Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Do I Need a Wine Cellar? - By John Seitz the Master Wine Cellar Builder

“What is a wine cellar and why do I want one?”

  A lot of people think that a bottle of wine can be kept in your kitchen cabinets and let it go. The temperature in a home tends to be around 70 degrees. Temperatures that fluctuate more than 6-7 degrees could ruin that great bottle of wine. The cork could expand and contract to let air in, oxidizing the wine. Leave a bottle of wine in a room with a temperature of over 72 degrees and you could certainly have a bottle of vinegar. So if you intend to keep wines for more than six months, you should look into some kind of long term storage. Keeping your wines in cooler environment shouldn’t hurt your wines over a short period of time.

If you think you only need a 700 bottle wine cellar, double the numbers, even triple your thought process. When you have a wine cellar, it always seems that some of your friends bring back wines when they take those trips to the wineries. When having a wine cellar, you are now able to purchase a case or two instead of just a bottle or two. Building a wine cellar to small, you will be back to the original question, “What do I do with all this wine?

Can I store my wine in a dark place in the basement?

This is not a good idea at all. Depending on where you live in the country, too much humidity or not enough humidity could hurt your wine. The amount of light could make a difference also. And of course the temperature variation would affect the wine. So the answer to this question would be definitely not.

Where will I build my cellar?

Having a place to build a wine cellar is another question you should ask yourself. Do you have a place that the vibration, or noise could be at a minimum? Can you insulate and vapor barrier all sides of your new wine cellar? Do I want to make the investment of a wine cellar? You don't need a ballroom for a wine cellar/room. I have installed racking under a stairway. Do you go with your local contractor or do you go with a racking company?

Who is going to build your racking?

Do you go with your local contractor or do you go with a racking company? A good carpenter could certainly build your racks. But, how much will it cost you to do this? The carpenter has to have a plan. Who or where will he get this plan? These are questions that you need to ask yourself before you start your wine cellar. If you go to a specialist in the wine cellar field, your money would be a lot better spent. They know the how’s, why’s, and any other question you might have for them!



Racking is also a very important visual factor in your new wine cellar.  So you really want to know where the racking came from. You want to have different racking, not only for visual, but for storage. Once you walk in your new wine cellar, do you want to see only racking or do you want to see an arch with lights, maybe focusing on your favorite piece of art? Maybe your thoughts go to a stemware rack, showing off your great crystal collection. Whatever your dreams are, don’t let your decision be made by the cheapest price!



Can I afford a wine cellar?


A wine cellar is only for those that are well off! This is very much of a myth. Wine cellars are for all wine lovers. No one should be denied this pleasure. The cost of a wine cellar could range from the low $10,000.00 to
whatever you want to. The build your own wine cellars could only set you back as little as $4,000.00. Then there is just a wine room (not temperature controlled), this could even be lower. So the price could vary and you really could afford this luxury that was set aside for only the fortunate few.

 Your wine cellar should be a place of refuge, a place to relax and immerse yourself in a thing of beauty. And when it's built right, it can be an entertaining and charming feature of your home. Here you can let your wines mature to a great taste. Have those wines handy for all those special occasions. This is also a place that you can invite your friends and family to share in those great wines. When your friends enter your wine cellar for the first time, they should be amazed. I never thought it would be this beautiful. Those are the words I always want to hear from my customers.



As I leave you, remember there is one thing to remember

"Never drink great wine out of a Dixie cup"

John Seitz

Master Wine Cellar Builder

The Magnum Company Inc

www.magnumcellars.net

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