More Answers To Your Questions About Wine And Spirits
Posted By winemaker on September 17, 2011
Chris asks…
What is an optimal color to paint a wine cellar?
I have a closet on a lower level that I want to paint. Right now it’s white. And because the temperature is right and it is void of sunlight I want to put a wine rack in there and build a cellar. What color should I paint it? I’m thinking dark red or purple, but what do you think?
winemaker answers:
Dark red
Robert asks…
Anyone know how to make a fallout shelter into a wine cellar?
My wife and I just purchased a home built in 1953. It has a fallout shelter with concrete ceilings and walls and it cool inside and a bit damp. We were thinking this would be a good wine cellar but haven’t been able to find anyone specific plans on what we would need to convert the shelter. I think the temp has to be between 55-60 and humidity between 60-70% but beyond that I’m clueless.
winemaker answers:
Watch the humidity- too much- too little and you’ll have vinegar! Also- be sure the walls are tight- no water leakage. Clean it good first- scrub with a bleach solution to kill any current bacteria- after these few things- you should be ready.
You can stack/ crate or build shelves- the wine won’t care where it rests- just that the conditions are right!
Laura asks…
I have a large underground cistern that no longer retains water. Can it be turned into a wine cellar?
It is roughly 10 feet by 5 feet in area, by 8 feet deep. It is all concrete. Seems to me I might dig down along the side and create a doorway, clean out the inside and have a wine cellar, or at least a storm shelter. Is this possible?
winemaker answers:
Sounds like a great idea to me! If it’s attached to your house, maybe you could access it thru your basement wall.
Carol asks…
How do you keep track of the wine in your cellar?
Do you use a virtual wine cellar?
winemaker answers:
There are a number of way to track wines in cellar.
There are the old fashion writing on paper. This actually is a good way of doing it, since tracking it by hand tend to help keeping an active knowledge of the names and types of wines in the cellar.
There are also a number of wine tracking softwares out there. Barnes and Nobles has a wine tracking system available for about $50. There is also a palm pilot version, even though not as good.
Personally, I use internet. Bottlecount (www.bottlecount.com) is one of the best tracking system online, and it allows me to pull up my wine list anywhere there is internet. There is also cellar tracker (www.cellartracker.com).
Just be good about keeping it up to date. I found myself pulling a few bottles out and putting a few in, and forget to update. That gets to be a headache when you manage a huge cellar.
Sharon asks…
I have a cold cellar in the basement i would like to make it into a wine cellar.?
The cold cellar is cement all around and i would like to put ceramic tiles on the walls and floor do i have to moister proof the walls before the ceramic tiles? There is going to be a unit control for the temperture and humidity levels. I don’t want built another room for the wine cellar the cold storage room is empty. If can tell me what materials are better to use thank you very much.
winemaker answers:
If I were doing it, I would moisture proof thr walls, then put hard board on the walls. Finally putting ceramic tiles on the hard board.
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