I have a home office in my basement with an attached and unfinished storage room. The room is the result of an addition put on the back of the house some 20 years ago and it’s rather sizable. Though it’s filled to the brim right now with computer stuff, I have been thinking about clearing it out to make way for a wine cellar. It’s cool and dry with only one window for natural light, and it’s out of the way so it’s not being used for anything important. But how would I do this? What do I need to know? Experts disagree on some of the elements for building your own wine cellar, but there are a few basics most agree on.
First is temperature and humidity. It’s generally accepted that the optimum temperature for storing wine is between 50° and 59° Fahrenheit. My storage room stays consistently cool in the summer, but probably not that cool. In the winter it freezes due to the lack of insulation. I would have to investigate and install some sort of heating and cooling system to prevent the spoilage that comes from excessive heat, and the freezing from excessive cold. Humidity comes into play as well because it affects to overall taste of aged wine. Seventy percent humidity is considered ideal, but I could get away with anything between fifty and eighty percent.
Next, I need to be concerned with natural lighting. Direct sunlight is the enemy of good aging as it increases temperature and causes spoilage. Direct sunlight can also cause the aging process to move to quickly, producing a sour and not very tasty product. My storage room only has one window which could be covered with a blind. Low wattage bulbs could be used in the fixtures, preferably ones that are considered soft-glow.
Ventilation is the next thing on my list, which is currently a problem in my room. It gets very little air so it’s musty all the time. Improper ventilation can lead to mold development and odors that will affect the wine. Few people realize this, but the cork in the wine bottle will absorb odors in the room, which can then be transferred to the wine. Good ventilation keeps the musty smell away and helps prevent mold. I need to make sure my ventilation is just enough to circulate the room in the air, and no more. Too much ventilation could make maintaining temperature and humidity a real challenge.
Finally, I need to give careful consideration to racking and organizational layout. The racking needs to be strong enough to bear the weight while not being cumbersome in size. Efficiency is the key to racking. I want racks that will maximize my space yet still allow easy storage and retrieval. I also need to set up a plan of organization, whether it be by category, region, age, or producer. With collections as big a several hundred bottles it’s easy to lose that one you’ve been saving for a special occasion. I don’t want my wine cellar to be a hassle, I want it to be enjoyable at every level.
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