So you’ve decided to take a large step, and move from wine lover to wine connoisseur. You are going to buy a wine cellar. This guide will give you all the information you need to make this purchase.

Wine Bottle Storage
The ideal location for storing wine is a dark, draftless area that stays at a constant 50-60 degrees, with 60-70 percent humidity. The bottles should be kept on their sides to keep the corks moist, and should be exposed to limited vibrations. This will ensure that you will be able to keep bottles at their best for years to come.

One thing to consider if you decide to purchase a large wine cellar: make sure the unit will fit! This sounds obvious, but many times stand-alone wine cellars are much wider than a standard door. Another thing to think about is weight. Consider not only the weight of the storage unit, but be sure to calculate 3 pounds each for a standard bottle of wine. You might not want to store your wine upstairs. This is another reason that wine is typically stored in a cellar.

Types of Wine Cellars
If you are lucky enough to live in a house, maybe you can use the existing cellar or a spare room, or have one built. Just be sure not to skimp on building materials – it would be silly to have 400 bottles of wine crashing to the floor because you wanted to save a few bucks on thinner wood. Also, be sure the condensation will be able to evaporate; otherwise, the humidity will increase beyond ideal levels. Consider the cellar as an investment.

If you don’t have a large amount of space, you can buy a freestanding wine cellar. While not actually a cellar in the traditional sense, these are large units that can be stored in a house or apartment. They are available commercially for a wide variety of prices. Always consider where you are going to be storing the wine. If it will be kept in your home, you will not need to have as much insulation or as strong of a cooling unit, but a unit kept in the garage will have to be much higher quality.

Building Your Own Wine Cellar
The best location for the cellar is below the level of the house. If your basement has outside walls, keep in mind that north-facing walls will get the least amount of light. Some smaller crawl spaces may not work very well if they experience extreme changes in temperature. The same goes for a garage. The first floor of the house can also be used, and as long as the house stays at a fairly constant room temperature, the cooling unit will not have to work too hard.

Framing
The first step in building a wine cellar is the framing. The outer walls of the basement or room should be framed with 2″ by 6″ wood studs. If the floors are cold, use 2″ by 4″ studs.

Insulation
The next step in the creation of a wine cellar is insulation. The room needs to be kept at the most constant temperature possible. The best type to use is sprayed 2 pound polyurethane, although less expensive methods can used, especially if the cellar is on the first floor of the house. Once again, consider the cellar to be an investment.
Doors
Don’t forget about the door! It needs to have weather stripping and also be insulated. Otherwise all the work done to insulate the walls will be wasted.

Drywall
To finish the walls, use a drywall that is resistant to moisture. Other wall material can be used, but make sure that it will not soak up moisture and that it will not impart an odor on the wine.

Racks
Don’t leave the design of the racks until the end. Start first with this design to make sure that you have enough space for the number of bottles you’d like to store. A good place to start would be to look at the smaller racks available at your local wine store. These will give you ideas on the design you would like. Once again, make sure the construction is sturdy enough for the weight of the wine.

Temperature and Humidity and Wine
As mentioned before, the ideal temperature for wine is between 50 and 60 degrees. If the temperature is too high, it will spoil quickly. If it is too low, it will not age properly. If the temperature changes often, the cork will expand and contract. This may lead to air getting into the wine. Keeping this in mind, never buy wine chilled at a store, as you have no idea how long it has been that way. Also, don’t keep wine in your own refrigerator for more than 1 or 2 days.

Humidity can also damage wine. If the humidity is too low, the cork can dry out. While a tipped bottle will keep one side moist, the rest of the cork can become cracked and brittle.

Also, ensure the wine will be kept in a dark place, away from vibrations. Colored bottles help keep the light out to some extent, but don’t rely on the bottle to keep the light out. Movement may cause the bottles to shift. Wine needs to stay in contact with the cork so it will not dry out and crack, so limit the movement the bottles are exposed to.

Wine Cellar Cooling Units
After you cellar is complete, you can purchase a commercial wine cooling unit. Many of these work similarly to a window AC unit. They vent through a wall rather than being installed in the ceiling. However, if you are below ground or for some other reason cannot use a window unit, there are commercial units that can be installed. These are slightly more costly, but work well in those situations.

Every wine has an ideal aging time. If your wine cellar is built properly, it will keep your wine for years to come.

