Wine Racks and Shelves
Storage of wine bottles can be a major headache for the dedicated wine fan. Keeping wine secure and safe before you drink it is simple if you only have one or two bottles – they can go into a cupboard or be kept in the fridge, but if you have more than that, and certainly once you have 10 or 15 bottles, you need a specialist wine storage place, such as wine shelving or wine racks. These are traditional methods of storing large collections of wine, but there are modern adaptions which allow you to fit them into any small area, even into the space below the stairs if necessary.
Wine racks are traditionally made from wood, and are built in rows, each row having two horizontal sections which are supported with vertical pillars. Along the top side of each row will be a number of dimple-like curves in the wood (although these can also be extended to semi-circles cut out of the wood). The wine bottles are placed, laying down, in the two hollows, and the wine racks can store any number of bottles in this way. These wine racks have been used for centuries to store wine securely in cellars, but you can have them installed wherever you choose.
Some modern takes on the traditional wine rack include making the racks using metals, rather than wood. In this case, the racks are made with horizontal and vertical lines of metal, with no curves, and the wine bottles fit into each ‘square’ made by the crossing of the lines. Other designers have created wine racks which resemble the old mug trees used for storing cups, with the wine bottles being inserted into metal hoops around a main shaft. The bottles are placed in nose-first, so that the bottle is prevented from sliding further due to the size of the hole.
For those who want their wine racks fitted into the wall, as wine shelves, there are also a number of different options available. These work very similarly to racks, but are often less open to the atmosphere than racks, and can even be used to keep wine in fridges or chillers. Wine shelving often consists of a flat horizontal shelf which has a wave-shape in the middle. The curves created by the wave-shape are used to hold each bottle of wine securely. It is also possible to buy racks which can be used as wine shelves, such as a modern design which allows the owner to secure each bottle in a vertical rack using the neck. The rack is wide enough to hold the neck tightly, and keep the bottle horizontal.
Anyone contemplating storing their bottles in wine racks or shelves needs to consider where these racks will go. The best place is somewhere like a basement, or an outhouse which is in shadow for most of the day. The most important thing to remember is that wine should not be exposed to sunlight, as this can trigger the oxidization process. Your racks or shelves, therefore, should always be well-shaded, and preferably able to be kept in the dark for most of the day.
