When it comes to what the phrase "wine cellar," one can often imagine European grandeur and luxury. We are all aware that most private villas in Europe pride themselves on their extensive, fully stocked, gorgeous wine cellars. In addition, most fine restaurants also brag about the elaborate methods they utilize for keeping expensive wines in top-notch shape.

With all of this focus on wine cellars, it can be a bit daunting to the average person, but a true wine lover can envision the importance of a personal wine cellars and consider the purchase of a home wine cellar.

Let us start by saying that most wine lovers do not need fancy storage systems for their wines. Most wine drinkers will focus on carefully selected bottles, and will drink them in regular, but small quantities. For this kind of consumer, creating an at-home wine cellar may be unnecessary.

There is, however, the wine lover who stocks many different kinds of wine and is considered a collector of fine wines. For this person, there may be a need of a dedicated wine cellar in which to keep their collection. The wine cellar designs can still be located within the home in a place that is convenient.

You are talking how large the wine cellars going to be and how many bottles of wine when it comes to some wine collectors. The number of bottles it can hold is directly related to the amount of space that is available for your wine cellar in your home.

Light, vibration, temperature, and humidity controls are necessary to maintain your wine in its highest quality state. Too much light (especially sunlight or fluorescent light) is thought to damage wines. Your wine cellar should offer a darkened storage space.

Vibration can also damage the wine by disrupting the sediments, which will cause a change in color or taste with most delicate wine selections. They are known to be especially susceptible to vibration and light damage.

Humidity is another factor that can have serious implications on wines. If you have too much humidity, it can cause the wind to mold; if you have too little humidity, it can cause the corks to shrink leading to spillage and spoilage. Humidity optimally should be around 70%.

Finally, temperature is another important factor, as temperatures that are not ideal will decrease the flavor of the wine, and temperatures too low may cause the wine to freeze.

One of the easiest ways to create a wine cellar in your home is if you purchase a self-contained wine cellar unit. These units can range in size from 2' x 3' to 10' by 12' or more. If you consider having a very large wine cellar in your home, it may be less expensive to have a custom wine cellar built for you.

Wine cellars range in size (some hold as few as 24 bottles, all the way up to 2500 bottles) and the prices rise to match. Prices for small models may begin at about $500, and rise up to $4000 for the larger ones.

You will also find that wine cellars come in a variety of exteriors, ranging from super sleek stainless steel to rustic oak or pine. Additions such as interior lights, locking doors, glass panels, and the like will typically add to the price.

When deciding to purchase a wine cellar, you should first determine a few things.

- Number or bottles that should like to store.

-What is the amount of space that you have available for your wine cellar.

-What kind of features and controls do you need in terms of lighting, temperature, humidity, and vibration? If you're planning to collect expensive, delicate or special care wines, you will need to take into account extra features for your wine cellar.

- Is the wine cellar going to be tucked away in a room or placed out in the open? If you're going to play set out in the open your going to want to invest in higher and finish so that it matches the rest of your house.

When it comes to purchasing the perfect wine cellar, it comes down to balancing the features versus price and space, you want to take in account your own personal drinking habits and purchase the best wine cellar you can afford. It should have all the features you want to fit your current needs with a little extra room to expand and upgrade.