In order to get the best benefits out of good wines, they first need to sufficiently mature. Wines only get better with time. They must be stored properly during this period of maturing, as factors such as humidity, temperature, and proper lighting play an imperative role. The easiest and most effective way to store wine is to use a wine rack. Wine racks are to be selected carefully, keeping in mind which size of rack that you will require.

There are many choices of wine racks. However, the horizontal types of racks are normally preferred to those that are vertical, especially for wines that will be stored for a long period of time. Vertical racks do tend to dry the cork, which will end up spoiling the wine, just as many tilted racks do. Horizontal racks won’t dry up the cork and allow any unnecessary air contact, leaving your wine which is stored in a horizontal rack to be totally absent of sediment when it is poured. Another benefit is that it is also inexpensive to maintain.

The very wide range of wine racks are normally made of either wood or metal, that can be kept sitting on the floor, or they can be suspended from the ceiling.

A wooden wine rack has an advantage over a metal rack, as it can provide much needed extra storage space. They are strong and hard, and are aesthetically pleasing, mainly because they are made of cedar, maple, and mahogany. The wide range of these wine racks includes Diamond Bin, Rectangular Bin, and the Curved Corner Rack. If none of these are appealing to your creative nature, then you can purchase your own wooden kit which is all ready to make up with all the tools needed, making it very easy to install. This will allow you to create your own design for a rack that you want.

Wine racks which are smaller in size are suitable for homes and personal collections, but larger businesses will usually require larger racks to store larger quantities and varieties. Wine racks are very affordable, with prices that can range anywhere from $20 to $1000. For most home uses of racks, you can look to spend in the neighborhood of $35-$300, which all depends on the style and size of what you are looking for. There is a wine rack for all your needs, it is up to you to find that rack and begin storage.

Wine storage is key to the success of any collection. If you enjoy collecting find wines then you will want to look into the best of all wine storage options. There are many different ways to store your wine but no matter which wine storage solution you choose you will need to keep the conditions constant.

The temperature of any wine storage space needs to be at a constant 50-60 degrees. There should also be plenty of ventilation of the area and this wine storage should be far away from the main area of the house. You do not want to have your wine collection suffering due to too much vibration and you need to keep any source of light to a minimum. No sunlight should be permitted into the wine storage area.

You can use a wine cellar for your wine storage or you can have a special cooler. Wine racks are a necessary part of your wine storage. The wine racks can be made of metal or wood and the wine storage that you choose will be a matter of personal taste. Both of these sorts of racks are wonderful to look at but the metal racks tend to be more flamboyant and stylish while the wood racks are classic and traditional in style.

You may want to choose your racks in order to have them match the rest of your wine storage solution. The final choices that you make will be affected somewhat by whether or not you are planning to show off your wine cellar to your friends. If you are then your wine storage solutions will need to be a little more coordinated.

So look into the wine racks and other wine storage options that will all look well together. Your wine storage area can look like those of a professional wine collector. It is not hard to do but it can cost you a little money.

Your temporary wine storage options are a little simpler. Just before you serve your wine you will probably want to chill it, this of course depends on the wine. In order to store your wine for chilling you can look into cool wine storage solutions. Wine coolers are easy to find, you can find them in many department stores or wine stores. Even the Internet is a great source for finding these types of wine storage options.

As the years pass, the quality and taste of wine changes. The manner in which wine is stored can either slow or hasten this natural process. Whether you are storing white or red wine, sparkling whine or champagne, it may be necessary to invest in a wine storage cooler in order to protect your assortment of fine beverages.

Wine storage coolers are available in a vast array of stores. Even the lower end consumer retailers have gotten into the party. It is not uncommon to find great deals on these products from stores like Walmart and Target. Of course, for the more luxurious wine aficionados out there, high end retailers have more aesthetically pleasing and electronically sound wine storage cooler for sale.

What does a wine storage cooler do? It sounds simple and many of you are probably wondering why not just use the household refrigerator. The reason for this is that the storage temperature required for food to be kept fresh and the temperature required to keep wine properly cooled is different.

Food generally requires a much lower temperature. Another reason is that the continuous opening of the refrigeration causes temperature readings to change. Wine needs to be kept at a constant temperature in order to preserve its color, taste and quality.

