FAQ

What is a custom wine cellar?
The simple answer is that a cellar is an environmentally controlled space where your wines are protected from fluctuating temperatures, low humidity, and strong light. A room customized to reflect your personal tastes both in design and content. A room expertly crafted to provide the perfect wine storage for your home and lifestyle.

Why does wine need to be kept in a cellar?
Wine is a natural, perishable food product. Being exposed to heat, light, or fluctuations in temperature can cause it to lose its subtle flavors and aromas alarmingly fast and eventually will spoil. When properly stored, wine not only maintains its quality, it will reach a peak of maturity far beyond its original form.

Over time, subtle chemical reactions within the liquid transform the wine, softening hard edges, become more complex, and releasing its true flavors.

What are the advantages of having a wine cellar?
A wine cellar protects your investment, leads to a greater appreciation for wine, and gives you the satisfaction gained from drinking high quality wines.

A private cellar allows you to buy great wines upon release, when they are readily available and reasonably priced, and then age them to perfection. Buying wine when a good deal is found can result in major savings. You can stock up on specials or buy in bulk knowing you can properly store and age them.

With your own cellar you can draw a wine to suit most occasions. Whether it’s a special dinner or unexpected guest, you will have the wine to match only a few feet away.

Are there different styles of wine cellars?
Yes. There are as many different styles as there are wine collectors. Some enthusiasts want their collections to be seen and like to display their prized bottles. Others may take a more utilitarian approach and need only a safe place to store and age their collection. Fifty Five Degrees can create a cellar to fit every collection and fulfill every collector’s vision.

Aren’t wine cellars only for the finest, most expensive wines?
No. All wines should be cellared; some for only a few years, others for decades. All wine continues to develop in the bottle. Whether you spend $10 or $1,000 on a bottle, proper storage is necessary to preserve the qualities that led you to buy the wine in the first place, even if you plan to serve it within a few weeks.

What are the optimum storage conditions for wine?
Wine should lie undisturbed in a still, dark and slightly humid place, with a steady temperature of 55 degrees. Constant temperature and humidity are very important, especially in the Springfield / Branson area where the outside temperature can fluctuate as much as eighty degrees throughout the year.

Can I store wine in a refrigerator?
No. Refrigerators, like air-conditioners, remove humidity from the air. They are not designed to maintain the high humidity levels necessary to keep corks tightly sealed and protected from oxidization. This makes it necessary to use cooling units designed specifically for wine cellars in order to maintain the proper environment.

How does temperature affect wine?
It’s a major contributing factor to the wine’s aging process; the warmer the wine, the faster it ages. The experience of centuries of wine enthusiasts has taught us that 55º is the perfect temperature to store your wine. Most importantly the temperature needs to remain constant. Fluctuations in temperature will ruin your wine.

How does humidity affect wine?
Keeping the cellar very humid is necessary to keep the corks moist and your wine tightly sealed. Too much humidity, though, can create a breeding ground for mold and mildew, possibly damaging the labels or the racks supporting the bottles. Also, mold and mildew could create an odor that seeps into the wine through the corks, distorting the flavor.

What are the technical challenges of building a cellar?
A quality wine cellar starts with what you can not see. Hidden in the walls of the wine cellar are the most import details of the cellar. Without the proper insulation and vapor barriers, there is a risk of mold, mildew infestation, and water log, not to mention high energy bills.

Framing
The general rule for a cellar is – the thicker the walls, the better the insulation factor and the more consistent the temperature.
Electrical System
A home wine cellar requires a dedicated source of electricity, primarily to power the refrigeration system and lighting. To ensure a reliable power source, a dedicated circuit is recommended.

Vapor Barrier
A vapor barrier is required to help keep a cellar at the correct temperature as well as keeping the humidity levels stable. Without a complete one on all walls and the ceiling, condensation will occur and mold or mildew will likely follow. Essentially the vapor barrier creates a watertight space.

Insulation
It is important to use the correct insulation in relation to the thickness of the walls. It slows heat transfer and allows the cellar to maintain the ideal temperature without causing your cooling unit to be overworked. It is the insulation that will keep the energy bills low and the cellar working properly.

Interior Walls & Ceiling
The covering for the interior walls and ceiling will be determined by the décor or theme of the cellar, but there are some restrictions in order to keep moisture to a minimum. Moisture-proof wallboard is commonly applied to add a layer of protection. Some people opt to paint this directly, but it is common to add a non-aromatic wood or a stone veneer for decor.

Door
The cellar’s door must be an exterior grade door and installed with a good seal of weather stripping. One of the most common ways a wine cellar spikes your energy bill is when the cooling unit is running continually due to an improperly sealed door.

Flooring
There are many types of floorings used in wine cellars. Wood, cork, bamboo, marble, slate, and cobblestone are all commonly used. The choice is usually based on the overall décor. Carpet is never an option due to the cellar’s cool, damp conditions.

Lighting
The lighting in a wine cellar should be functional and decorative. You want enough light to be able to read wine labels, but you don’t want to expose the wine to excessive heat or ultraviolet light. A lighting design that utilizes dimmer switches and the right types of bulbs can give your cellar the ambience you want without harming your collection.

Refrigeration
The heart of a home wine cellar is its refrigeration system. A cooling unit must be chosen that matches the size, thermal mass, insulation, and location of the room. There are a number of ways a refrigeration unit can maintain the proper temperature and humidity level, so selecting the right one for your location is vital.

Racking
The most difficult and exciting choices come with selecting the wine racking. There are so many styles and materials to choose from, it’s hard not be overwhelmed by the immense design possibilities. To cut down on the confusion, we carefully consider the items to be stored, the space the racks will occupy, and personal tastes of our clients.