Vintage advice Vintage advice (July 23, 2004)

How to stow what you reap

By Susan Golovin

There's no getting around it: If you collect wine, you're going to need a place to store it.

Wine requires a very special environment, and serious collectors have an investment to protect. The ideal place is a dark, well-ventilated, vibration-free area with a temperature between 55 and 60 degrees and humidity between 65 and 75 percent.

Many people choose to convert an extra bedroom or a crawl space under a stairway into a wine repository. However, given the requirements, the easiest starting point is probably a basement.

"First, the room has to be stripped out and reinsulated," said John Grant who works for Phil Finer Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in Redwood City.

"The less heat introduced into the room the better because it reduces the size of the mechanical equipment. Good insulation is a one-time cost, compared to the PG&E bill, which is monthly and ever increasing."

Too high a temperature results in wine that ages too fast. As important as the actual temperature is the avoidance of fluctuations in temperature. If the temperature is not strictly maintained the wine can expand and contract. This will result in cork damage, which in turn allows oxygen to enter the bottle and destroy the wine.

Since maintaining the proper humidity is so important, a vapor barrier, or thin plastic shield, along with the insulation, is imperative. The emphasis on high humidity (normal homes are 20 to 30 percent) is also due to the necessity to preserve the cork.

According to Grant, you need two units -- a cooling coil in the wine cellar, and a compressor outside -- sized to match the heat losses in the room. "Ideally the cooling coil should be placed above the door," he said. "It won't take up bottle space and when you open the door you can't see it."

Grant recommended a yearly calibration of the machinery. "Some people interlace all controls into a computer system, which includes a touch screen. I installed one for $40,000, which I call the 'all-singing and all-dancing system.' It printed out a histogram of the temperature and humidity and also indicated any component failure. The control system can cost as much as the mechanical system."

Syd Dunton, a Los Gatos interior design consultant, estimates that he has designed about 40 wine cellars. "The least expensive was $2,000 for a room that housed 36 bottles," he said. "The most expensive was an $85,000 job, which included adjoining rooms and accommodated 3,000 bottles."

Dunton has designed the gamut: from a clean, contemporary look to a Moroccan theme with lots of cushions in the seating area, hanging lamps and Spanish tiles.

"I always ask the clients whether they want just a storage area or if they are going to use the room for entertaining," Dunton said.

Style of wine racks is a major consideration. Wine needs to be stored horizontally so that the cork stays moist.

"Crisscross, with four equilateral triangles in a square is very traditional if you want bins that will hold more than one bottle," Dunton said. "But don't stack more than three bottles high because you lose tension and the bottles can slide."

Using an island for additional storage, "the bottles are two deep and accessible from both sides," he said.

"A person's height and physical disabilities should be taken into consideration. Most ceilings are eight feet and anything over seven feet high is difficult to reach without a ladder," he said. "Also, be sure to allow for toe space under cabinets so you can get in real close to reach."

Palo Alto interior designer Joe Hittinger, who designed last year's ASID show house wine cellar -- inspired by a Tuscan farm house, with limestone floors and rough, rock walls -- likes to use a simple one-bottle design.

"The more flexible the system the better," he said, pointing out that collections tend to grow. Also, wine should not be disturbed once it is laid down, and the one bottle system makes for less jostling.

Hittinger said that four walls with floor-to-ceiling racks is oppressive. Dunton agreed. "I like to have people incorporate their hobbies, interests and art into the design," Dunton said.

Both designers confirm that redwood seems to be the most popular choice. "Some people want a very uniform look, so they choose kiln-dried, all heart. But actually, any wood -- maple, walnut, cherry, mahogany -- can be very attractive," Dunton said.

Earthquake preparation is prudent. Hittinger recommended that all racking be secured to the walls.

"You can install doors with poultry-net screen that is inexpensive, strong and almost invisible," Dunton said. "Also, the bottles can be angled so that you have to pull them up and out."

Since natural light will prematurely age wine, artificial lighting is an important factor. Some authorities recommend incandescent or sodium vapor lights rather than fluorescent.

"You really need good lighting, not just to see the bottles, but also to create mood if the room is used for entertaining," Hittinger said.

"Candlelight adds a nice glow, and creates mood, but be sure that you avoid scented candles because the odor could be absorbed by the wine," he said.

Indeed, one should be careful not to store anything with a strong odor near wine. This includes certain cheese, prosciutto and cigars. "Don't allow any smoking in proximity to the wine," he warned.

When one considers where to locate the wine cellar, access is an obvious factor. Less apparent is the need to avoid places where there is vibration, which disturbs the wine sediment. Purists avoid locations near the teen entertainment center or the home workshop.

Also, when considering location, "a nearby bathroom is a great convenience," Hittinger said, as is a sink and refrigerator.

Additional storage is required for wine-tasting glasses, a cork puller and a wine journal -- including computer connection if it's online.

What do you do if you lose interest in the collection? "I once had a client who converted her wine cellar into a crafts room," Hittinger said. What worked for wine bottles easily accommodated colored paper, buttons, yarn, paint brushes and scissors.

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