Practical Advice: wine storage

Whether your preference is for a wine storage solution that really showcases your collection, or something more subtle, there are a number of considerations to make.

We are often asked by our customers to help conceptualise a wine storage solution as part of their garden room extension, particularly for those who are moving/extending their kitchen into the new space.

Whilst a wine store is a real boon any day of the year, you’ll no doubt get the most use out of it when entertaining guests. It’s therefore important to consider its location in relation to where your guests will be spending the majority of their time so that it is easily accessible when socialising.

Correct storage is imperative to ensure the flavours of your wine collection remain intact. There are four potential risks to factor into your plans: temperature, light, humidity, and vibration.

Temperature: To ensure its flavour and balance remains intact, wine should be stored at the correct temperature. The ideal temperature will vary from bottle to bottle, depending on a number of factors, such as the fruit, alcohol and tannin content. As a general rule of thumb, this should be somewhere between 10-20? and certainly no hotter than 24?.

Lighting: Like most beverages, wine should be stored in a dark space away from direct sunlight. This is why a bespoke wine cupboard or cellar is such a popular option. Don’t be put off the idea of incorporating wine storage into your glazed extension layout though, our expert team will be able to help guide your plans and advise on the optimum location for storing your collection. We use high-performing glazing that reduces glare and UV while maintaining the temperature in the room.  

Humidity: Achieving optimum humidity levels is about striking the right balance; too little humidity, and the cork will dry out causing oxidisation too much humidity, and the labels will become damaged. Storing wine bottles horizontally will help prevent the corks from drying out, and dehumidifying equipment can be installed if necessary.

Vibration: It is advised that bottles of wine are not moved around too much/vigorously as this can spoil the wine. There is also evidence to show that the vibrations from the compressor in a standard fridge could cause damage to more delicate wines.

One such solution to ensure all of these conditions are correctly managed is a special wine refrigerator. These are available as either standalone or built-in appliances. A stand-alone unit can easily be relocated to suit your personal preferences, an ideal option if you are planning to renovate your kitchen again in the near future. However, most will prefer the luxury of a built-in refrigerator to save space and give a sleek, integrated finish. Brands including Sub-Zero and Miele offer high-tech refrigeration solutions that will allow you to store and protect your red, white, rose, and sparkling wines in a single unit away from the elements.

For the bona fide wine connoisseur, a wine cellar or closet is the ideal solution that will allow for the ultimate expression of creativity as they can be completely custom made to fit your individual requirements and tastes. At Westbury, we can help factor a wine cellar or closet into your extension plans in a way that maximises use of the space. We can also advise on ventilation systems and recommend carpenters that will craft bespoke cupboards, racks, and surfaces to bring the concept to life.

Once the storage solution is in place, there are a variety of ways to organise your bottles so that the collection remains neat, tidy, and easy to navigate, such as by type, region, grape, or vintage.

Cheers!

Image credits
Miele wine refrigerators