The dark seclusion of an unfinished basement is reminiscent of the underground caves of France and Italy. For centuries, European underground caves have cultivated the fine wines that satisfy even the most discriminating palette. The discriminating homeowner can take advantage of a basement’s natural starkness and remodel their basement to embrace a refined passion for wine. Turning a basement into a wine cellar will not only provide pleasure and sophistication to family meals and household entertaining, it will also improve the value of your home.
If the idea of turning your basement into a wine cellar sounds as tantalizing as the finest of red wines, start by looking at the temperature, humidity and stability of your basement before you begin your basement home improvement project. If you want your fine wine to remain a good wine, controlling basement temperature, humidity and stability will determine success.
Fifty-seven degrees is the ideal temperature for wine storage. Extreme fluctuating temperatures can turn a fine wine into a dine-and-dash wine. A humidity level that stabilizes between 65% and 70% will keep the corks from drying out. It’s also important to keep your basement wine cellar free from excessive heat and ultraviolet lights.
Keeping the basement free from vibrations is just as important. Wine aficionados know that even the quiet vibrations of a refrigerator’s cooling coils can affect the quality of wine. Although building a wine-rack under the basement stairs may seem to be the most convenient location, the vibrations that naturally occur from footsteps can affect the quality of wine.
Temperature, humidity and stability can all be controlled. If your basement currently looks more inviting to bats than people, a basement wine cellar is an exquisite, financially sound solution. Turn your discriminating tastes into a fine-wine home improvement project and you’ll see your fine wines and your home’s value improve with age.