What timber is
best in humid conditions?
Any hardwood available in your
area will usually be the most suitable for humid conditions.
If you are choosing a timber for your racks (in Australia)
you might want to use karri, jarrah, cedar, etc, although
pine is also used successfully (do not use treated pine
under any circumstances - it's treated with arsenic and
won't go well with your wine!).
I want to store
my wine under the stairs. Is that a good place and how do I
stack the wine?
If it is cool and dark under the
stairs it could be an excellent place to store your wine. If
you have enough space you could add individual bottle racks.
Also check out storage retailers for inexpensive racks. You
may want to line the interior of the space with polystyrene
insulation. This will assist in maintaining a stable
temperature.
What is the best
way to construct the racks to allow all the labels to be viewed?
Single depth individual bottle
racks should work for you. Lay your bottles down with the
labels facing up. The labels will be visible and any
sediment will sink to the opposite side.
What type of
wines should I start collecting in my cellar ?
For whites look for high
acidity. It is the acid level in a white wine that allows it
to age. Some whites to consider are riesling, marsanne and
semillon. In red wines look for tannins for aging potential.
Try cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. Always check the bottle
labels for an indications of the cellaring potential. Try to
attend wine tastings at the larger wine outlets.
Do I need to
build a specific area to store my wine ?
Wine needs a constant
temperature, ideally between 55°F and 58°F (13°C - 15°C),
humidity around 70%and a calm, clean odor-free space.
Anywhere that meets that criteria will suffice. A basement,
a closet, the spare room, etc. You don't want your ceiling
to be so high that you need a ladder to access you wine. A
stable temperature
is the most important requirement.
