Wine racks and storage options come in many different styles and purchase budgets. Whether you’re an avid wine aficionado, brewer, wine aficionado, or someone who wants to protect valuable vintages from prying eyes or display a prized wine collection of sophistication and refinement, the where and how wine is stored and the location of the wine rack is a problem.
It is important to have an attractive and durable wine rack storage system. It’s a fact that anyone interested in having a growing wine collection wouldn’t want to do it behind a kitchen cabinet.
Most oenophiles (a disciplined devotion to wine, with strict traditions of consumption and appreciation, simply put, a wine lover) crave a cellar full of wine racks, and since digging a cellar in most cases to A wine cellar is impractical and exorbitantly expensive, freestanding wine rack options in a good setting are a good place to start. You don’t need to live above an arched grotto, or have the budget of an 18th-century land magnate, to store wine. He just has to understand the basics of wine storage related to temperature, humidity, and light to get it right.
An important factor with wines is where you will store the bottles at age.
Few environments are as potentially destructive to wine as the home. Too much moisture causes mold and damages the labels. This is also the reason why basements are often tiled rather than carpeted, as carpets retain moisture and facilitate mold and mildew. A humidity of up to 70 percent is desirable so that the corks do not dry out. When left to dry, the corks shrink slightly allowing air to enter the bottles and oxidation of the wine to occur. This is also why wine racks store bottles on their side: the wine keeps the cork moist and oxygen out.
Darkness is preferable, although most wines are bottled in colored glasses to protect them from most light damage. Proper storage temperature of 50-60F allows the wine to age slowly to full complexity. Too much heat cooks its finest features, while too much cold delays its ripening.
Wine racks are available in a wide variety of materials, sizes, and styles to suit any situation or décor, for both domestic and commercial use: wood, metals such as wrought iron and stainless steel, wire, wall-mounted or hung, as well as attractive wine cabinets to complement the home, restaurant or business.
Inexpensive wine racks can be purchased pre-made or in DIY assembly kits.
Stainless steel wine racks and wire racks are less expensive. These decorative units can have a place for short-term storage and display. If you’re in the business of selling wine, be sure to display your collection with the best possible retail wine rack to help you market and sell more.
The warmth of wood is a popular choice for wine racks to display and store your fine wines. Softwoods like pine and Douglas fir are more prone to warping, but are generally not a problem if sourced from a good supplier that uses a superior quality that will support the integrity of the racks, making them good low-cost options, mainly because they are easier to work with and lighter to transport than hardwoods.
The distinctive wine racks also come in maple and red oak. However, the best ones are made from more expensive rainforest woods, such as California redwood. Redwood wine racks absorb moisture with little warping.
The wine rack should be in a cool, dark area of the house, such as the basement, walk-in closet, or walk-in closet. The basement is usually the best place in the house for wine, since cement heats up and cools down slowly. But keep in mind that at the end of each season, accumulated heat or cold in the concrete can still make conditions less than ideal for long-term wine storage.
It is important to ensure that the room is dark, properly insulated to control the temperature, and free from sources of vibration such as ovens or refrigerators. Avoid leaving food, cardboard boxes or paint in the warehouse. The chemicals in these materials break down over time and their odors may seep into the wine through the cork.
Don’t have a full-size room available to dedicate to a wine cellar? You can transform a closet or pantry into a custom walk-in wine cellar, complete with refrigeration unit and wine cellar door, if desired.
Buying a wine fridge suits anyone with limited space.
A wine fridge has temperature and humidity control. The kitchen refrigerator is too cold and does not have enough moisture for long-term wine. Wine refrigerators come in half, full, and double sizes, as well as large, walk-in-style vaults.
Enjoying wine is celebrating, relaxing, enjoying conviviality and everything that it encompasses: flavor, history, science, culture, friendship and intimacy. So find that special bottle on the rack and enjoy!