Wine should be rested in a place that is not only stylish, but also protects the delicious juice from the harsh environment. Some wine storage is located in underground areas that are naturally cool a...
Wine should be rested in a
place that is
not only
stylish,
but also protects the delicio
us ju
ice from the harsh
Environment.
some wine st
orage is loc
ated in
underground areas that are natur
ally cool and
Moist.
for most
potential storage locations that
don't exist, wine
Cellar refrig
eration al
lows us to
store valuable collectibles in
any room of the home or
restaurant.
Whether you're a design
er embarking on a p
assion
project or an arch
itect in a
major restaurant wine cellar,
here are s
even things to
Consider
when creating a climate-control
led environment.
learn more about wine cellar
Cooling units
1.
There are
many types of cooling
Units
Wine cellar cooling un
its are
freestanding, ducted, ductless and spl
it. The
first is the most cost
effective and is
like a
window AC unit.
almost any
one can install a freestanding cooling
system.
Ducted
Systems use ducts similar to y
our heating and AC system to
bring in cool air from a unit
located in the
maintenance room or
outside and draw in
Hot air from the cellar. Ductless systems use the same premise, but with cooled ducts. Finally, split systems (
which can be ducted or ductless) place the e
vaporator in the cellar and outside the condenser. All ducted and ductless systems
require a licensed HVAC installation program.
Air
Conditioning units are
different from wine cooling units
Air conditioning units blow cool air to a
certain temperature for a sho
RT period of
time - a temperature that is
Usually at least 10
degrees
warmer
than the
Ideal wine cellar
ambient temperature. Wine cooling units run more
frequently,
Keeping the room at a cooler,
constant temperature with
no spikes.
they al
so regulate hu
Midity.
3. The perfect wine cellar temperature is 55 degrees,
while the tar
get humidity is 70 degrees
There are definitely some personal preferences for
space de
pending on
region/storage
goals.
these are
good tar
gets.
A wine cooling unit can
only be as good as the bones of the cellar
if you don't isolate the
Walls
Correctly (
think R17+) and
take into account the heat
transfer areas (cracks,
doors, windows,
glass), you
will set up the cooling unit to
Prevent pre
mature failure. For
Heavy glass walls and dis
plays on doors, expect to
double the cooling
capa
city. Don't forget the vapor barrier (and
make sure the installer
puts in the outside or
warm side of the wall; the opposite of
normal construction). C
losed-cell
foam is a sui
table alter
native to insulation and vapor barriers.
It
changes the budget of your project ...... A
lot
Creating a climate-cont
Rolled env
ironment
costs a lot compa
red to a
passive wine cellar . The obvious
difference is the cooling unit it
self, which can
start at
around $2,000 for a standalone machine and creep up depending on the size of the unit. On
top of that, expect added costs to
properly isolate the space so the cooling unit
doesn't fail. Ho
wever, cost is all that
Matters in perspective as some wine
Cellars alone contain hundreds of
thousands (if not more) of wine cellars.
6. Wine cellar placement is
Important
Wine cooling units can only do so
much. Removing
displays from
direct sunlight, hot exterior walls and
other heat
sources will limit the
amount of
work required to cool the unit.
7. Difference
between storage and
service temperatures
A good red wine is usually
best enjoyed in the low 60's
range.
white wines from the 50's are
great. S
parkling should be around 48 degrees. There are many individual storage
refrigerators that can
help provide the temperature.
long term storage will make red wines colder and white wines warmer than the i
deal temperature. While 55 degrees is recommended,
Keep in mind that the colder the wine is
stored, the s
lower it will age.