Wine Cellar Cooling

A: Air conditioning used in your house is completely different than the equipment used to properly conditioning your wine cellar environment. A properly working wine cellar conditioning unit is a significant addition to your home wine cellar. Temperature variations can affect wine greatly. Most wine cellars are insulated to protect against unnecessary temperature chances. An insulated environment will keep cold bottles cold longer and warmer bottles warm longer. If the temperature rises above what it should be in your wine cellar, the insulation will trap the heat, which will likely affect the taste of your wines. A properly working wine cellar cooling system can help combat this problem and keep your wine at a cooler temperature, even if a problem develops that increase the temperature of your home wine cellar.

A: Different types of wine should be stored at different temperatures. Wine cabinets, with coolers installed inside, allow you to chill each different type of wine at the appropriate temperature. Preferred temperatures are:
Champagne and sparkling wine: 43-47° Fahrenheit
Deep, rich red wine: 59-66° Fahrenheit
White wines, including blush, rose and dry: 46-57° Fahrenheit
Light, airy red wine: 55° Fahrenheit.

A: The most important aspect of a wine cellar is the wine cellar cooling unit. However, you cannot simply install the unit without properly preparing the wine cellar first. There are two factors to consider before you take the step of installing the wine cooling system.

1. The interior walls of the wine cellar should be covered in R-11 minimum insulation and the exterior walls should be covered in R-19 minimum insulation.

2. Walls should contain a vapor barrier. Vapor barriers are made of polyethylene plastic sheeting. Installed on the warm side of the wall, it serves as a barrier between the wall and the condensation that gathers because of the wine cellar cooling unit.

3. Flooring elements also need vapor barriers. Concrete wine cellar floors only need a vapor barrier with a concrete sealant. Other types of flooring need a vapor barrier and R-19 insulation to protect them from condensation.

A: If you cannot afford a proper wine cooling system and cannot control humidity in your wine cellar, take additional steps to protect your wine stock. Avoid storing your wine in cardboard of any kind, because cardboard rots easily. Lightly coat each bottle label in a scentless hair clearguard™ satin finish to avoid the humidity and high temperature rendering your labels unreadable. You can also install a humidifier in the room to control the moisture and thickness of the air.

A: A wine cooling system acts as a monitor and regulator for the temperature and humidity of the wine cellar. A temperature display should be included in the purchase of your wine cellar cooling unit. The temperature display is located just outside of the wine cellar. It displays the exact temperature of your wine cellar and sends a signal to your wine cooling system if the temperature is not within the desired range for wine storage. The signal prompts your wine cellar cooling unit to automatically re-adjust the temperature. The wine cooling systems temperature display should constantly relay accurate readings and monitor humidity.

A: Wine cellar cooling units are just as varied as other aspects of the wine cellar. There are different types of coolers that have different functions. They can include:

Through-wall wine cooling systems: This unit is mounted through the wall of the wine cellar and releases the exhaust into another room. The adjacent room must be air conditioned to dissipate the heat from the wine cooling system exhaust.
Ductless Split: This unit is similar to the one above. The main difference is that the evaporator coil is in the room with a split refrigeration unit and the condenser is placed in another room or outside of the home. This system also needs a drain for the excess condensation. A split refrigeration unit works best with a humidifier, to allow you to control the humidity of the room.
Ducted System: This is the most complete type of wine cooling system available today. The ducted system can be placed through-wall or installed remotely and be fully ducted into and out from the wine cellar and the room it is placed in.

View Vigilant's wine cooling systems

A: Properly constructed wine cellars should focus on efficiency first and the overall look of the space second. Your wine cellar cooling unit should be properly installed and provide the right atmosphere for wine storage, even if the outcome does not look as nice as the rest of the cellar. Many people simply decorate around the unit and understand that the bulky piece of equipment is necessary to maintain the integrity of the wine. True wine cellar cooling units have a different look and sound from traditional household refrigeration units. It is important to focus on the health of your wine using proper storage machinery instead of the aesthetics of your wine cellar.

A: Temperatures that frequently fluctuate can shock your wine. It is important that your wine cellar cooling unit gradually and gently maintain the balance of humidity and temperature. Traditional air conditioning units drop the temperature quickly. However, this can have an adverse affect on your wine stock. A wine cooling system will manage slow, easy changes in temperature without affecting the quality of your wine.

A: For added protection, install a moisture-resistant sheetrock to add to the durability of your wine cellar. Vigilant recommends DensArmor Plus® Interior Drywall. Whichever drywall you choose should be waterproof and be covered with a non-aromatic, moisture resistant paint. Your wine cellar is dark and damp much of the time. Some of this can be attributed to the location of the wine cellar and some can be attributed to the wine cellar cooling unit. The more materials you can use that are moisture-resistant or waterproof, the longer your wine cellar will last without requiring major improvements.

Learn more about proper construction materials

A: In a simple word, Yes. Maintaining the temperature of the wine cellar is the main function of the wine cellar cooling system. This is why it is important to purchase a cooling system specifically for your wine cellar. Normal air-conditioning and refrigeration units dry out the air in the room while cooling it and will likely malfunction in a wine cellar. To maintain the desired environment for wine storage, purchase proper cooling equipment and regularly monitor temperature and humidity in the wine cellar.

A: A wine cooling system will regulate the temperature of your wine cellar. However, the temperature of your actual wine will not be the same as the room. There are products available to assist you in attaining the actual temperature of your wine. The most popular model comes in a glass vessel that will display the properties of the wine bottle. The temperature finder uses scientific thermometers made for glass and specially calibrated. It can measure the temperature of the fluid inside of the bottle without disturbing the contents inside of the bottle.

A: Another essential component of properly maintaining your wine room is good air quality. Wine breathes and can incorporate unpleasant smells and debris into the wine through the cork. This can contaminate the bottle and cause the overall flavor to become harsh, sour or generally unpleasant. A clean wine room environment is important to the health of your wine collection. Make sure the wine room is properly ventilated and cleaned regularly to rid the area of dust, dirt and other unwanted irritants.

A: Storing wines over a long period is essential to the health of your product. One of the most important aspects of wine storage is the temperature of the wine cellar. The perfect temperature range for your wine cellar is between 55 and 60° Fahrenheit. The desired humidity of your wine cellar is between 60 and 65 percent RH. In order to maintain the above-mentioned conditions for your wine cellar, you must have a completely controlled environment, accomplished through insulation, vapor barriers and a proper cooling and humidification system.

A: Proper relative humidity can only be truly achieved with the installation of a humidification system. The correct level to maintain the health of your cork and prevent the premature loss of wine is 60-65% RH. A Vigilant Climatech wine cooling system comes with an integrated humidification system. However, if you already have a wine cellar cooling unit installed that does not have humidification you can purchase Vigilant's new Humiditech freestanding humidification system to maintain optimal conditions for your wine.

Learn more about the Climatech and Humiditech systems

A: Contact a Vigilant sales consultant today at 888.812.4427. They will go over the basics with you and if needed send you out a Vigilant hygrometer for a small fee that you can place in your wine cellar to constantly monitor your humidity levels to see if you need to add humidity to your wine cellar.