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What You Should Consider When Designing a Home Wine Cellar Maintenance Schedule
If you’re an oenophile, then you understand the importance of properly maintaining a wine cellar. Having a home wine cellar is something to be proud of – and something to perpetually maintain. To ensure your home wine cellar is running smoothly, it’s best to create a maintenance schedule. Here’s what you should consider when designing your own:
Check for Control Settings
One of the most important factors of maintaining a wine cellar is ensuring the correct temperature and humidity levels. All wine cellars should have a temperature range between 55-58 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of around 60-75%. Regularly check your control settings and make any needed adjustments accordingly.
Maintain Proper Air Circulation
Air circulation is essential to keep your wine cellar running efficiently. Your wine cellar should have enough space for air to pass through, keeping the environment clean and free of mold and other contaminants. To keep everything running properly, regularly check the fans and make sure they’re all working as they should.
Check Door Sealing
Damaged or loose doors can result in temperature fluctuations, resulting in over-oxidized wine. To prevent this, it’s important to check the doors of your wine cellar regularly. Make sure any sealant used is placed properly and in good condition. If there’s any damage, be sure to repair it as soon as possible to ensure your wine collection remains protected.
Clean the Shelves and Bottles
One of the most important maintenance steps is cleaning the shelves and bottles of your wine collection. Regularly clean your wine cellar to ensure that any sediment and dust are removed, as well as any mold or mildew that may form in a moist environment. Additionally, you should also check to see if your bottles have any natural cork deterioration. This can affect the taste of your wine, so it’s best to replace any bottles with this issue.
Rotate Your Collection
Your collection of wines should be rotated periodically to prevent them from staying in the same spot for too long. This will also help prevent your wines from getting too warm or too cold, as different spots in the cellar will have varying levels of temperature. Additionally, it’s best to rotate by bottle, as opposed to case. This will ensure all of the bottles are exposed to an equal amount of air circulation.
Periodically Check for Unwanted Guests
It’s also important to make sure there are no unwanted guests in your cellar from time to time. Rodents, bugs and other pests can wreak havoc on your wine collection so make sure to check for any sign of them. If you notice any signs of pests, it’s best to contact a professional to take care of the problem promptly.
Conclusion
Having a home wine cellar is a great way to store and age your wine properly. But in order to keep your collection in the best condition, it’s important to develop and maintain a regular maintenance schedule. By following the tips above, you’ll be able to make sure your wine cellar is kept in optimal condition.