Another problem to consider is that different types of wine require different temperature settings. You are not going to have this flexibility with a standard refrigerator. Many wine storage cooler are manufactured with the ability to delegate different temperature and humidity zones. For instance, if you have a fine bottle of white and a deep red wine, you can set two different settings in your wine storage cooler to ensure the preservation of the liquid.

Besides the obvious usefulness of the wine storage cooler, there is an aesthetic component to having one in your home. When a visitor sees a wine storage cooler, the immediate connection is made with luxury and class.

There are a ton of products on the market for you to choose from. The best way to begin your search is by viewing consumer reports, fine wine magazines and doing some Internet research.

If you go to wine tasting events, you might want to ask some of the other attendees and even the wine manufacturers which devices are the best to keep your wine as fresh as possible.

What does a wine cellar do? Think before you answer, because you need to be absolutely certain of the purpose of a wine cellar before you begin to build a wine cellar of your own. Increasingly, given the rising number of wine aficionados around the world, a residential wine cellar is gaining ground as a status symbol for both the mature connoisseur as well as the entry-level enthusiast, but its utility extends far beyond that.

Essentially, a wine cellar is a storage space that protects wine from potentially damaging external influences. Because wine is a natural, perishable food product, it is vulnerable to exposure mainly from heat, light, and humidity. However, if stored properly, wines not only retain their quality, but also improve with regard to aroma, flavor, and richness as they mature.

Building your own wine cellar
Before you begin, remember that the ideal wine cellar must provide constant temperature, humidity, and darkness. Add to that well-ventilated and clean surroundings, and your favorite Chardonnay and Cabernet are in good hands. So what are the basic steps to keep in mind?

- The more you research, the better your chances of building the perfect wine cellar. The Internet offers a vast number of sites that offer wine cellar kits. Prices for these kits may range from USD 2000 to about 4000, but that’s a slightly conservative estimate, and process can increase depending on the quality of your wine cellar racks. Bottom line: don’t scrimp on costs because ultimately, your expensive wines will suffer.

- Depending on the size of your house, you may choose to place your wine cellar below or above ground. Obviously, those with larger houses can accommodate wine cellars above ground, but the basement is the safest bet because it will support the combined weight of the cooler and the racks.

- Your area selected, begin work on insulation. All inner walls must have at least R-11 insulation while outer walls and the ceiling must have at least R-19. If you choose the basement, a vapor barrier with a concrete sealant over it will be adequate for the floor. The vapor barrier – usually a 6mm polyethylene plastic sheet – should face outward (the ‘warm’ side of the cellar), as opposed to the ‘cold’ side. This is something you have to be careful of: if the sheeting faces inward, damp will set in and damage the walls.

- Next, install a door. The ideal door must be solid, windowless, and insulated – NOT wooden, because they are not adequately insulated. Also ensure that the weather stripping is adequate and the door is airtight.

- A very important step is to place the cooler, which is ideally placed at the back of the area for aesthetic purposes! Typically, the cooler should be placed between crosswise boards about 6 inches down from the ceiling.

- Finally, finish the walls and lights. Use a drywall to finish off the walls and cover up with durable strip paneling. When installing the lights, avoid recessed lights because they make the cellar less than airtight. Aim for simplicity and you’ll be ok. But remember, light switches are best placed outside, or else they get in the way of your wine racks.

Have you just bought a dozen expensive European reds, but have no suitable wine rack to store them? Are you a budding wine enthusiast and wondering how to choose the right wine rack for your growing wine collection?

Well-designed wine racks that keep wines from being moved too much could be the answer to your wine storage problems. By keeping bottles in a horizontal position, good wine racks allow the wine to keep the cork moist so that it doesn’t dry out and allow air into the bottle.

It was the Romans who developed better wine storage methods, keeping wine in barrels and bottles. But how do you solve the modern-day problem of finding space and the right wine rack for your wine collection?

Tips on how to choose the right wine rack for your wine collection

1. It is important to ask how many bottles you’re going to store and when you’re going to drink them.

- If you have a dozen bottles, ready for drinking within a month or two, then all you may need is a wine rack that sits on the floor in a closet somewhere on the north side of the house.

- If you are a serious collector and want to store your wines for more than a year to maybe ten years, then you may need modular wine racks that hold hundreds of bottles of wine. A cellar or converted cellar measuring less than 3 meters square will easily hold 100 dozen bottle bottles or wine.

