For some individuals, acquiring and storing wine is more than simply a pastime; rather, it is considered an art form in its own right.
Wine aficionados are well aware that the way wine is stored may have a significant impact on the taste it develops over time. Even after it has been bottled, the wine will continue to age and develop a fuller body and more flavor. It is essential that wine be handled with the utmost care in order to preserve its potential for greatness; else, this potential will be lost. A knowledgeable wine enthusiast will choose an appropriate wine rack so that their wine may be stored in the best possible conditions.
In this article, I listed 10 important factors to consider when you are planning and designing your space-saving wine racks. The hacks work well even in your small kitchen!
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Wine storage racks typically consist of distinct compartments that are designed to contain a single bottle at a time.
These compartments are often spaced apart from one another to allow for the circulation of air. In a perfect world, wines should be stored in a location that is dark, has a relative humidity of 70 percent, and is maintained at a temperature of around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. So do not place your kitchen wine racks close to the fire, or any heat-generating electronic appliances.
The levels of temperature and humidity in your cellar are far more important to the age and maturation of your wines than the sort of racking that is employed in your cellar, which is of secondary significance.
Type of Collection
It is essential to bear in mind that bottles that are sealed with corks should be stored on their sides when they are not being used. This will help the cork to retain its moisture. It is possible to store bottles with screwtops standing upright, despite the fact that this is often not the most effective use of space.
Champagne and other sparkling wines may be kept vertically just as easily as they can be horizontal. According to the findings of many studies carried out by the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), Champagne that is kept standing up will mature at a more gradual pace than Champagne that is stored laying down.
Style & Material
Racks for storing wine may be constructed from separate cells composed of wood, plastic, or steel. In a basement, it may also be helpful to have simple shelves or bins in the form of diamonds. You should match the color scheme, style and material choice of your wine rack with your kitchen and overall interior aesthetic.
Wine racks made of wood are quite popular and may be crafted from a variety of species, including pine, oak, or mahogany. Made from intricately wrought iron, stainless steel, chrome, or aluminum, a wine rack made of metal may be an appealing element all on its own, which is ideal for achieving a look that is more modern. There is bound to be a design of a wine rack that complements exactly the aesthetic of your home and gives you a practical method for organizing your wine collection, regardless of the style of your décor.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a do-it-yourself (DIY) self-assembly kit or a bespoke wine rack; internet retailers are stocked with a wide variety of wine racks that may be tailored to your price range and the quantity of wine you need to store.
Bottle Density
When it comes to picking bottles, individual wine racks are by far the most handy option. Wine racks that are packed too tightly might harm the labels on the bottles. Wine rack designs come in a variety of bottle densities, although pricing differences are often more related to the rack’s aesthetics than its functionality.
Number of Bottles
When storing a big quantity of the same wine, wine bins that hold 12 or 24 bottles are the most convenient option; nevertheless, wine bottles kept in wine bins are more likely to be damaged by the movement caused by an earthquake.
As a general rule of thumb, one square meter of shelving may accommodate one hundred bottles.
Layout Style
When storing wine that has been purchased by the case, diamond cubes and rectangular wine bins may be helpful; but, as you consume more of the wine and work your way through the bin, you will find that you have more and more room that is going to waste. If you keep several types of wine in the same container, you’ll have to constantly stir things up since you’ll need to shift the bottles on the top so you can see what’s at the bottom.
Racking Depth
When selecting wine racks, use single-depth racking wherever it is practicable to do so. Racking in a wine cellar that holds bottles two deep may make it harder to locate certain wines and cause unneeded disruption to those wines when they are moved to access others that are farther back.
Bottle Orientation
In order to maintain the wine’s quality over time, it is best to store bottles of wine in a horizontal orientation while they are being kept in a home wine rack. Racks made expressly for wine storage are built with the goal of safely storing bottles horizontally while fitting as many as possible into the given space.
Location
If you don’t have a wine cellar but your wine collection is expanding quickly, there is a wide variety of wine racking that is intended for use in residential settings that you may choose. Wine racks that are installed on the wall provide a solution for those who want to store a few bottles that they use often within easy reach.
This kind of rack is placed on the wall, which not only helps you save room but also enables you to have a few bottles out on show at all times. These racks often have built-in stemware holders, allowing you to store all of your glasses in a centralized location for your convenience.
Wall wine racks may often be purchased for less than $100, with the average price falling anywhere between $40 and $50.
Other kinds of racks come in more compact designs that can be set up on top of a counter or in stackable towers that can be set up on the ground and whose storage capacity can expand to match your requirements.
It is a bad idea to put wine cellars above refrigerators or anywhere near them. The heat that is produced by refrigerators poses a threat to the integrity of one’s wine collection. If anything like that had the place, purchasing and putting up a quality wine rack would have been for nothing.
Preservation of the Corks
A wine rack is an excellent method to preserve the corks on your bottles of wine by preventing them from drying out. If this occurs, the cork may become more fragile and allow air to enter the bottle, which will lead to oxidation and a flavor that is unpleasant.