Since wine cellars aspire to mimic the 'cave environment', darkness and calm are important attributes of any wine cellar. Ultraviolet light will penetrate even dark green glass and hasten premature aging of wine. White and sparkling wines are especially sensitive to light damage. Vibration from machinery or road traffic is harmful to all wine, but especially to the sediments in red wine. While excessive vibration is rare in homes, avoid placing your cellar adjacent to laundry rooms or large air-handling units. If you have an active family, the closet below the stairway may not be the ideal location for a wine cellar.

Cleanliness refers to keeping your wine cellar free from dirt, debris and insects. It also means freedom from smells and bacteria, such as the kind generated by fruits, vegetables, cheeses or any other food capable of fermentation.

PLANNIING YOUR CELLAR
Most homes don't have wine cellars included in the blueprints, so chances are you'll have to steal existing space. The size of your cellar is usually dictated by your homes floor plan and how much square footage can be comfortably dedicated to a wine cellar. Even experienced wine collectors are faced with this dilemma.

Howard Pitman, CEO of Wimberley Valley Winery, a Texas winery with a tasting room in Old Town Spring, has enjoyed collecting wine for decades. For his first wine cellar he converted an entry closet resulting in storage for 200 bottles. “Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to fill up that cellar,” Howard explains, “I had to purchase a wine cabinet to hold the additional bottles.” Howard explains that he even borrows space in wine cellars of friends to hold his growing collection; “I buy a lot of wine,” he says with a smile.

What size cellar will you need? A typical closet will hold between 200 and 400 bottles. An 8' x 10' room can easily accommodate up to 2,500 bottles. According to Mike Stanton of Houston-based Galt Wine Cellars, a company with clients in 22 time zones, “The most common mistake people make is underestimating the amount of space they'll need. It's not uncommon for us to be called in to expand an existing cellar.” If you just want the convenience of having a nice selection of wines on-hand for entertaining or personal consumption, a converted closet may be perfect. If, however, you plan to become a serious collector, purchasing wines that require years of aging, even a 1000-bottle cellar may be too small.

James deGeorge, a retired real estate developer is familiar with the nuances of building wine cellars. Mr. deGeorge was introduced to wine in the 1970's by restaurateur Tony Vallone. “I was a regular when Tony's restaurant was located in an old house near what is now the Galleria. One day Tony put a glass of wine down in front of me and said, 'I just want you to try this'. I had never tasted anything so delicious in my life! Within a year I built my first cellar. Back then there were no standards available so I designed the cellar based on my experiences in Europe. Decades later deGeorge remains pleased with his wine cellar, though he does admit that even with a capacity of around 2000 bottles, there never seems to be quite enough room.

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