If lockdown taught us anything, it’s that we need to improve our wine storage! Whether this means re-doing the wine cellar, building your dream vino haven or restocking your current one, there is something for you to learn in the following. We have put together some tips and tricks when it comes to storing your wine and creating the perfect wine cellar.
Tips and Tricks for Storing Your Wine
Active vs Passive Cooling Systems
Something you may not have known is that wine cellars can be categorised into two different types; active and passive.
Active-cooled wine cellars are those that need to be continuously climate-controlled. Climate control is achieved through automated cooling systems that keep wine at the perfect temperature.
Passively-cooled wine cellars rely on their location to naturally regulate the temperature. These are often built underground to protect the room from any temperature fluctuations.
The ideal temperature for your wine to be stored at, long term, is between 7-18 degrees Celsius however, wines will age at their normal pace between 10-14 degrees Celsius.
Let there be light! (but not too much)
Wine and light aren’t exactly best friends. Too much direct light can spoil the wines when they react with the compounds, especially in your lighter-bodied wines. This is why wines are often stored in glass bottles that have been tinted. If your wine came in clear glass bottles then give them some extra TLC when storing them.
Organisation is key
This is all up to personal preference and how you like your OCD, and by this of course we mean, how you would prefer to organise your wine collection. You can do this by type- which is the easiest by far. Simply group them in reds, whites and of course bubbles.
The second type is to organise your bottles by varietals- this would be grouping all Sauvignon Blancs together, all Chardonnays together, all Shiraz together- you get the picture.
Lastly, you can organise them by region- Bordeaux, Burgundy… Stellenbosch.
Directions
No, we don’t mean directions to the wine glass and corkscrew… but rather which direction your bottles should be facing! While there are many ways to store your bottles it is recommended that you store your bottles at an angle or perfectly horizontal. This prevents the cork from drying out, allowing your wine to mature correctly.
Pegs, Racks or Shelves
Now that you’ve figured out how and where you’re going to store your wine, it’s the fun part! There are many different styles of storage of your wine bottles. You can get pegs that stick out of the wall, making it easy to store the bottles, there are also shelves and of course… the good old standard wine rack.
Whether you choose to store your wines underground, by region or varietal, horizontal at an angle, we are able to create your dream wine cellar! Our bespoke joinery solutions can be tailored to suit your needs while keeping account of how to best store your wines.
Spotlight Joinery is proud to be part of The Excellence Group who join like-minded brands in the industry to make it easier for clients to complete their home by working with one company. If you would like to find out more about how we at The Excellence Group can help you, give us a call on 021 035 1737 or send us an email at connect@theexcellencegroup.co.za.
