Cellaring wine at home

Wine enthusiasts dream about having their own cellar and often it is easy enough to turn dreams into reality.

A home wine cellar may be as simple as a spare hall cupboard, a section of the pantry or the garage, an upcycle sideboard, or as complex as a complete purpose-built room. Before deciding where to put your cellar, think about temperature.

Generally wine likes to be stored at between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius, with humidity between 50 and 80 percent.

Direct sunlight is bad for wine, so avoid rooms with lots of windows, although if you do plan to store wine for a long period of time, you’ll need a place with little light, enough humidity to keep corks moist, and cool temperatures. Here are some ideas:

Kitchen wine cellar
Incorporate a wine fridge or a kitchen wine rack into an existing pantry, or add a new one if there’s space.

Buy a wine cabinet
Wine rack cabinets designed specifically for storing wine help save space in a small home or wine cellar.

Closet cellar
Convert a spare closet into a wine cellar, with built-in wine racks, soft lighting, and a tasting table. Finish with a wrought iron door.

Reinvent and repurpose
Old cabinets, dressers and hutches make great stand-alone wine storage. Build shelves, add glass hangers, and a small wine fridge if room.