Living not far from some of California’s best wineries in the Central Valley can present a problem – if you want to call it that – for storing those bold reds, voluptuous whites and sparkling wines.
Another concern with wine storage is whether or not oversize bottles will fit within your set up due to oversized magnums and if a certain someone loves champagne in the household.

Whether you have the space for a full wine cellar or your own “wine room” or just a tiny spare unused space under your stairs, the ideas are limitless on how to store your hard earned collection. There are ways to combine your wine storage with interior design and bring your love of wine to life inside your home.

Before getting started, ask yourself a few questions to help determine your best course of action:
1. How much wine do you have and do you plan to have? Do you need space for just 15 bottles, or for 1,000?
2. What are your drinking vs. storing plans? Do you only buy wine to drink right away, or do you have, or plan to have, bottles that need to age for years?
3. Do you drink just whites or just reds – or a combination?
4. What’s your home like?

Wall-mounted wine racks are the most common and ideal for those with limited floor space. Make sure, however, to keep your bottles shielded from sunlight, heat, and large temperature variations. The kitchen is probably not the place to put such a rack as well as a wall across from a sunlit window.

A well placed wine rack can feature high-reveal display rows for showcasing your fine wines.
Vertical racks are the most common design. As with any wall-mounted product, the end-user will need to understand what type of walls are suited for the specific rack and use the proper mounting equipment for plasterboard, concrete, brick, stone, etc.

Overhead racks are an artistic additive and serve well to anyone who wants to enhance the appearance and functionality of their wet bar.

Stackable wine racks are the perfect solution for a growing wine collection. They are easy to come by in a variety of styles and allow for adding the right number of rows for the space allowed, to give a professional appearance for the storage of your bottles.

Refrigerated wine cabinets can also show off a prized wine collection while keeping bottles stored at their proper temperatures. Many have multi-level storage racks that keep wines organized and ready to pour.

Two or more wine cabinets can be combined to create an impressive and functional wine wall.

Many of the wine compartments in these cabinets vary in size to accommodate any personal selection and variety of wines. Cabinets also provide the opportunity to set the ideal temperature for storing quantities of wine over the longer term.

Many styles of wine refrigerators are offered including built-in, free-standing, counter-top, and furniture style. Some also provide dual-zone cooling.

With the soaring popularity of wine and collecting, wine storage options have opened up, such as converting existing closet space into a quality wine cellar. Okay, you probably won’t be able to control the temperature of the bottles, so let’s call it a wine storage area.

There are many options for the shelves and racks. If you are building custom shelves, remember to consider the size of bottles that you may collect one day, including an occasional magnum of wine.

One option is to create diamond-shaped cubbies under the stairs, and you’ll have a place to store and display your wine collection. Popular premade cubes with four “cubbies” can create a built-in look above a shelf, in a cabinet, or in an alcove. For a larger space, use several of them together.

The closet can be finished off with special lighting and even grated doors to augment its façade.

Regardless of where you choose to store it, make sure the environmental conditions adhere closely to these four guidelines:

Temperature should remain between 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit; Humidity should be kept around 65 percent, relative to the temperature; Limit exposure to ultra-violet light; Keep the bottles horizontal, so the wine stays in contact with the cork and preserves the seal.

Furthermore, the storage conditions should be kept constant, as frequent or large fluctuations in storage conditions can damage the wine.

With proper storage, wine can be a fantastic investment. A few bottles of a current vintage from a great producer, if stored properly, will likely improve in quality and value over time and prove a far better investment than purchasing that vintage after it has already matured.

The possibilities are endless and are limited only by your imagination.
Cheers!

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