There are lots of people who want to start their wine collection. If you want to start your own wine collection, you need to understand that you cannot begin without first making sure that you have a place to store them. Wines can’t just be stored anywhere because they need specific storage conditions for them age properly. The best place to store wines is in a residential custom wine cellar in Orange County, California.
A custom wine cellar in California can adequately provide the ideal conditions for your wines to mature tastefully. Learn about the basic elements to proper wine storage by reading through this article.
1. Lighting
It is imperative that when you have a custom wine cellar built in California, you keep it away from exposure to direct sunlight. There should be as little light as possible that reaches your wine bottles. There are various organic compounds within wine that are essential to its structure, aroma and flavor. Direct exposure to light, especially ultraviolet light, can potentially destroy these compounds and degrade the quality of your wines.
2. Vibration
Vibration isn’t really a big problem. It can occasionally be a problem when wines are exposed to too much of it like for example, when you keep your wine bottles on top of the kitchen refrigerator. Besides the risk of the bottles breaking, excess vibration can also prevent sediments from settling, and may affect the flavor of your wines. To protect your wine collection from vibration, store it in properly constructed custom wine racks in Orange County, California.
3. Humidity
Wines need to be kept in an adequately humid environment. Ideally, your custom wine cellar in Orange County should have a humidity level that ranges from 60% to 75%. Adequate humidity is necessary because too much and too little humidity can both damage your wine collection.
When humidity is above the ideal levels, moisture builds up and can ruin your wine bottle labels. Mold can form, too, and contaminate your wines. One way to prevent mold formation is by wrapping your wine bottles in saran wrap. Some people would use hair spray and other sealants, but these have unpleasant odors. Saran wrap effectively keeps mold out without having bad odors.
On the other hand, when the humidity is too low, corks may shrink and allow air to enter the bottles. When air comes in contact with the wine, oxidation happens, and this ruins the flavor of your wines. Wines that have been exposed to air often have a rusty taste to its flavor.
If your area has a very dry climate, or if your house is heated and cooled by central air, a good way to have humidity inside the custom wine cellar in CA is by placing a saucer of water inside.
4. Temperature
Temperature is the most important element to wine storage, and the most important consideration when building a home wine cellar in Orange County, California. Wines require a wine storage room wherein the temperature is maintained between 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. There should be minimal to no fluctuations in the temperature level, because frequent fluctuations will negatively affect your wines. Have a quality wine cellar refrigeration system installed in your home custom wine cellar in CA, so that you can be sure that your wines are kept in the ideal storage temperature.