Light Your Wine Right

Filed in archive Wine Accessories on May 10, 2006

My wine "cellar" (remember I live in Florida, so really, we don't have cellars down here or basements or anything below the ground or basically it turns into a swimming pool) is made up of wine racks we have set up at the bottom of our kitchen pantry. We can hold about 60 bottles when it's full, which isn't as often as we'd like of course.

However, for those who have the big bucks or who live up north and can dig underground without creating a pond in your back yard, will find this article, Important Lighting Tips For Your Fine Wine Collections, helpful because it talks about how lighting is crucial to preserving your wine.

In the mid-'80s, billionaire Malcolm Forbes paid approximately $155,000 at auction for a bottle of wine. The bottle, which was believed to have come from Thomas Jefferson's own collection and dated back to 1787, was then put on display under strong lights and at the wrong angle. These conditions eventually made the Cork fall into the bottle, and the wine lost its value and was thrown away.

Most Wine Cellar designers and installer use strong disclaimers and will not be responsible for any consequential damages of any nature due to improper lighting.

The Wine experts at American Wine Essentials say "Lighting a wine cellar is an important part of the overall cellar decor. "Air Lock" recessed ceiling lights are the most popular. These should be put on dimmer switches to control brightness. In most cases, these are used as the main lights within the cellar.

Also popular are various display lights to accent different areas of the cellar. Some cellar contractors offer display "rope" lighting that is specially designed and built to fit into the display angle of individual bottle racking. Different types of spotlights are used to highlight picture openings, table areas, or large format display bottles. It is recommended that all lighting be on a timer system so they can't be left on for long periods of time. Lights cause excess heat and will cause the cooling equipment to over work itself."

Maintaining the correct environment is essential if you are going to store your wines for an extended period of time.