Wine Storage FAQ

Key factors to consider when choosing your wine storage solution. There are some common questions I get asked by many customers so I thought it makes sense to collate the ones I hear the most in this Wine Storage FAQ.

1. Where should wine be stored?

Wine can be stored in a number of accessories or containers but the key is that they visually look good whilst being functional at the same time. A key factor is light and try to avoid where possible. Store in a darker shaded area or a storage device where the bottle is exposed to its absolute minimum.

2. How much does wine storage cost?

Budgets can vary hugely between single bottle simple designs to underground ventilated state of the art cellars hidden from view with secret glass doors. It really doesn’t habe to be expensive and maybe tailor your budget according to your consumption or how you rate wine. If you’re a passionate conosieur who studies WSET or visits vineyards regularly to sample and research then you will be able to better justify spending more than an occasional wine drinker who just enjoys the odd glass once a week with friends. Slate and Stone Wine Racks made ideal gift items and the reason behind many purchases is as a gift or celebrating a birthday or anniversary.

3. What temperature should wine be stored at?

Research shows the optimum temperature for storing wine is between 10 and 15 degrees centigrade. This can fluctuate slightly but will have a negative effect if temperatures exceed 24 degrees as the wine begins to oxidise. Although it is easier to achieve this using mechanical means, look at other materials such as stone and slate which can keep your wine cool naturally. Natural materials such as wood and timber can be prone to expanding and can damage glass if wooden wine racks expand in the heat when full of bottles.

4. Can wine be stored too cold?

It really depends how one prefers their wine served. One may add ice to cool it even further, but remember that wine should not be exposed to sudden sharp drops in temperature as this can impact the aging process. Sharp changes can also impact the glass and the cork so try to avoid where possible.

5. What’s the best wine storage for apartments?

If floor space is a premium and priority has to be given to essential furniture items then consider a narrow slender floor standing wine rack. A single width slate wine rack design proves very popular with clients as it takes up minimal floor space, see Slate Wine Rack 8SWR73 as an example. An alternative design might be a single hole pyramid style shape like Slate Wine Rack 1SWR11 which make perfect gifts for wine lovers.

6. How to store wine without a cellar?

Temperature was discussed above with preference being made to darker locations, another key consideration is positions and angles. Horizontal is preferred by many and try to ensure the wine remains constant and stable. Avoid vibrations and movement and try to keep a constant air flow where possible. Access is a key factor and ideally you want this close to hand in a kitchen or lounge. No one likes having to walk out to the garage to get your bottle of bubbly.

7. What humidity levels are good for wine storage?

The optimum humidity for wine storage is 60% with levels ranging from 50 – 70 being adequate. Also referred to as Relative Humidity (RH) 60% is still the desired target. If this is not possible then the taste can be affected as the maturing process is impacted. Slowing the maturing process is key as well as ensuring the corks to not dry out which can spoil an entire bottle contents.

8. What to store in your Wine Rack ?

Wine would be the most obvious choice, however, the holes are core drilled to allow for larger Champagne and Sparkling Wine bottles. Not all designs will be able to fit, but we try to cater for the majority. A number of clients have sent in photos filled up with Craft Gin bottles which look very smart with various colours and such a range of bottles and glass designs.

9. Do the bottles just slide in ?

Yes, the texture of the cored holes is nice and smooth. If you want to protect your labels then we recommend sliding in the bottom of the bottle first at a slight angle and then rest the bottle down on the slate once inserted. The hole is super smooth and core drilled with precision so there will be no sharp edges obstructing the bottle

10. Does all the bottle fit in ?

On some designs the entire bottle will fit, however the majority of the designs leave the neck protruding the front slightly. If the slate was chosen the same width of the bottle then this would increase the weight massively and they would be much more difficult to handle and manoeuvre into position. All dimensions are listed in the Product Specification for each individual slate wine rack.

11. What size wine rack ?

This depends on your budget and what you wish to treat yourself to or it could be as a gift for a wine lover. Currently the sizes vary from 1 upto 50 holes. We sell an awful lot of 6 and 12 hole wine racks as gifts as cases of wine come in 6s or 12s. We also sell a lot of larger 12 – 15 hole wine racks for private clients who are purchasing a wine rack for their own kitchen.

12. Where to place a Wine Rack ?

This is very much personal choice, but when we deliver wine racks to clients the majority are placed into a kitchen area. We find the area at the end of a run of units is popular where the space is too small to fit a standard cupboard size. Another popular location is in a corner or where walls step back from one another. This is a tricky space to fill but a tall, elegant, slim wine rack can fill the space perfectly. See our gallery for client photos.

13. Does Slate wear ?

Slate is a very strong and versatile product and will last a lifetime. When kept indoors there is no exposure to the elements as slate does weather slightly over time if exposed to the outdoors. Slate roof tiles are a classic example of this.

14. Is it Welsh Slate ?

All of the slate used for our wine racks are sourced from the famous slate quarries of North Wales, recently awarded World Heritage Status by UNESCO. Slate is sourced from South Wales for smaller designs but the quality of North Wales slate is far superior. Other materials used are Portland Stone and Italian Carrara Marble but only Welsh Slate is used in our slate designs.