2. The second most important question is where are you going to put your wine racks? The best place for wine storage is a cellar or cellar-like place that is dim, cool, and stable in temperature and movement, slightly humid and with few odors. The worst place would be the top of the fridge where you get vibration, constantly changing temperature, heat from the kitchen and constant exposure to light.

In most modern homes the cellar-like place can be a large closet, a walk-in wine pantry, space under a stairway, a specially constructed and insulated room with wine racks and wine cellar cooling systems, or even a converted corner of the garage.

3. What material do you want for your wine rack?

- If you want a modern look, you may opt for a stainless steel wine rack.

- If you want the traditional look of wood, then you can choose from inexpensive pine to more expensive oak, walnut, cherry, western red cedar or mahogany.

- If you want novel styles and shapes then you may opt for wrought iron which can be moulded into various shapes and powder-coated in various colors to match your home décor.

4. What style do you want?

- Do you have enough space for a freestanding wine rack?
- Do you want your wine racks incorporated into fitted cupboards?
- Do you want them hanging or mounted to the wall if space is limited?
- Or do you want stackable wine racks that allow you to increase your storage space when you need it?

5. Is your wine rack sturdy, stable and strong enough to bear the weight of your wine bottles? Is the wine rack made of durable and attractive material such as Philippine mahogany? Does the wine rack have full 13.5 inch-deep shelves for full bottle depth and added stability? Does the manufacturer provide at least one year warranty?

6. Other important questions to ask would be:

- Do you have enough space not only to store your wine bottles on their side but to be able to rotate them occasionally to preserve their flavour?

- Does your wine rack have slightly wider openings allowing storage for most Champagne and Burgundy style bottles, as well as standard size 750 ml bottles?

- Does it have angled front slats to avoid damage to labels and your hands?

- If you are buying a wine rack kit, are they pre-drilled and screw together using simple tools for easy assembly?

7. And last but not least what is your budget? Most wine rack stores – whether online or brick and mortar- stock a range of wine racks to suit all budget and tastes and some even include free shipping.

For less than $30, you can get a stackable metal wine rack with simple lines that hold up to 4 bottles. Or for less than $200, you could get a wooden wine rack in handsome mahogany, 6 columns wide and 9 rows high that will hold 60 bottles of your favorite wines. Take your pick.

The love of wine has existed since the dawn of time. Fossil vines, 60-million-years-old, are the earliest scientific evidence of grapes. The earliest written account of viniculture is in the Old Testament of the Bible which tells us that Noah planted a vineyard and made wine (well with all those animals on the Ark what was he expected to do!)

Exactly when it was discovered is unknown, but an ancient Persian fable credits a lady of the court with the discovery of wine. This Princess, having lost favor with the King, attempted to poison herself by eating some table grapes that had spoiled in a jar. She became intoxicated and giddy and fell asleep. When she awoke, she found the stresses that had made her life intolerable had dispersed. Returning to the source of her relief, her subsequent conduct changed so remarkably that she regained the King’s favor. He shared his daughter’s discovery with his court and …

The wine industry and consumption continues to grow every year. Wine connoisseur are continually buying great wine to keep either for later consumption or for investment.

One of the most important aspects to ensure your wine stays fresh during storage is the wine storage temperature.

The basics of wine storage temperature are fairly simple. First, the wine should be kept cool. Like most beverages and foods, heat is the natural enemy of wine. A cool temperature is optimal, but the temperature should not lowered too much as this too will harm the wine. In the unlikely event that the wine freezes, it will probably only be suitable for vinegar!

The basics of wine storage are really straightforward with whites, reds, and blushes. However, the serving preparation for each of these wine types is different and something worth discussing. After removing the bottle from storage, getting your wine to the correct temperature is important. With red wines, such as a merlot or sheraz, approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) is what is recommended. This is basically room temperature. Secret tip: in a room of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit the wine, due to being a liquid will naturally be cooler. It is highly advised to not chill red wines. This is a more common error than you think, the cold can be very destructive on the wine and its flavor.

With whites and many blushes the need for refrigeration before serving is key. Chilling truly brings out the flavor. For these types of wine 39 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius is usually a good temperature.

