have a growing collection of wine, it may be time to think about building a wine cellar. Some time ago the custom wine room was scarce; 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 well.

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

There are two types of wine cellars. One is an area that has been mainly built to store wine in the correct environment and the other is a stand-alone unit that copies those conditions. A stand-alone wine cellar is not as efficient as a custom-built version, but some people prefer 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 build-out.

Temperature Control and Venting

A wine cellar 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 great for bringing wine out of the cellar to maintain at serving temperatures.) Maturing wine is a balance of time, temperature and the chemical reactions that happen as a result of the two.

Wine should be matured in conditions ranging between 55 and 65 percent humidity and a steady 55 degrees Fahrenheit, within approximately one degree. Wine kept at higher temperatures will age quicker and wine experiences chemical reactions at higher temperatures that destroy the notes of the wine over time.

In some locations of the country, property holders with basements often find that conditions are right for basic wine storage, but seasonal temperature and humidity variations ought to 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 maintain 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. Never select a wine cellar cooler too small for your room; you most likely will never get a steady, optimal storage temperature and the cooling unit will become overtaxed trying to keep up.

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

Electrical power is also a concern. Custom wine cellar builders suggest a dedicated power source to run a wine cooling system. Those who choose to use a shared power source often find the unit overloading with blown fuses and other electrical problems.


Insulation and Vapor Barriers

The wine cooling unit 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 cover the interior of the wine cellar previous to inserting the insulation, leaving the plastic loose so that insulation can be placed between the studs in the wall. Cover the ceiling and the walls, or your vapor barrier will be incomplete. After the barrier is put in, the insulation comes next.

Good wine cellar building needs the right kind of insulation for your walls and ceiling. For example, 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 need R30. Custom wine cellar builders should never put in the insulation loose without packing the material into the sections, as this decreases 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 damaged by UV exposure, which is why the bottles are most often made out of dark glass. Stay away from installing fluorescent bulbs in the wine room, as they give off UV radiation. Control the brightness by using recessed lighting on a dimmer and avoid shining light straight on your wine bottles for long periods of time. Some wine racking are created with compartments that hide bottles from the light which can help reduce exposure, but if your bottles are stowed in plain view, try to avoid the “spotlight” effect on your bottles.

Other Concerns

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

Always watch the temperature and humidity in your wine cellar with an external sensor or gauge. By no means assume that the wine cooling system will always function properly. 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 problems.

Building a custom wine cellar room may require some attention to the design demands of correct wine storage, however once correctly built, you may learn that your collection grows quickly; it’s easy to invest more money in wine when you realize it will be held securely for maximum pleasure.

About the author:
Vigilant is a premier design/build firm that specializes in high-end wine storage and cigar storage equipment. We manufacture wine cellars, wine racks, wine cellar doors, wine cellar furniture, cigar humidors and cigar cabinets. All of our products are designed to the exact specifications of our customers and are backed with the industry’s best warranty. Our education center is filled with the most comprehensive set of resources available to allow our customers to better understand w

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