To Cool or Not to Cool? (my Wine Cellar) That is the Question! #2

Part Two – Wine Cellar Refrigeration

Many times we hear this question, “Do I need to add a refrigeration unit or climate control system to my custom wine cellar?” In order to make a decision about this, there are several things you should think about. This is the second of three blog posts where we will attempt to answer this question.

1. Do I plan on storing my wines for more than 6 months?

If you plan on drinking all of your wines within 6 months of purchase, you may not need a cooled wine storage environment. However, if you want to invest in several bottles of a favorite wine for the future or have wine investment in mind, a climate-controlled room with a Wine Cellar Refrigeration System is a necessity.

Your wine can age 2 to 8 times faster at 73 degrees than at 55 degrees. OR three years at 73 degrees can be the equivalent of 6 to 24 years at 55 degrees. Wine reacts differently at different temperatures. There are good and bad reactions to different temperatures. At higher temperatures, the rates of bad reactions increase more dramatically than the rate of good reactions.

There’s a reason the word “Cellar” is in the phrase “Custom Wine Cellars”

Humidity is also a factor. Most homes maintain a humidity of around 20-30%, though this can vary enormously in different regions. In order to maintain the separation of your home’s humidity and the humidity needed in your wine cellar, the room must be prepared properly and a climate-controlled system installed. With too low a humidity, the corks can dry out and air seeps into the bottles, destroying your wines. With too high a humidity, the labels could fall off and mold and/or mildew could occur.

This could be disastrous, imagine a group of you special most loved vintage wines, after one or more years of anticipation, spoiled!  Simply due to improper storage conditions.