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FAQs

How much does it cost to design and build a wine cellar?

A wine cellar or wine room is a highly personalized architectural addition to your home. So, every wine cellar is unique. Many design and construction factors affect the cost including room size and bottle capacity, build-out or renovation, architectural and design features, type of racks/flooring/door/cooling system.  Master Cellars’ goal is to create a home for your collection that is technically perfect, aesthetically handsome, and within your budget.

What is the difference between a passive cellar and an active cellar?

A passive cellar does not have a climate-control system. Basement spaces surrounded by earth on 2-3 walls make good spaces to store wine without a climate-control system, unless the temperature and humidity vary more than 6 degrees within a 12-month period. An active cellar uses man-made materials essentially to create a walk-in refrigerator and control the temperature and humidity—special insulation, vapor barrier, cooling unit.

Where is the ideal location?

Below ground storage best protects fine wine from its enemies: heat, light, and vibration.

Must wine storage be below ground?

No. A dry, dark, quiet area will allow you to replicate ideal conditions. For example, the northeast corner of a room avoids sunlight; staying away from a furnace and outside noise ensures quiet. 

What is most important to properly store wine?

Temperature control. The type of cooling system, ventilation for the system, and insulation with an airtight vapor barrier will control the temperature and humidity. Ideal conditions can be created in any space—cellar, room, closet—as long as correctly temperature-controlled. 

What is a vapor barrier?

A vapor barrier is a moisture-proof enclosure to the wine room made of nonporous material. It retains relative humidity and allows the cooling system to function properly. A vapor barrier provides an airtight seal.

Why isn’t the facing on insulation a vapor barrier?

Facing on insulation is paper, so it’s porous and water can seep through. Even materials like concrete, brick, wood, and drywall can allow water to seep through.

What happens if I don’t have a vapor barrier?

Relatively high humidity keeps the wine corks pliant and tight.  If too much humidity escapes the room, wine corks will dry out. Too much humidity will invite mold and will cause discoloration on bottles and labels. A cooling system won’t control the humidity. Also, the cooling system will function inefficiently and in a relatively short time will malfunction from overuse. 

What is enough insulation?

A minimum of R13 or R19 insulation for the walls with R30 for the ceiling.

What is the correct temperature for wine?

Optimum temperature ranges from 55-58 degrees, but 50-60 degrees is a desirable range.

Can I store red and white wine at same temperature?

Yes.  Further chill white and sparkling wines before you drink.

Why is the door important?

The doorway is the largest opening into the room. So the door must be insulated and tightly sealed. However, the door also is the first thing that people see when they visit the wine cellar. So it is an important part of the overall cellar design. A glass door should have thermal, double-paned, tempered glass. Solid wood, mirrored, etched, French doors, door with sidelights. The wine cellar door must keep the room airtight while reflecting your personal style.

What type of cooling system should I use?

A myriad of systems exist, but they fall in three categories: through-the-wall, ductless split-systems and ducted systems. The through-the-wall system is the least expensive. It compromises aesthetics (unsightly), is noisy, and needs a separate humidifier to control the room’s humidity. It is mounted through the wall of the wine cellar and exhausts into another room. The ductless split-system requires a drain line from the unit mounted in the wine cellar to drain to another indoor or outdoor location. This system also works best with a humidifier. A ducted system is the most complete system because it controls the temperature and humidity. The exhaust is fully ducted out of the wine cellar and the room.

What’s the difference between an air conditioner and these types of cooling systems?

An air conditioner removes moisture important to maintain proper humidity. The specialty systems cool air without removing moisture.

Where should the air exhaust?

The warm air removed from the wine cellar must vent into an open space the same size or greater. Never vent into a closet, crawlspace, or attic because these spaces usually are inadequate for heat dissipation.

How does humidity affect the wine?

Too much humidity invites mold that may smell and discolors the bottles and labels. Too little humidity causes corks to dry out allowing air in, potentially causing premature loss and oxidizing the wine. Proper humidity levels keep the corks pliant and tight.

What is the right humidity?

Optimum humidity ranges from 50-70%RH.

What is the best type of wood for the wine racks?

Rainforest woods do well because they handle the humidity levels. The two most popular types of wood are mahogany and redwood. Mahogany resists moisture better than other wood and takes stain better than other wood (preferred by boatmakers for these reasons). Redwood repels moisture and mildew.

What’s the difference between wood and metal for wine racks?

Metal is sturdy and functions well in warm, cool, wet, or dry conditions. It’s a matter of design style. Metal and wood can work well together.

What kind of window can be incorporated into the wine cellar or room?

Ideally NONE. Light and heat are enemies to wine. Insulate and cover any existing exterior windows and avoid even small windows as design elements.

What kind of lighting works best?

Recessed canned lights, fixtures inset in the ceiling, wall and display fixtures are practical and won’t interfere with the racks or access to bottles. Just keep heat and ultraviolet light to a minimum. Allow enough interior light to view the wine and enjoy the cellar. Interior lights are not on long enough to heat the wine.