Start Your Wine Cellar The Right Way!

One of the great joys of wine is being able to select a bottle from your own cellar, perhaps one that you've been storing for some years, draw the cork and enjoy it with friends. You can marvel at the changes brought on by maturity and, as a bonus, you can brag about the price you paid and congratulate yourself on picking up such a bargain!
However, wine is an ever-changing thing and how it is stored will directly affect how quickly and how well it ages!

Storing wine is very simple ...

It requires a constant temperature, humidity, darkness, stillness and a well-ventilated and clean environment.

Insulation

The first essential is to create a storage environment that provides the basics of stable temperature, no light and no vibration.

In general terms 4" (100mm) of polystyrene is the equivalent to 3 ft (1 meter) of ground. So if you're trying to decide between an above ground construction and an underground cavern, you must be prepared to dig deep for the latter.

Your cupboard, indoor space or your outdoor construction must be well shaded, well insulated and with the minimum of air movement in and out.

Temperature

The objective is to provide stored wines with a constant temperature of between 50