How to Build a Wine Cellar (for Contractors & Builders)

Expertly Built Refrigerated Home Wine Cellar

Expertly Built Refrigerated Home Wine Cellar

Are you a contractor trying to enter the wonderful wine cellar building industry. Look no further than WineCellarRefrigerationEquipment.com, your site on everything related to the wine cellar construction industry.

How to Build a Wine Cellar the Right Way

In the world of construction, wine cellars are in demand among owners of residential and commercial establishments. It requires an expert to build a wine cellar that is functional and beautiful. An expertly built wine room will take care of their client’s wine collection for many years to come.

There are technical requirements for building a wine cellar. In this article, we will provide tips for contractors and builders to help increase their knowledge of how to build wine cellars correctly with form and function in mind.

When building wine cellars, you must consider functionality and beauty.

When building wine cellars, you must consider functionality and beauty. It must be installed with the ideal wine cellar refrigeration equipment.

Importance of Understanding Proper Wine Storage Conditions When Building Wine Cellars

Building a beautiful and functional wine cellar requires an expert. Optimum wine storage conditions must be achieved to preserve wine's quality.

Building a beautiful and functional wine cellar requires an expert. Optimum wine storage conditions must be achieved to preserve wine’s quality.

Always remember that wine requires paramount protection because it is a perishable product. Wine is sensitive to external factors such as heat, light, vibration, and odor. When stored in a room with poor conditions, wine will deteriorate easily.

When building wine cellars, you must make sure that your clients will enjoy collecting their favorite vintages by preparing the room and installing the right components. Doing so will help achieve the optimum conditions in the cellar.

Why Regulate the Wine Cellar Temperature

A Stunning Custom Wine Cellar Design Increases a Home's Value

A Stunning Custom Wine Cellar Design Increases a Home’s Value

Heat is the number one enemy of wine. Extreme temperature changes will alter the chemical properties of the wine. The wine expands when the temperature fluctuates.

When this happens, the cork is pushed out of the bottle or raised above the lip of the bottle. This will allow an unwanted amount of air to enter the bottle, resulting in oxidation. This will spoil the wine by allowing bacteria to grow.

Oxidized wine is also known as “cooked” wine. Signs of wine oxidation include an unpleasant taste, smell of burnt fruit, and a deep yellow or brownish color.

Effects of UV Light Exposure to Wine

In addition to unstable temperatures, the quality of the wine is also affected by the UV light that comes from the sun and fluorescent bulbs. UV exposure even in a few hours can harm the wine. It will cause wine to have an aroma similar to a cooked cabbage or a wet dog. This is the main reason wine bottles are manufactured in a colored and thick glass.

As a contractor or builder of wine cellars, you must find more ways to prevent “light strike”. At Wine Cellar Refrigeration Equipment, we recommend using a safe lighting system and placing the wine racks away from harmful light sources.

Use a Safe and Dramatic Lighting System

Stunning Commercial Wine Cellar

Stunning Commercial Wine Cellar

Install an LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting system instead of fluorescent bulbs. Since this lighting option has low heat emission and does not produce UV rays, you can illuminate your client’s wine cellar dramatically without compromising the quality of their favorite vintages. LED lights can be used in arches, high-reveal display rows, corners, and archways.

Although a bit more expensive than many lighting options, LED lights will save your client’s money in the long run because they last longer than regular bulbs.

Do Not Place the Wines Near the Windows to Protect them from Direct Sunlight

A few hours of direct exposure to sunlight will result in wine faults. Before building a wine cellar, contractors and builders should think about the proper placement of the owner’s wine racks. They should be installed away from the window where direct sunlight can pass through. If this is not possible, using UV coated glass or covering the window to minimize exposure will do.

How Correct Humidity Levels Can Save Wine from Harm

Humidity is another important factor to consider when building a wine cellar. When the humidity in a wine room exceeds the normal level (60 to 70 percent), condensation will form. This will trigger mold growth on the walls, ceiling, wine racks, wine labels, and cork.

On the other hand, when the humidity level is too low, the cork will dry out and shrink. When this happens, an unwanted amount of air will get into the bottle and affect the wine’s taste. You don’t want your client’s wines to taste like vinegar, do you?

How to Stabilize the Wine Cellar Environment

wine cellar room preparation

wine cellar room preparation

Poor storage conditions will ruin your client’s wine investment. With this in mind, you must know how to build a wine cellar that will maintain a stable environment. This can be achieved by proper room insulation and installation of an efficient wine refrigeration system.

Why Seal the Wine Room?

After making a careful assessment, we should create a design that suits the client’s needs and requirements. The room must be prepared for the installation of the wine racks, cooling unit, flooring, and door. It is significant that you know the role of sealing the room properly before installing the rest of the components.

A well-constructed wine cellar must be insulated. Without insulation, the cold air will escape, and the warm air will get into the room. This will interfere with the cooling process in the cellar, which can result in extreme changes in temperature and humidity.

Since proper insulation stabilizes the conditions in the cellar, it will also help the cooling system to work normally and keep the electric bills low. It also prevents breakdowns of the wine cellar refrigeration equipment, saving your clients on the cost of replacement or repair of the unit.

Using an Efficient and Reliable Wine Cellar Cooling System

US Cellar Systems Wine Cooling Unit

US Cellar Systems Wine Cooling Unit

Contractors who know how to build a wine cellar correctly know that air conditioners for the home and other establishments are not designed to cool a wine cellar efficiently. Wine requires optimum cooling to age gracefully.

At Wine Cellar Refrigeration Equipment, we offer a wide array of cooling systems from US Cellar Systems. They have ducted split and ductless split systems.

Need Specialized Tips on How to Build a Wine Cellar Correctly?

If you are a contractor of home construction or renovation, and need technical advice on how to build a wine cellar the right way, don’t hesitate to contact Wine Cellar Refrigeration Equipment!