In the case of both darker wines and the lighter types, it is advisable to let the bottle ‘breathe’ after opening. It is recommended you do this about half an hour before drinking (longer is often better)

Now to tasting. Swish the wine around the mouth to truly get the most out of the flavor. I however recommend drinking as opposed to spitting it out!

In the end ENJOY the wine, it is after all a pleasure that has been with us for centuries.

Building a wine cellar can create the ideal environment to store your wines. Temperature is always a major consideration in wine storage and the ideal wine storage temperature is between 55ºF and 58ºF (13ºC–15ºC), although any temperature between 40º–65ºF (5º–18ºC) will suffice as long as it doesn’t fluctuate too much. Ideally, the humidity should be around 70%. If you can’t achieve these temperatures in your passive wine cellar then you may require a wine cellar cooling unit.

A standard home refrigerator makes a poor wine cooling solution for several reasons. It is designed specifically to store and look after food products, not to store wines. An atmosphere that works well for meat and vegetables is far too cold and dry for your expensive wine. The preferred temperature for home refrigeration is somewhere between 35ºF and 38ºF (1.7 to 3.3ºC)

Home – or even commercial – refrigeration equipment is built to cool food quickly to prevent it spoiling. This is achieved by blasting cold air until the desired temperature is reached. Then a cycle kicks in whereby once the set temperature is reached, the refrigerator shuts off. When the temperature rises to a pre-determined point, cold air is again blasted. This continuous fluctuating temperature cycle isn’t good for your wines.

Standard refrigeration equipment is designed not only to cool but also to remove moisture. Wine gives off neither heat nor moisture so you end up with an environment that’s way too dry for wine. This will cause wine corks to shrink, which will allow air to get in. Once the air is in contact with your wine the irreversible process of oxidation begins and your wine is ruined!

Vibration can also be an issue with a home refrigerator. Wine requires a calm vibration-free environment in which to develop so any vibration will eventually destroy a fine wine.

Similarly, home air conditioning provides a poor environment for aging your wines, as it removes the humidity from the air which can lead to corks drying out. Additionally, if air conditioning is only turned on at certain times during the day then the wine will become subject to wide temperature fluctuations, which will inevitably cause irreparable damage to your wine.

To properly cool and humidify a cellar you will need a cooling system designed specifically for cooling a wine cellar.

Wine cellar cooling units can be set at any temperature within the optimum range for successfully aging wines and they cool the air slowly and gently. They are designed to maintain humidity rather than dehydrating the cellar although sometimes additional humidification may be required in extremely dry climates. This type of wine cellar cooling unit is usually installed approximately 18 inches from the top of the room in order to achieve maximum cooling. The unit will also require an unobstructed airflow and adequate ventilation to dissipate the heat generated by the unit.

It is also possible to install a split air system into a wine cellar although these units can be very expensive with prices running into many thousands of dollars.

A split air system is installed outside the wine cellar and the supply and return air is ducted to and from the wine cellar. This wine cellar refrigeration system works like a central air-conditioning system and is similarly quiet. This system would usually include electronic controls and a digital display. There are many options available with split system cooling including humidifiers, dehumidifiers and alarm units. With the addition of the options, a split air system will provide you with total control of your wine cellar refrigeration, albeit at a large cost.

If you find that your wine cellar requires a cooling unit it is worthwhile shopping around and comparing brands. There are few bargains, however, you should be able to save money with a little research.

Wine racks come in all sizes. If you do an internet search for wine rack you’ll find sites that have custom designed wine cellars to hold hundreds of bottles under perfect climactic conditions to sites that have decorative countertop wrought iron wine racks that hold 4 to 6 bottles, the choices are endless.

Those who teach about wine storage teach about the importance of temperature, humidity, ventilation, and the angle of storage. Some even preach that care should be taken to make sure there is no vibration to work up the sediment from the bottom of the bottle. A little too much for me.

If you’re like me, you only have a handful of wine bottles at any time, maybe 4 or 5. In keeping with the fundamental basic of never letting a cork dry out, I’ve got the bottles rolling around on their sides in a cabinet in the kitchen. This has been OK for my 4 or 5 bottles, not one of which cost me over $25.00. But now it’s time for me to step up and find a wine rack.

Most true wine connoisseur’s, those who spend their time researching the best year for a particular grape, who know the best growing regions and grape varietals, those who know how the wine is aged, those who spend anywhere from $50.00 and up for a bottle, who may buy a case of wine at a time, those people require more sophisticated wine storage.

