I actually did not know all that, and that was a greatpost, thank you.
Covered all the major points(at least that I can think of) of what I might
need to know simply and quickly. Thank you very much Jeff. Will probably
print this out and save it(as I said, be a couple of years at least before I
get to do this the way I want). Thanks again to everyone for their input.

Joel

"jeff" > wrote in message
...
>
> "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
>>
>
> Joel,
>
> The main considerations for wine storage a
>
> 1. Light. Ultriaviolet light ages wine prematurely. Especially reds. That
> includes incandescent light bulbs. Keep it as dark as possible. Some wine
> storage rooms have florescent light without UV.
> 2. Temperature. The best temperature to store reds and whites togeter is
> 54 - 57 F. If the temperture gets lower, some precipitation can occur and
> form a sediment. not a bad sediment, but still...sediment. Temperatures
> higher than 57 aren't a sin, until it gets up around 68, especially for
> reds. then you have premature ageing. Temperatures that fluctuate up and
> down also prematurely age wine. Wine is a living thing. If it is always
> adjusting to rising a lowering temps it just gets tired and gives up.
> 3. Humidity. If your humidity is higher than 65% the corks can begin to
> get soft and labels will also get soggy and peal off. Also, mold is a big
> factor. If the humidity is lower than 50%, the opposite will happen, your
> corks will dry out and wine will seep, thus, oxidation.
> 4. Vibration. Keep your wine free of traffic areas, like under stairs or
> beside anything that makes noise or vibrates. Refrigerators etc. Wines
> stored in coolers usually have a vibration free unit.
>
> Other than that, store your whites on the bottom and reds on the top.
> Store your longest ageing wines at the back and your early drinkers at the
> front (that's if your cellar is a walk in).
>
> You probably know all the above, already, but that's the basics. If you're
> building a unit, you'll need insulation, of course, and if it's not a
> naturally stable temperature, you might need a cooling unit that exhausts
> warm air into another room, or to the outside.
>
> Jeff
>
>
>