How to make a wine cellar with your own hands?

Wine cellars are often used to properly store wine.

When creating it, all features of the soil and terrain must be taken into account. You will also need special equipment.

If you neglect the basic rules of organizing a wine cellar, your wine collection will be stored improperly, which will certainly affect the quality of the drink.

What is a wine cellar called?

A wine cellar is a room for storing wine in barrels or bottles under suitable conditions.

If the room is built above ground, then it is called a “wine room”. In cases where the cellar is relatively small, holding up to 500 bottles, it may be called a wine cabinet.

If the room is deep underground and does not have automatic climate control, it is a passive wine cellar. Constant conditions in it are maintained due to the sufficiently large depth and minimal external influences.

Requirements for arrangement in a private house

In the absence of climate control equipment, the location for the wine cellar is selected especially carefully. The composition of the soil, the occurrence of groundwater, etc. are taken into account. Modern buildings, as a rule, have up-to-date equipment to maintain optimal conditions.

Beverage storage temperature

Coolness is one of the mandatory requirements, presented to the wine cellar. The best temperature value is +12°C. But let’s allow an average range from +8-10°C to +15-18°C, if the wines are not collectible.

Low temperatures lead to attenuation of the ripening processes, which can lead to a violation of the properties of the wine. If the temperature is less than +7°C, the wine practically stops ripening and developing.

If for some reason the temperature in the place where the wine collection is kept drops to 0°C, the wines freeze. As a result, the drink is completely destroyed, and the glass bottle itself may be damaged, the cork may fly out, etc.

Also on wine constant temperature fluctuations have a negative impact. Rapid and/or frequent changes can spoil the product and cause the cap to pop out.

If the change in temperature was one-time in nature, for example, during transportation, this will almost certainly not cause a lesson in quality.

Ventilation

Free access of air to the wine storage area will help maintain optimal conditions. In this case, drafts and the influx of air with contrasting temperatures should be avoided.

Air humidity

The ideal humidity level in a wine room is considered to be 70%.. Under such conditions, cork plugs can neither become moldy nor dry out.

Maintaining humidity at a stable level is especially important when planning to store the bottles of your collection not only for years, but also for decades.

If the wine will be stored for up to 3 or 5 years, then you can vary the range from 50 to 80%.But even stronger deviations should not be allowed, since high humidity can lead to mold, and low humidity can cause the cork to dry out.

Vibration protection

Finding wine in a calm environment will contribute to its better ripening. Shaking can change the structure of the wine, which affects flavor and other characteristics..

Over time, sediment will form in older wines. If exposed to vibrations, it may begin to rise. As a result, the drink will lose its structure and become cloudy.

Sun protection

Wine is considered a living drink that actively responds to changes in the external environment. In order for it to ripen, the bottles must be isolated from light.. Exposure to natural and artificial light can lead to the destruction of molecular compounds involved in the maturation of a wine drink.

Based on these requirements, the cellar must be protected from sunlight. Also, it should not contain fluorescent lamps. Regular incandescent light bulbs can generate heat if there are many of them or if they are located near bottles.

The best option is LED lighting, which, naturally, should be turned off when leaving the cellar.

Design

A wine cellar can be not only a place to store supplies, but also a source of positive emotions, furnished in a modern and tasteful manner. The owner of even a small house can afford affordable luxury.

For a wine library, it is necessary to equip the basement so that the necessary conditions are met, it is functional and convenient.The advantages of a cellar, the entrance to which is directly from the house, is the ability to visit it at any time of the year and in any weather without additional inconvenience.

The design in the medieval style looks very nice, classic and even brutal loft will do. Special chic - imitation of antiquity using natural materials.

Photos of wine cellars:

Video review of the wine cellar:

Equipment for home wine library

When setting up a wine cellar according to all the rules, you should remember that for wine, it is best to ensure that the bottles are positioned horizontally or with some inclinationso that the cork is always in contact with the wine.