All I want a wine rack that will hold a few bottles, out of the way that will look nice and enhance the style of my kitchen. There are many styles to choose from. There are some shelving wine rack units that come in a variety of finishes that will hold up to 150 bottles, too big. There is the 12 bottle wine rack with a very industrial look of wire and wood, not my style. There are some lovely wrought iron wine racks. A lovely set that are actually bookends that each hold three bottles, great to use if I had a library. How about a wrought iron cabinet with a lovely leaf design that holds up to 33 bottles? Or, a wrought iron hanging rack that holds up to eight bottles and eight wine glasses…. now we’re getting close.

You may be amazed at the number of different wine racks you can find that will enhance the style of your home.

If you compare your home refrigerator and a wine refrigerator, some differences will become apparent. A food refrigereator is kept well below 50 degrees fahrenheit, much too cold for a wine refrigerator. Wine should be stored at around 55 degrees. Another difference between the two refrigerators is the the one for food is opened multiple times during a day. Opening a wine refrigerator that many times would make it very hard for the refrigerator to maintaing the correct temperature.

The Size of a Wine Refrigerator

You may wonder which size of wine refrigerator to choose. There are a number of models and choices. Some wine refrigerators hold 6 bottles while other models hold 20 or more bottles. The six bottle units sit nicely of your counter top while you will need some floor space for the bigger models. One of the advantages of the bigger wine refrigerators is the individual cooling compartments. This allows you to put red, white or rose in the wine refrigerator and each type of wine will have its own section.

What Temperature Should I Store My Wine?

Storage of wine can be critical to the final product in your glass. Too warm and the wine will age to fast but too cold is just as harmful as the colder temperatures don’t allow the natural aging process to continue. Different wines have different temperature tolerances. If you are a fan of blush, rose or dry white wines or even light red wines, then that dial for temperature should be set to between 40 and 52 degrees. Don’t put your champagne or other sparkling wines in the wine refrigerator. The temperature for full-bodied wine should be stored at temperatures in the 52 to 60 degree range. These temperatures in your wine refrigerators makes for a much better end product.

The Difference between a Wine Cellar and a Wine Refrigerator

Basically the difference relates to the amount of wine that can be stored. Obviously the wine cellar will hold more bottles and is much more expensive since it usually takes up one or more rooms in your house. These rooms are usually in a basement that gets litte light and essentially acts like a big refrigerator with different “temperature zones” for different wines that you’re storing. While the idea of a wine cellar may be very attractive to the wine enthusiast, they had better have deep pockets. They are quite a bit more expensive than even the best wine refrigerator.

Where to Purchase a Wine Refrigerator

Purchasing a wine refrigerator can seem like a daunting task but it really need not be that hard. There are several places you can purchase them. Online, you may want to check out a specific manufacturers web site. Offline you can go to home improvement stores or appliance dealers. Just be sure to compare prices when you decide you want a good wine refrigerator. Learn about the different models and their features. That way you won’t be talked into a model that you either can’t afford or one that has features that you don’t need. You will see and taste the benefit of a good wine refrigerator in your glass.

Modern science, when applied to the millennia old art of wine making, has let the great vineyards of the world produce many vintages which to not need to age in their bottles for extended periods before reaching the peaks of flavor and aroma. But the question remains of how to store other vintages for which the journey to perfection will take more time.

A wine cellar is the perfect answer for those who have both the space and the money to indulge in one. For the rest of us, though, something more modest will have to do, and any wine storage which is to succeed will have to be done at the proper wine storage temperature.

Finding the correct wine storage temperature is not really mystery; warm is bad; cool is good. Heat will cause wine to deteriorate just as it causes fresh fruits, vegetable, meats, and dairy products to deteriorate. On the other hand, going to far in the chilly direction can also be dangerous; frozen wine, unlike frozen grape juice, does not a Popsicle make. Frozen wine, in fact, loses forever its aroma and taste.

Color Coded Temperatures

One of the factors which should influence your choice of wine storage temperatures is the color of the liquid in the wine bottle. Is it white, or red, or something in between? Once a bottle of wine has been fetched from wherever you keep it during its long nap, you want it at the optimum serving temperature before you drink it.

