Wine Room Considerations

Bethany Jenkins, Vice-President of Jenkins Custom Homes, in her article on wine rooms writes, “Whether you are a wine enthusiast or a novice, a custom-built wine room is the hot trend in custom home design, especially where luxury reigns. A good wine cellar creates an opportunity for great wine for a lifetime. It can also add value for purposes of resale of the home…All fine wine collections require the same basic care: climate, humidity, and light control systems to protect and preserve delicate vintages. Vapor-tight doors and easy access are also top priorities. Proper storage makes financial sense and allows wines to be purchased when they are released, at the time they are most available and lower in price.”

So when planning your wine room, keep these three elements in mind: light, humidity and temperature of the room.

Light

This one is simple: “UV light can break down the protiens [sic] in the wine. It’s best to store wine in the dark” (source: newcellars.com). The bottom line is to keep your wine out of direct light. A flush-mounted fixture with a frosted cover can easily achieve this, but other options include rope lighting that is hidden up in the molding or even a smaller chandelier with low wattage bulbs.

Humidity

Storing wines in a highly humid environment is important because it keeps the cork from shrinking and allowing for the degradation of the wine. However, high humidity also increases the possibility of water vapor damage. According to AskTheBuilder.com’s Tim Carter, “The wine rooms love relative humidity levels of 55 – 75% relative humidity. That is frighteningly high humidity. If that water vapor escapes from the wine room somehow, it can condense on cooler surfaces in a heartbeat.”

Humidity needs to be high in the room, but also contained in the space. Installing a good vapor barrier is the key. This is the point at which a good builder becomes critical. A builder who is both knowledgeable about your climate and the problems that such high humidity can cause to the rest of your house, will prove invaluable.

Temperature

According to Carter, “the temperature of the space is supposed to be 55-58F.” Jenkins writes that, “The bigger the cellar, the harder it is to control temperature and humidity”. However, it is a critical component. The temperature of the room will determine how well your best wines age. The site, newcellars.com, says that “Wine is constantly growing, never static. The best wines are aged slowly and stored properly in a cool dark damp area…Extreme fluctuations in temperature can cause premature aging or deposits.” There are many systems available to help maintain this constant temperature, some of which have an alarm that sounds if the temperature exceeds the range specified. Which system works best for your space is a decision best made with the help of an experienced builder.

Jenkins writes that “Wine rooms can be designed to fit most budgets and can be built to a variety of sizes and styles. If you are designing a new home or updating an existing one, a wine room can add value and style for the simplest of homes to the very elite. Approximately 75% of the homes built by Texas’ Custom Builder of the Year, Jenkins Custom Homes, contain wine rooms.”

Once you know these basics and have a knowledgeable builder, then all that’s left to decide is how far you are willing to go in your wine room design.