A good drink is what even Gods enjoy and to most a good wine is the best drink in the world. The connoisseurs of wine say that to find out a good wine is to smell and taste it. Not is the case with the wine racks. It is much harder a task than that for you get to know the insulation, humidity and temperature that your wine needs besides the ambience that your wine drinker needs and lot other things.
Because of the specific requirements of the wines in terms of the humidity, etc the wine racks can be only few types in the texture although they may vary in terms of the design, the space they tae and the number of wine bottles they can hold.
For building your own wine rack the first thing that you should be sure of is that whether your walls have sufficient insulation otherwise you will lose nearly all of your good wine. A good insulation ranges from R11 to R19 depending the outer temperature, as basement cellars may need more insulation. After having an optimum insulation the next thing you should consider for building your own rack is the material. The options available are redwood, lattice, country pine and mahogany. Redwood offers a soothing look to the bar while the country pine allows an artistic environment. You can also have metal ones but they require extra care and not much can be offered in terms of designs.
For each bottle there should be a 4 to 6 inch breathing space that will help in not only easy accessibility but also for cleaning purposes. You shouldn't forget to keep the width of the rack at least 2 inch more than the length of the wine bottle although we advise around 15 inch for a single racking. There are many designs and most of them in different geometrical patterns but the best out of them is the rectangular one which is quite safe.
If you are thinking over some color, although it all depends upon the color of the walls and other surroundings, we recommend the dark ones. They give a more romantic and elegant look. Redwood and the mahogany generally do not need to be painted.
There are certain precautions that need to be considered. There should be no electrical installations where you are preparing to have your wine rack. The lighting system at the ceiling is called the can lighting and it should be around 15 inch from the wall for a single deep racking and around 28 to 30 inch for double deep racking. The doors and the windows of the bar should be properly installed so that they maintain insulation of inside from outside. The rack should not interfere with the door, window or any type of switch.
Besides the above ones there are certain racks called as counter top racks meant for a few bottles ranging from 1 to 12 and generally they are suited for a small gathering and are best kept on a table. Similarly there are certain racks which are rightly called hanging racks for they hang to the ceiling or the wall and they serve the purpose of both a show piece and a functional small rack.
While choosing a wine rack it is to be remembered that the rack should store the wine the right way. Another important decision to make is the size of the rack - whether you want to store a few bottles or hundreds. There are lots of varieties and designs to choose from.
Horizontal wine racks are the best among all the choices available. Vertical wine racks are not a good option for storing wine. In vertical racks the cork will dry out and eventually shrink, causing air to come in contact with the wine and your wine will be ruined. Vertical racks are useful for short term storage for wines that are intended to be consumed young. Tilted racks will either leave the cork dry or deposit sediments near the cork. Horizontal racks are the best, as the cork remains moist and swelled preventing your wine from unwanted air contact. Sediment falls on the side of the bottle, far away from the cork to prevent spoilage when pouring. It is also cost effective, the design is simple and more racks can be added with ease.
Wine racks can be of metal or wood, placed on the floor or hang from ceilings. If metal is your choice then you can opt for Wine Tower, Lily Wall, Echelon, Wine Lounge or choose from Calistoga Wine Hanger or Climbing Tendril. Wooden wine racks have the advantage of adding extra storage space as and when you add to your wine collection. Wooden racks are usually constructed of maple, cedar and mahogany that have strength, hardness and visual appeal. Choose from Rectangular Bin, Diamond Bin, Waterfall Individual Rack or the Curved Corner Rack. For the more creative ones you can order your own wooden kit. The kit includes bolts, wrench and wooden racks machined with pre-drilled holes that can be installed in no time at all.
Wine racks come in various sizes. From small wine racks that can hold one or two bottles to those that can hold thousands. Small or medium sized racks work fine for your home collection while for commercial purposes large sized racks are required. Depending on your choice, wine racks can cost anything between $20 and $1000.
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