Red wines should not be served chilled; the cold will rob the wine of its ability to dazzle your palate with all the sublet tones and nuances of its flavors and aromas. A temperature of about 65F, or 18C, will show off your merlots, pinots, and burgundies to their best advantage.

White wines and blushes are to red wines what ice is to blood; they need to be thoroughly chilled before serving if they are to have any impact whatsoever. No matter their wine storage temperature where you have been keeping them, get them to 39 F, or 4C, before taking the first sip. For more info see http://www.winestoragerating.com/Articles/Wine_Storage_Temperature.php on Wine Storage Temperature.

Enjoying The Drink

All wines, no matter their color and their wine storage temperatures, should be given a chance to breathe after they have been opened. They should be allowed at least fifteen minutes–thirty would be much better– of exposure to the air before they are poured and consumed, and they should never, ever, ever be swallowed without being allowed some intimacy with the drinker’s mouth and tongue. If you are brave enough, or drinking alone, you can even try trilling–gently gargling–the wine so that it comes into contact with every part of your mouth.

Wine has been set apart from the other beverages consumed by humans, rather like the gods and goddesses themselves were set apart from mere mortals in their aerie on Mount Olympus, since the first flagon of grape was allowed to ferment. Wine has had a role to play in religious ceremonies form the time of the ancient Greeks to the Christian rituals of today, and when it is released from its bottle like a genie, wine has almost the same effect.

Yet wine, for all its mystery, requires some rather mundane care. Wine which is not to be consumed immediately needs to be sorted, and its proper storage has certain rituals of its own. For those uninitiated into those rituals, wine storage tips might prove helpful.

Although many people love to store their wine in plain sight of the envious eyes of their visitors, or because the shade of the burgundy exactly matches the roses on Grandmother’s china, the first of the wine storage tips is that wine should be stored away from light and heat. If you’re not going to be drinking the lovely burgundy within a few weeks, put it back in the wine storage rack in a dark cool part of the house.

Watching The Humidity

And while you’re putting it back, check the humidity in your main wine storage area. The second of the wine storage tips is that you don’t want the humidity to drop to a level at which the bottle corks will begin to dry out and shrink. If they do, air will gat into the bottle s and the wine will eventually deteriorate.

Storing Leftover Wine

Another of the more useful wine storage tips regards what you should do after the party with the wine in your half-empty bottles. Feeding it to the kitchen sink hardly seems justified; if you can find the cork and it still fits, just replace it and make sure to finish the wine in the next couple of days. For more info see http://www.winestoragerating.com/Articles/Wine_Storage_Temperature.php on Wine Storage Temperature.

Nitrogen Sealing

But if you’ve had as much wine as you can take for a while, and you can find one, get yourself a nitrogen wine storage unit. It has a cylinder of nitrogen attached to a hose, and the hose is fitted to the bottle of leftover wine, pressurizing it with nitrogen gas so that the wine is protected from oxygen in the air. Oxygen will destroy the wine’s magical properties, but nitrogen will leave them intact.

The final, and most obvious, of the wine storage tips, is to forego the entire storage process and drink the wine as soon as you bring it home. That’s why you bought it!

Nothing speaks of elegance quite like a fine piece of wine storage furniture. The truth of the matter is that there is an abundance of products on the market – for seasoned connoisseurs of wine to the occasional drinker – that can add a fancy look to your home.

Wine storage furniture can range from storing only a few bottles to massive and intricate storage systems capable of filling up an entire wine cellar. The decision you have to make is which piece of wine storage furniture best suits you.

The storage of wine is highly important to the preservation, aroma, taste and color of the wine. If wine is not stored properly it will begin to lose all of these essential attributes. Fine wine collectors especially have to consider this possibility as certain bottles of wine can cost thousands of dollars.

There are a few ways you can go in selecting the proper wine storage furniture for you. One method is to buy one of the manufactured products that have saturated the market. If you look around, the bulk of consumer product retailers have gotten into the wine storage furniture market. These products can also be found on the Internet with relative ease. Just type in your search query and you will instantly be greeted with thousands of products to sift through.

Another, more costly way is to look into a custom unit. This is recommended for serious wine connoisseurs. Custom wine storage furniture can be tailored to fit your home, especially if you are lucky enough to have a wine cellar. Contractors and experts creating this form of storage are available. If you have invested heavily in wine this may be the best option for you.

