Humidity plays an important role when it comes to properly storing and aging your wine. Even though it’s just as important as light and temperature conditions, many new wine collectors underestimate its importance. Not doing so could lead to dire consequences for your beloved wine collection. 

The following is all you need to know about how to reduce the humidity in a wine cellar.

What Is the Ideal Humidity for a Wine Cellar?

The ideal humidity for wine is between 50% and 70% relative humidity. The sweet spot is around 60% relative humidity. It is the best humidity to keep wine healthy and to assist in the aging process.

The best-aged wine is kept consistently under the right conditions, including humidity, temperature and light. Of course, for most rooms, the humidity will naturally change throughout the year, so it’s important to find ways to keep the right humidity the same over time. 

How Humidity Affects Wine

The wrong humidity will disrupt the delicate aging process for wine. Humidity less than 50% can lead to cracked corks which in turn can lead to degraded wine when air enters the seal, as well as evaporation. Humidity above 70% can lead to a build-up of mould and mildew, causing the wine to break down and even become foul-smelling. Too much mould can even lead to negatively affecting the integrity of the cellar itself. 

How You Can Reduce Humidity in Your Wine Cellar

The best way to combat humidity is to have an air-tight room for your wine. You can use a vapour barrier, which is a plastic enclosure around the room to prevent condensation and a build-up of mould. If you are dealing with low humidity, you can use a humidifier.

A wine room or cellar should be well insulated. It helps to have a wine air conditioning system to keep the room at a consistent temperature, thus helping to keep the humidity consistent as well. Once you have an air-tight, insulated room with the right temperature and humidity conditions, you can be confident that your wine is stored well. 

Ideal Conditions For a Wine Cellar

Now that you know the right humidity to keep your wine cellar or wine room in, here are some other things to keep in mind when storing wine. 

• Temperature

Aim to keep your wine room’s temperature between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. (50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit). It can help to get a Wine Cabinet/Wine Refrigerator or a wine cellar conditioning system. 

• Light Conditions

A wine room should be kept dim. Avoid having any big windows which let in lots of sunlight. A fluctuation in lighting conditions will only make things worse. 

• Vibration Free

Vibrations can disturb the chemical processes happening in your wine bottles. Wine should be kept somewhere still and away from foot traffic and vibrations (think washing machines, garages etc.)

Our range of reliable wine racks can solve this problem with ease. 

• Store Your Wine On Its Side

Have you ever wondered why wine bottles are stored horizontally? Well, the main reason for this is that it prevents corks from drying up and degrading. This isn’t as much of a problem for bottles that have screwcaps on them. 

Where to Find Custom Wine Cellars for the Perfect Wine Aging Conditions

At Wine Stash, we provide Bespoke Wine Cellars that are custom-made for all your specifications and requirements. We build wine cellars from the ground up and provide climate control systems, glass panels and UV lightning to keep your wine in pitch-perfect condition.

Learn more about our Bespoke Wine Cellars here.