Shelves

With a small collection of wines located in a compact room, wine shelves can be used. They are usually made of wood in such a way that the majority of the collection stock is in a horizontal position or at a slight angle

Mobile shelves deserve special attention, which can be installed, for example, on racks and removed if necessary. This option may be chosen when the number of items in the collection changes frequently.

Shelving

Racks in a wine cellar are usually made stationary. Reliable fastenings to walls and floors ensure the safety of the collection. Most often, natural wood that has undergone pre-processing is chosen as the material for production.

If the room is prone to high humidity, then the use of veneered MDF or chipboard is not advisable, since these materials may lose their strength over time.

We do it ourselves

If you approach the issue with all seriousness, then you need to start with developing a project.

Dimensions

For home use, even 10-12 m2 may be enough. If up to 20-25 m² are allocated for a wine cellar, then up to 3,000 bottles can easily be placed in this area.

Choosing a location for the premises

Choosing a location on a site to build a wine cellar is a responsible undertaking. Many factors must be taken into account, including:

1. Maximum distance from roads and industries.
2. Do not be located near wells, boreholes, or groundwater.
3. Avoid hilly or elevated locations as these areas will inevitably become hot in the summer.

In regions with a warm, mild climate, the cellar may need to be deepened to 5 meters. In the middle zone, the depth can be up to 4 meters so that there is about 100 cm between the soil surface and the ceiling of the wine cellar.

An alternative to a separate cellar is a basement with an entrance directly from the house.

Drawing

Drawing is necessary in order to accurately calculate the amount of materials needed and take into account all the nuances. It is also important to carry out the correct calculation of utilities.

If you have no personal experience in creating such structures, it is recommended to turn to professionals.

Wall materials

When choosing materials for interior decoration, it is advisable to focus on environmental friendliness. They must be moisture-resistant, odorless and have a long service life.

The most popular materials for wall decoration:

• a natural stone;
• tile;
• decorative artificial stone;
• tree;
• brick.

Otherwise, even wine stored in sealed bottles may acquire an uncharacteristic pine aftertaste.

Wood that will be used in a wine cellar must be treated with antiseptic agents. This will extend the life of the material and prevent the appearance of mold, the proximity of which should not be allowed when storing wine.

In a wine cellar, the walls must be thermally insulated. Suitable for these purposes:

• expanded polystyrene;
• polystyrene foam, etc.

Before laying the insulation layer, the walls are treated with an antiseptic according to the rules. For reliable insulation, the insulation should be about 150 mm thick.

It is advisable to make the internal lining from breathable, safe materials. Preference is often given to natural and environmentally friendly products.

For floor

Traditionally used for flooring in wine cellars natural materials were used:

• stone;
• coarse river sand;
• brick.

If marble, tiles or other similar material is chosen for the flooring, then first lay the boards and pour gravel. The choice of floor design technology depends not only on personal preferences, but also on how moist the soil is and how close the groundwater lies.

If there is high humidity, the floor can first be poured with concrete., and only then proceed to decoration, for example, with tiles.

Despite its apparent simplicity, the use of sand can help regulate the level of humidity in the cellar.

For the ceiling

Classic design - wooden ceiling. In order to maintain optimal conditions in the basement, you will need thermal insulation.It is usually laid in a layer of 100-120 mm.

Tools

When organizing work on arranging a wine cellar, you will need quite a lot of tools. Their choice depends on what materials will be used.

Additional devices

To create and maintain an optimal microclimate in the cellar Additional equipment may be useful:

1. Air Dryer.
2. Humidifier.
3. Heater.
4. Split system.
5. Lighting system.

Step-by-step construction instructions

The type of cellar for wine should be determined taking into account the existing conditions.

One of the options for building a wine cellar is on video:

Conclusion

Over the years, the wine develops, microbiological and chemical processes take place in it, which improve its properties.. Changes affect the taste of the drink, its texture and aroma. The wine acquires the necessary richness and harmony.

If the collection is extensive and includes collectible, elite, rare and old wines, it is useful to store them in a wine cellar.