Wine storage temperature and creative wine rack solutions

Wine Storage Temperature

What’s the best temperature for wine storage? Temperature and wine cellar cooling are naturally a priority, the ideal temperature should be within 11 > 14 degrees celsius. Temperature is a critical factor as it determines the longevity and quality of the wine. Minor variations in temperature will always occur but these should be kept to a minimum.

A cellar cooler can be programmed to operate at 10>12 degrees celsius which is the setting reserved for beer cellar cooling. If a wider temperature range is preferred then 11>14 degrees celsius can be used for wine cellar cooling. Remember though your wine cellar cooler will remove humidity from your cellar which is well worth considering given that humidity is another critical factor.

Wine Storage Temperature Guide

Full-bodied red wines

Light-to-medium-bodied reds

Dry white wines

Sweet and Sparkling wines

Why you should store wine out of sunlight

A wine cellar must always be kept as dark as possible. Ultra Violet (UV) rays can severely affect a wine’s quality. The wine ageing process is accelerated when exposed to UV light which causes unwanted chemical reactions. Pantothenic and riboflavin react with amino acids which causes the release of sulphur which is responsible for the unpleasant aroma and taste. Ultra Violet light will impact negatively on smell, taste and the appearance of wine. Wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts everywhere refer to this adverse reaction as light strike.

Wine cellar Lighting

Ensure that any wine cellar lighting is not incandescent, this can render a similar effect to sunlight. Any wine cellar storage lighting should have a UV protective coating. Often overlooked is the glass door wine cooler. Always confirm that any purchase of a glass fronted cooling cabinet for your wine has a UV-treated glass door. It is also worth bearing in mind that wine in clear bottles can be damaged after only 3 hours of exposure to the sun. The green bottles more associated with red wine offer greater protection of up to 18 hours.

What is the Ideal Humidity for wine storage

Adequate and optimal wine cellar humidity is recognized as 50% to 70% relative humidity (RH), ideally 60%. If emphasis is not placed on humidity wine quality will be compromised in a number of ways. Humidity above 70% will more than likely encourage mould and adversely affect labels and label adhesive, fungus may also grow on bottles. Conversely if your wine cellar is below 50% this can affect corking by way of cracking and drying out and oxygen is likely to permeate the wine. Remember that humidity helps to keep corks moist.

Air conditioners and Cellar Cooling reduce humidity

Remember while wine cellar cooling is a major consideration cellar cooling and air conditioning units will remove humidity from the air. The humidity removed is converted to condensate which is typically diverted to a waste water outlet. Therefore if your cellar is not below ground with the benefits of natural subterranean cooling a humidifier should be considered. Less expensive methods are to place a bucket/bowl of water inside the cellar. Alternatively a decorative fountain will also suffice, as water circulates it evaporates creating humidity. For a  purpose built wine cellar the room should be air tight with a vapour barrier. Note that distilled or purified water should preferably be used.

Thermo Hygrometers

Thermo Hygrometers are an indispensable tool for the conscientious wine enthusiast. Thermo Hygrometers will display temperature and relative humidity (RH). Whether for long term storage or everyday drinking. These units will automatically display and record the maximum and minimum temperature and relative humidity (RH), temperatures can be displayed in both Fahrenheit and Centigrade. More exotic sensors are available that will alert you via app when relative humidity falls outside of desired settings.