Don’t forget that the temperature you store your wine in is very important. Make sure you factor this important information into your decision. The majority of wine storage furniture on the market is not equipped with coolers. Instead, simple wooden racks and cabinets rely on your setting of room temperature to properly store the wine.

The next time you are at a wine tasting event remember to ask people for their opinion on how to store wine and their recommendations as to the best furniture on the market for doing so. As one of the finer things in life, wine should be treated like royalty.

Home wine racks are specially designed for storing bottles of wines in a horizontal position, to help preserve the quality of the wine. Storing your bottles in a wine rack is a great way to prevent the corks from drying out. If this happens, the cork can shrink and let air in, resulting in oxidization, which will spoil the taste. Wine storage racks usually have separate compartments for holding individual bottles, allowing gaps between each one to allow air to circulate. Ideally, wines should be kept at a consistent temperature of around 55 degrees farenheit, with a relative humidity of 70%, away from light.

If your wine collection is growing rapidly and you don’t have a wine cellar, then there is a huge choice of wine racking that’s designed for home use. If you’d like to keep a few everyday bottles within easy reach, then wall mounted wine racks offer a solution. This type of rack is hung on the wall, which saves space, and allows you to always have a couple of bottles on display. Often, these racks come with built-in stemware holders, so you can conveniently keep your glasses in the same place. Wall wine racks are generally pretty cheap to buy, at around $40-$50.

Other types of rack include compact designs to fit on a counter top, or stackable towers to place on the floor, whose capacity can grow to meet your storage needs. Wooden wine racks are very popular, made from all sorts of wood, including pine, oak or mahogany. For a more contemporary look, a metal wine rack can be an attractive feature in itself, made from ornately crafted iron, stainless steel, chrome or aluminum. Whatever the style of your décor, there’s sure to be a wine rack design that fits in perfectly and provides you with a functional way to organize your wine collection.

Whether you’re after a DIY self-assembly kit, or a custom wine rack, online stores are full of all kinds of wine racks to suit your budget and your wine storage requirements.

If you own a wine club or are an avid wine collector, then it’s a must that you know the different aspects and benefits of a wine cellar. So read this article and study the meaning and various management aspects of a wine cellar.

Basically, a wine cellar is a kind of storage room or storage lot for wines in barrels or bottles. The wines could also be plastic containers, amphoras and carboys. The cellars are generally and prominently situated completely underground. These also have a direct contact with the surrounding soil following small gaps in the initial foundations.

These wine cellars provide the opportunity for protection of alcoholic beverages from prominently and typically harmful external factors. Moreover these provide a constant apt temperature and darkness to the wines. These are also used as modish surrounding for tasting of wine.

Well, the cellar management and wine management systems are reciprocals and dependent on each other. So let us study the various aspects of cellar management in the context of wine management system.

There are 4 basic elements that you need to manage in the wine cellar for elongated and effective storage of wine. These four elements are basically position, light, temperature and humidity. These four aspects need to be taken care off well, so that that every wine that comes out of the cellar tastes fine and people can enjoy it.

Position and Peace

The first thing which plays an essential part in cellar and wine management is the peace and position of the wines. The bottles need to be kept safely in a horizontal manner, so that they are not disturbed in any case. The reason that the bottles should be laid horizontally is that they should always be in touch with the cork and thus get prevented from drying. If the cork dries out, then the bottle would get affected by the bacteria, fungus and yeast, and this would later create off flavors in the wine.

It should be also ensured in the cellar room that the wine remains undisturbed for a very long time. As the time would pass, the wine would age and change itself in the bottle. It would continue to form sediments and these sediments should sink to the bottom of the bottle.

Temperature

Cellar management also requires that an appropriate temperature be maintained in the cellar. The wines in any case should be kept away from extreme cold temperatures and heat sources. The wines should not be stored in freezing temperatures which could cause the bottles to break. The wines should not be exposed to heat above 64F so that wines don’t get cooked up in the bottle and develop off flavors. So there should be maintenance of a constant temperature.

Light and Humidity

Wine should be protected from strong and direct sunlight as it could have an adverse effect on the body and aroma of the wine. Darkness is the best option that should be maintained in a wine cellar. The humidity factor should also be kept in mind and the humidity level should be maintained high to avoid cork shrinking from the outside.