Adding Wine Storage to Your Cabinets
When wine collections were the domain of the very wealthy, the dark wine cellar was where wine lived in the home. Today, though, we taste wine on weeknights and return home with cases and winery club membership cards. It makes sense to incorporate wine storage into the kitchen. Why not display your collection proudly, and provide easy access to wine for entertaining by creating a wine storage cabinet in your kitchen?
Wine Cabinet Placement
If custom cabinetry is an option for you, consider installing a wine cabinet that's at waist or kneel-down height, as opposed to the shelf above the refrigerator that you can never reach. This makes it more accessible and, frankly, safer to grab a bottle.
Many designers are now in the business of wine storage design. Their creations are often whimsical, like the Skybar, which looks more like an espresso maker, holds three bottles, and dispenses wine into glasses with a spout. There's also the Metal Wine Cage, which keeps a dozen bottles locked up in a Camelot-era style locked cage. Such options make wine storage into art you'd proudly display on your countertop.
Storage Cabinet Must-Haves
Wherever you decide to store your wine, the cabinets should fulfill certain requirements:
- Dark: UV rays from light occasionally creep into bottles, denaturing the wine. Your cabinets should prevent this.
- Cool: The ideal conditions are between 55 and 58 degrees, so next to the dishwasher or stove is a bad idea.
- Humid: 55-75 percent is ideal; it keeps the cork moist, but with less chance of mold.
- Vibration-free: Skip the refrigerator-top rack--vibrations negatively affect wine's aging process.
When considering materials, wood cabinets are a great choice--particularly redwood cedar, which resists decay and mildew and is beautiful.
About the Author
Jessica Santina is a freelance writer and editor with 11 years' experience in media, marketing, and publishing, and 8 years' experience as a college writing instructor.
