Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Home Wine Cellar: Tips and Tricks for Getting Started

By

home wine cellar
Tomekbudujedomek/Getty Images

We can’t all have  wine cellars like this one, but we don’t really need one when we can be crafty in our bottle storage. When it comes to properly cellaring wine, conditions trump looks. Here are some creative (and budget-friendly) ways to keep your treasures healthy and destined for the greatness that added time will afford.

Recommended Videos

The Basics of Wine Cellaring

Three things matter most when it comes to wine storage:

  • Light
  • Temperature
  • Humidity

Find a dark, cool space with relatively low humidity. It can be as simple as a closet or crawlspace or elaborate as a separate room altogether. Just make sure it stays somewhere in the range of 55-70 degrees Fahrenheit as anything warmer can spoil a wine relatively quickly.

Related

How to Store Your Wine

home wine cellar racks
Martin Child/Getty Images / Getty

PVC

There are quite a few design options out there that are both inspiring and fairly simple to take on. PVC piping is practically built to house wine bottles. Get some four-inch piping and cut to your liking, stacking and gluing to form something like this. It makes for a modular presentation that can add a little flavor to your kitchen or dining room.

Riddling

A riddling-style wine rack is also a good option, if you have the room. This style allows the bottles to rest on their sides, as they would during the riddling stage of making Champagne or sparkling wine. It looks cool, keeps the cork wet and can be quite convenient if you have the vertical wiggle room.

Cardboard

If you order wine delivered directly to your residence — apologies to the few states that still haven’t evolved with the times — keep the packaging. It’s not pretty, but it’s functional. And stackable. A makeshift cellar rigged out of cardboard inserts and boxes can be neatly tucked away behind some clothes or in between a wall and washer and dryer (again, beware of the heat). It’ll offer essentially the same cellaring effects as an underground cave or proper wine fridge. After all, you don’t have to enjoy the wine where you cellar it. Think of it more as a locker room for your bottles.

Stock up on said containers when you’re out wine tasting. Many wineries are willing to sell spare case boxes and inserts for a nominal fee. Your local grocery store may be sitting on some that would otherwise get recycled.

Making the Most of What You Have

Try using what you may already have as well. Preexisting shelving or certain types of drawers can be modified to accommodate wine. Simple slats as inserts can create individual homes for bottles lying on their side in shelves while individual bottle holders like this can make a wall sing and allow for plenty of creative license.

The Last Resort

When in doubt, and when conditions get really extreme, use your fridge as a refuge. Chilling your prized bottles, even for days or weeks at a time, is immensely better than letting them deplete in the heat. You may have to make some room by throwing out some produce or leftovers but, you know, priorities.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
How to use a milk frother: Simple tips and tricks to elevate your drinks
Here's how to use a milk frother with ease
Cappuccino

Once you've mastered brewing the perfect coffee at home, the next step in every home Barista's journey is to learn how to use a milk frother. You'll need frothed milk to enjoy specialty-type coffees from your kitchen, such as lattes and cappuccinos. At one point, I was intimated by the concept of frothing my milk, as it can sound more complicated than it is. Learning to use a milk frother is easy enough for coffee lovers of any skill level. Here are two of my favorite ways to froth milk for coffee at home, ideal for those who do not have an espresso maker with a steam wand attachment.
How to use a milk frother: Hand frothing

Using a handheld wand milk frother is one of the easiest methods for frothing milk at home. A handheld milk frother can be used in your mug and is an excellent option for those who don't have an espresso maker at home. Before I had an espresso machine with a steam wand at home, I found the handheld milk frother to be my go-to for frothing milk for coffee. I like this method because it requires minimal skill and clean-up (always a motivating factor when making coffee at home instead of ordering it out at a cafe).

Read more
Wine 101: What makes Cabernet Franc so special?
Meet Cabernet Franc, parent to both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Glass of wine in front of vineyard

Do yourself a favor and enjoy a bottle of Chinon in early spring, when the hardier trees are budding, but winter’s chill still lingers. I say this from experience: I once sat near the window of a slightly chilly wine bar after the electricity had gone out. The Chinon we ordered was a lighter color than I expected -- not much darker than a pinot noir -- but its taste was unique: red berries, bell pepper, and a tannic acidity so zesty it positively danced on my tongue. I’ve had wines that were elegant, even sassy, but this one was alive. I attribute this fact to two reasons -- a good producer and the wine’s sole varietal: the versatile black grape known as Cabernet Franc, co-parent to the wildly popular Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varietals. Red wines made from this grape can be as fresh as a Beaujolais or deep as a Bordeaux. It’s also used to make rosé and ice wines. 

The town of Chinon is located in the central Loire Valley and focuses on producing red wine made from Cabernet Franc. It’s been this way for a long time -- possibly since the 12th century, when the town's wines were served in the Plantagenet courts. In time, Cabernet Franc made its way to Bordeaux, where it became parent to both of that region’s mainstays, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as being a major player in certain red wines from Sainte Émilion. Now, Cabernet Franc can be found all over the world, either featured as a sole varietal or a dependable blending agent. 
Cabernet Franc: color, aroma, and flavor

Read more
How to read a wine label: Decoding symbols, numbers, and certifications
What to look for on the bottle
Multiple wine bottles sitting on surface

With wine labels, the prose is not always straightforward. In fact, there are nouns, numbers, and symbols you might not be fully familiar with. But it pays to have some context, as the last thing you want to do is shell out your hard-earned money for a wine from the wrong American Viticultural Area or made in a way that doesn't agree with your dietary restrictions or environmental stance.

You can probably locate the alcohol content or even the grape varieties that go into the blend, but can you pick out the region? How can you tell if it's made from organically farmed grapes? Did they add sulfites? These are valid questions, especially in an age where we very much want to know about the companies we fund, let alone what exactly we're putting into our bodies. Keep reading to learn how to read a wine label.

Read more