By Paul Bianchina
If you're someone who loves a good glass of wine, having your own wine storage at home ranges anywhere from a convenience to a necessity. Depending on your needs and your budget, you have lots to choose from.
Bottle Storage
Whether you have a couple of bottles in your kitchen or a couple of hundred in your wine cellar, options abound for the storing of wine bottles. Your choice comes down to one of price and aesthetics.
Metal racks are typically the least expensive. These typically are found in the form of an open grid of black metal wire, and you can combine two or more grid racks to increase the storage. A rack approximately 30" wide by 65" high will hold about 150 bottles, and is priced around $100.
Wood racks offer another alternative. They can be found in the form of interlocking grids that hold one bottle per opening, or as solid-sided or open-slatted "crates" that are divided by diagonal slats to form a series of large triangles. This is similar to what you might see in a wine shop or other retailer, with several bottles being stored together in each triangle. You'll find wood storage shelves and crates in pine, oak, redwood, and a variety of other woods, or you can have a wood shop custom make whatever you need. A typical wood rack that holds around 125 bottles will start at about $100 and go up from there.
Refrigerated Storage Cabinets
Refrigerated cabinets provide a more stable environment for fine wines. The typical refrigerated cabinet will have a well insulated outer case to prevent temperature fluctuations and excessive vibrations, a solid or glass-fronted door that provides a tight seal and reduces light inside the cabinet, interior racks that hold the wine at the proper inclination to keep the cork moist, and a specially designed refrigeration unit that keeps the interior environment at precisely the correct temperature and humidity.
Refrigerated wine cabinets are different from standard refrigerators, and they're available in a variety of sizes for either stand-alone and under-cabinet installation. Common sizes will hold anywhere from 25 to 100 bottles or more, and prices range from $1,000 to over $3,000.
Prefabricated Wine Rooms
As your collection grows, you might want to step up to a wine room for extra storage. The easiest way to accomplish that is to purchase a prefabricated, fully insulated wine room, which comes complete with everything you need in one package.
Wine rooms are available in a wide variety of sizes and finishes, including oak, mahogany, and even stainless steel. There are several different finishes available, and doors that range from solid wood to stained glass. Sizes range from around 4' x 7', which will store about 750 to 800 bottles, to 7' x 10' or larger, which will handle more than 2,100 bottles. Each one has a refrigeration unit that is specifically sized to accommodate the dimensions of that particular unit, and most sizes are shipped unassembled for easier installation. Prices range from $3,000 to $6,000 or more.
Site Built Wine Cellars
Now you've reached the ultimate in wine storage - the site-built wine cellar. This is typically an existing room (or rooms) that is converted for this specific use, and the size, layout, and storage capacity is virtually unlimited.
If you're considering converting an existing room, there are a few things to keep in mind. The walls and ceiling need to be insulated to at least R-19 for good stability and energy efficiency - more if possible - and raised floors should be insulated to R-19 or higher as well. Concrete slab floor should clean, free of cracks and seepage, and protected with a good grade of concrete sealer. To prevent possible condensation, a vapor barrier of 6-mil plastic sheeting needs to be placed on the warm side of the insulation - in this case, that would be the side facing away from the inside of the wine cellar.
Interior surfaces need to be capable of withstanding cold temperatures and humidity. Waterproof drywall is one option, and most wine experts recommend sealing it with latex paint to prevent possible paint odors from getting to the wine. Naturally rot-resistant woods such as cedar, redwood, and teak are another option, as are plastic panels. The door needs to be solid core wood or insulated metal, and very well weatherstripped.
Finally, you need a refrigeration unit, of which there are two basic types. In-room systems have all of the components inside a single cabinet located inside the room, and while they take up a little more room, they have the advantage of lower cost and easier installation. The other choice is a split system, which utilizes an outdoor condensing coil and an inside evaporator connected by insulated pipes - similar to a standard home air conditioning system. Either system needs to be carefully sized to the size and energy efficiency of the room, and prices start at around $900.
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