What Makes an Ideal Wine Cellar?

The installation of a wine cellar is subject to a number of constraints that need to be taken into account. When setting up the cellar, the temperature is one of the parameters to check. For optimum wine conservation, it should be cool, between 10 and 12°C. However, a slight rise in summer is tolerable. It is also possible to go below these temperatures. However, in this case, the wines will develop slowly. To avoid altering the nectar, it is essential to avoid sudden temperature changes. To ensure that the temperature remains constant, even in basements that are naturally cool with small fluctuations, it is possible to use cooling and air-conditioning systems dedicated to wine cellars.

Ventilation is one of the prerequisites for a properly designed wine cellar. Over time, a confined atmosphere and lack of ventilation can affect the taste of wines. Wines can develop a musty taste, especially if there is high humidity in the wine cellar. To remedy this, the storage space needs to be properly ventilated. As well as regulating the temperature in the wine cellar, a good air conditioner can also be used to control ventilation.

To keep your wines in good condition, it is essential to maintain sufficient humidity. To avoid a dry atmosphere likely to shrivel the corks, leading to evaporation and oxidation of the wine, a humidity level of 70-80% is required. Too much humidity, on the other hand, will have little effect on the wine, apart from damaging the bottle labels.

In addition to light, temperature variations and lack of aeration, odours are also an enemy of wine. As wine breathes through the cork, it can absorb odours. So make sure your wine cellar is odourless. As far as possible, avoid storing products that give off strong odours, such as paint cans, cleaning products or fruit and vegetables that are likely to ferment. Good ventilation is a key for avoiding odours in the wine cellar.

If you're looking for storage solutions for your wine cellar, there are a number of different systems that can be used:

1. Honeycomb-shaped racks that can be stacked for optimum storage of wine bottles.
2. Storage modules or wine crates for storing large quantities of bottles. Don't hesitate to use sliding racks on which you can place your crates for easy access to the bottles.
3. Individual storage compartments or sliding shelves to quickly read the label on each bottle.
4. Systems that display wines vertically: these systems are recommended for vintages that you will be tasting quickly.

It's worth noting that it's generally advisable to store your wines in a horizontal position to ensure they age properly. This is because it keeps the cork in constant contact with the nectar, preventing it from drying out. This prevents air from penetrating your bottles, risking damage to the wine's fragile structure and the development of unpleasant aromas that lead to defects.

If you have a well-stocked cellar, don't hesitate to set up a classification system to help you find your way around. For example, you could classify your wines by wine region, estate, appellation, vintage or grape variety. And don't hesitate to use wine cellar management software or keep a cellar book to keep your wine cellar organised.