Wine cellar: a must-have in your home.

Are you a fan of good wine? A wine cabinet or cellar is a must-have in your home.
Wine lovers know that a wine storage area is more than a mere novelty: it’s a means to preserve wine. In fact, it’s the best way to protect your wine from environmental factors that may degrade it.
Whether you’re looking for a small cabinet for your kitchen, a large unit in your living room or a more conventional cellar in your basement, there are a wide range of options to store or age your wine.
Interested in building your own wine reserve at home to enjoy year-round? Check out what would best suit your needs.
Here are the key criteria to keep in mind when storing wine:

– Temperature
The ideal storage temperature for a quality wine is between 12°C – 14°C (54°F – 58°F). Also, avoid sudden temperature changes; keep it constant at all times.

– Humidity control
A low-humidity environment may dry out corks and degrade their elasticity, while excessive humidity may rot them, which eventually spoils the wine. Ideally, you should maintain humidity levels between 50% and 75%.

– Vibrations
For an optimal ageing process, make sure to minimize any vibrations (ambient noise from nearby trains, vehicles or other sources, any movement or manipulation, etc., which would prematurely degrade your wine).

– Light
Sunlight may alter your wine’s chemistry, thereby adversely affecting its taste. As a result, you should avoid exposing your wine bottles to light and UV rays.

– Constant ventilation
Cork is a very porous substance. Since a wine cork’s structure enables the exchange of gases, you need an environment free of any foul odours, as these might alter the wine’s taste. Never keep food or other substances in your wine storage area.

Choosing the best set-up based on your needs and aforementioned criteria

First off, you need to know the difference between a wine cooler, cabinet and cellar.
Wine coolers are used to control wine’s temperature and ensure it stays at an ideal temperature for drinking. As this type of storage doesn’t necessarily meet the aforementioned criteria, it is best suited to people who purchase wine to enjoy almost immediately.
Wine lovers looking to age an entire wine collection to enjoy over a long period of time should choose a wine cabinet or cellar. The main difference between these two options is their size. A wine cabinet is a piece of furniture where you can store 30 to 400 bottles. If you want to keep more than 400 bottles, you’ll need to invest in a wine cellar or a custom-made cabinet.
Both options usually need to meet all the aforementioned storage criteria.

As the saying goes: “Life’s too short to drink bad wine.”

Enjoy!