Wine cellar

[Laura Or]

Hello wine makers!

I have a question about the importance of a wine cellar.
Is it really unthinkable to have the temperature in the room varying a little bit while aging (let's say between 15°C and 20°C)
Would the wine cellar be relevant for all wine types?
Thank you in advance for the helpful responses!

 

[Boatboy24]

I guess it would depend on how often/much it is fluctuating. For example, if you tend to hover around 15 in the fall/winter and 20 in the spring/summer, you're probably just fine. It is frequent, significant changes that would be a concern. 5* C is not what I'd consider significant - especially if it is only seasonal. If you're 15 in the morning and 20 in the afternoon, that might be a bit more cause for concern, but again, it isn't a wide fluctuation.

 

[CDrew]

You need to be practical. Unless you have a deep basement, or can remodel your house around wine, you have to go with what you have. I have a spare room (the nursery when our kids were little) that I use that isn't heated but is cooled and so fluctuates from 58F(winter 14C) to about 72F(summer 22C). It's the best I can do, and honestly it's been fine. In my Ideal life, I'd have a wine cave that was always 55F(13C).

But, yes, I do think that proper storage temperature is a good idea. Just you need to be reasonable. Wine is pretty forgiving. If you can't control the temp, maybe it lasts 5 years instead of 8. No big deal. Just drink it earlier.

 

[Johnd]

Hello wine makers!

I have a question about the importance of a wine cellar.
Is it really unthinkable to have the temperature in the room varying a little bit while aging (let's say between 15°C and 20°C)
Would the wine cellar be relevant for all wine types?
Thank you in advance for the helpful responses!

I am completely in agreement with both @Boatboy24 and @CDrew , you also need to consider the wine that you will keep. If you’re storing el cheap o store bought wine, or inexpensive wine you’ve made, the importance factor is lower. However, ifyou intend to collect high quality wines, age them, and drink them for the next 20 years, the importance factor goes up. There are varying degrees between the two extremes, and varying monetary investments.
Find a happy spot that fits your wine plan, then celebrate by popping a cork!

 

[winemaker81]

@Laura Or, my wine making and storage space is exactly the same temperature range as @CDrew's, and we are on opposite sides of the USA in different climates. While the variation is far from ideal, I've had wines age as long as 10 years, so the variation is not a show stopper.

Your temperature range is a bit smaller, so I expect you'll be ok.