Guest post by Terry Paranych Real Estate Group
A wine cellar is the perfect way to store your wine collection at home. Not only does it keep your wine at the perfect temperature and humidity level, but it also adds a touch of sophistication to your home. A well-designed wine cellar will protect high quality wine for long-term storage and can even increase your property value. If you’re considering adding a wine cellar to your home or simply looking to expand your wine knowledge, here are a few things to consider before getting started.
Choose Your Location
Before you start bolstering your wine collection, choosing the right location for your cellar is important. The ideal conditions for storing wine are a temperature of between 45 and 65 degrees and a humidity level of 50% to 80%. Finding a space away from direct sunlight is also important, as too much light can cause the wine to deteriorate. Any well-designed cellar will require additional modifications to ensure optimal conditions year-round. However, choosing a space that’s as close as possible will make your cellar less expensive to construct and easier to maintain over time.
Once you’ve found a space that meets these criteria, you can start thinking about how to use the space best to store and display your collection. Creating a proper storage area ensures that your wines will stay fresh and flavorful for years.
Pros & Cons of Basement Wine Cellars
The basement is often the best location for a wine cellar because it’s naturally cooler than the rest of the house. The naturally lower temperatures of these underground spaces make it easier for cooling units to maintain preferred temperatures. Furthermore, basements usually have fewer windows than the rest of the house, making it easier to avoid harmful exposure.
There are a few downsides to basement wine cellars. Humidity can be an issue in these spaces, so it’s important to address this before storing any wine. Additionally, temperatures can get too low for optimal storage, especially for homeowners in cold-weather locations.
Pros & Cons of a Kitchen Wine Cellar
The kitchen is the heart of many homes. It’s a natural gathering place for family and friends. Wine and food go hand-in-hand, so a kitchen wine cellar offers prime convenience. If you entertain often, storing your wine in the kitchen might be the best option.
While there are several pros to having a kitchen wine cellar, there are a few potential downsides to consider. Temperatures fluctuate a lot in the kitchen, especially when the stove and oven are running. If your kitchen receives a lot of natural light, you might need to evaluate types of window treatments that limit harmful exposure. Depending on how many bottles you’re looking to store, finding sufficient space for a wine cellar in your kitchen can be hard.
Pros & Cons of a Dining Room Wine Cellar
Storing wine in the dining room is the perfect way to show off your collection. A wine cellar adds a touch of sophistication to any dining room and can be a conversation starter for guests. While most dining rooms are too small for a walk-in cellar, you could consider a climate-controlled storage cabinet. These efficient options are great for keeping your favorite pairings on hand during meal times.
Due to their limited size, dining room wine cellars don’t offer enough storage for avid collectors. That said, they can be a great way to provide additional storage space for your overall collection.
Maintain the Perfect Environment
Once you’ve chosen the perfect room in your house for a wine cellar, it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll modify the space to ensure constantly optimize for perfect conditions. Consistency is key when storing wine, so you’ll need to go above and beyond when creating your cellar.
Defeating Air Leaks
One of the biggest challenges in maintaining a wine cellar is keeping outside air from entering the space. A small draft can easily throw off the temperature and humidity of your cellar, so it’s important to take the time to find and seal any cracks or leaks.
Start by checking the room for leaks. This process can be included in your home energy audit. A home energy audit will reveal any unseen openings in your home and help you make plans for updating your insulation.
When updating the insulation around your cellar, you should also consider adding vapor barriers, which are plastic sheets that block humidity from soaking through the walls.
For an air-tight space, you should also ensure your selected area has concrete floors, as air can easily seep through the pores of wood and carpet. Your concrete floors should then be coated and sealed. These sealants are usually made from epoxy or urethane. Please note that sealant should not be applied to concrete that’s been poured in the last month.
Installing a Wine Cellar Cooling System
A wine cellar cooling system is essential for collections of all sizes. No matter how consistent the temperatures may be in your area, they’re bound to fluctuate from time to time. Installing a cooler system automatically regulates temperature, so you don’t have to think about it.
The cooling system will most likely be placed in an adjacent room for larger cellars. From there, you’ll need a professional to attach and seal the system through the wall.
Decorating Your Wine Cellar
Now that your wine cellar is fully functional, it’s time to give it some personality. Decorating your cellar is a great way to show off your unique taste and make the space feel like an extension of your home.
Adding several wine racks provides a stylish and functional addition to any cellar. Ideally, you’ll decide on the layout of your wine racks before you begin construction. Wooden wine racks are the preferred choice among many cellar owners because they often have greater capacity and are sturdier. However, some people love metal and glass racks’ sleek, modern look.
Once your racks are in place, you can add as many accents as you want. Paintings, photographs, and wall accents are all great places to start. If you want to get creative, try using wine bottles as decoration.
At-Home Wine Cellars Create Luxury & Convenience
Now that you understand the basics of designing and creating your wine cellar, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice. Remember to choose a convenient location, maintain the optimal environment, and decorate your wine cellar to reflect your personal taste. Be your own sommelier and take pride in displaying your collection in an expertly designed wine cellar!