Actually it's a high horse I absolutely agree with. Would love to have an
underground cellar, just really not an option in this area(t least not
unless you go at axtravagant cost, and even then, VERY likely to flood).
Here in Oklahoma City area the "dirt" is all just red clay. so no drainage
away from anything, and hideous to dig in. so you'd pay a huge amount to
get it dug, and then have to deal with lack of any drainage.

I'm really just kind of thinking ahead here, for now, living in an
apartment, I'm just goign to have to have wineracks out in the apartment.
Deifnitely not optimal, but it's only option for now(don't have room in any
of the closets to setup a little "cellar"). When I buy a house ~3 years
from now though, hoping to take one bedroom with walk-in closet(which I may
have to build, but easy enough to frame out and build something like that),
and convert the closet into a small wine cellar with a breezaire or similar
unit. Obviously, lots of research time in the next 3 years, for things such
as particular unit, etc, jsut trying to get a more general idea of the basic
ideas of wine storage.

I definitely agree that natural, preferably underground, would be the
optimum. In hosue growing up, my bedroom was in the basement, and was
always the most stable temperature wise throughout the year, so I've learned
well that natural environment control can be the best, particularly when you
factor in the savings.

Thanks for the input. Would have loved to see that cellar. Course, predates
my birth by 10 years, and is on other side of the pond, but that's not the
point.

Joel
"Pinky" > wrote in message
. uk...
> My own belief is that temperature contol is the most important. The debate
> about corks and other closures is much more difficult! But, that being
said,
> if you have a "real cellar" underground then temperature changes are so
much
> slower and the wine is so much happier with that sort of regime.
> One can obviously build and maintain a strictly temperature controlled
> cellar but that is not at all necesary.
>
> About 35 year ago I had a pub in Somerset in England. My cellar was quite
> small for a pub but it had a small stream -- well a spring higher up in
the
> garden, which ran through my celllar all year round.
> In hot summers I could guarrentee that my draught beer would be the
coolest
> in the village and the taps in th ebar woul "frost" up without any
> artificial cooling. My quite small stock of wines was stored there also
and
> I never had problems with them.
> The rreal problem with aging is not quite all a matter of the actual
> temperature but rather a wide fluctuation in tempersature. Of couse one
can
> add humity control and if you are maintaining artificial temperature
control
> then you must similarly maintain humidity control as well. But temperature
> control by natural means is ( IMHO) a n inexpensive and probably the best
> way off doing it.
> When you look how long wine has been made then you must believe in
natural
> processes and storage.
>
> Sorry -- one of my "high horses"
>
>
> "Joel Sprague" > wrote in message
> news:CWpIe.35$KX4.22@okepread05...
> > While this isn't technically about winemaking, all of us have to store
and
> > age our wine, at one time or another, so I figured this question would
> > still
> > be appropriate here.
> >
> > I was wondering what all must be addressed in building yourself a wine
> > cellar. Not talking about the choosing of wines, or where to purchase
> > them,
> > or anything like that, but the actual cellar itself. What concerns must
> > be
> > addressed in regards to temperature, humidity, etc.
> >
> > One specific question right now is as to why it must have a controlled
> > higher humidity? Is this just to keep the corks moist, or is there some
> > other reason too? Also, how does using synthetic corks change these
> > needs?
> >
> > Any input on this subject, or pointing me to proper place to look, would
> > be
> > greatly appreciated. Didn't notice anything on wine storage in all the
> > old
> > messages I'd read back through, so have some hesitation about posting
this
> > here, but at the worst, you just tell me to shut up and go somewhere
else
> > with this question, which is fine.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your help
> > Joel
> >
> >
>
>