Tips for Wine Storage

A wine cellar must keep a stable temperature between 40 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, as lower than 40 will cause unwanted amounts of sediment and deposits, and over 65 can cause the wine to spoil. The temperature should change very little, changing the most only as the seasons do. Daily temperature fluxes in your affordable wine cellar will make the wine spoil rather than age.

Affordable wine cellars need to be away from heat or air vents, furnaces or air conditioning units. As the air heats up in the wine cellar, the cork expands and there is too much pressure in the bottle. Likewise, when the air cools, the cork contracts, which allows too much oxygen into the bottle, causing a spoiled wine.

Your affordable wine cellar needs to be in a well ventilated area, free from strong or harmful odors, like from food or chemicals. Odors can penetrate the cork, potentially altering the wine’s flavor.

Humidity can affect your wine just was much as temperature. The ideal humidity level of a wine cellar is 70%, although a level between 50 and 80% is acceptable. Too little humidity will dry out the cork and cause air to enter the bottles. Too much humidity in the wine cellar can cause the labels to mold or fall off and can affect the racks in your cellar.

Light causes wine to age early, so it is best to keep the light in your affordable wine cellar to natural light only. Incandescent light affects wine the least after natural light, but fluorescent and ultraviolet light can do a great deal of harm to your wine, especially sparkling wines.

Vibrations and movement are not desirable for your wine cellar, as they can eventually dislodge the cork and spoil the natural, good sediments in your wine. Make sure your wine cellar is away from motors, pumps and machinery.

Having easily accessible bottles in your affordable wine cellar in a necessity. The labels should face up so they can be read without disturbing the bottle. It is best to handle your bottles as little as possible, as movement can disturb the natural aging process. You should make sure your wine cellar has enough storage so that you can reach any bottle without moving another. Bottles should be on their sides, pointing slightly downwards to keep the cork moist to maintain the airtight seal in the bottle.