VigilantInc.com Tip: Commercial Wine Racks Versus Home Wine Racks

If you're considering modular home wine racks, but are more into function than form, you might want to consider commercial wine racks when deciding on a wine rack design.

A wood wine rack built for commercial use typically is not as ornate as custom wine racks designed for the home. Wine racks designed for commercial and retail use are basic units that are usually modular to allow for many different types of layouts that retail locations may require. Modular wine rack design lets the design of the wine storage racks fit the space available; modular design is available in both home and commercial models of wine storage racks. Both commercial wine racks and home wine racks are typically wood wine racks, with some wine racks featuring wire or steel parts. Be sure to consider all of your options when weighing form versus function for your home wine displays and you'll be able to best suit your needs and keep your wine in the best shape possible.

VigilantInc.com Tip: Where to Put Your Wine Rack

Finding the perfect place for wine racks in your home can be just as much of a challenge as designing a home wine cellar. All of the same conditions need to be considered.

1. Consider temperature. Be sure to place your wine rack in a place that keeps a consistent temperature and does not exceed 75 degrees. Examples of bad places to put wine storage racks include on top of a refrigerator, next to the stove, on top of a microwave or convection oven, near a heating vent, or above the dishwasher. All of these appliances produce heat.
2. Keep your wine out of direct sunlight. Although it may look stunning to place a wine rack in a window to get the effect of the light through the glass, this is not good for the lifespan of the wine. When you think you have found an optimal location, track the temperature of the area throughout the day and make sure it will not be exposed to direct sunlight at any point.
3. Finally, make sure your wine rack furniture and wood wine racks are in an area that will not experience significant vibration on a regular basis. Take care not to locate wine racks above a garage door opener or next to a sink with a garbage disposal.

VigilantInc.com Tip: How to Build a Green Wine Cellar

Once you decide to build a wine cellar, you will quickly discover that temperature and humidity mean almost everything to the proper storage of wine. Leave a few thermometers around your house and you will realize that the temperature in each room can vary depending on the time of day. This leads to the need for a dedicated climate control system for your wine cellar.

Several options exist to help keep your wine cellar efficient and "green." The first dates back centuries: the tried-and-true method of locating your wine cellar underground. Whether in your basement or in a newly dug cellar, underground wine cellars have proven effective in regulating temperature.

The second option is to supplement the electricity used by your wine cellar climate control unit with renewable energy sources, such as solar power. If you're feeling guilty about the added energy use, you can also offset it by buying electricity from companies that focus on renewables, or even buy carbon credits to offset the difference in your energy use.

VigilantInc.com Tip: Show Your Taste with a Custom Wine Rack

Wine storage racks come in many different shapes and sizes to fit the many differing needs of connoisseurs. Even with the wide variety, not every out-of-the-box solution will fit your need. When the models available just won’t fit your space or taste, it's time to start considering a custom wine rack. You could spend hours searching for the perfect custom plan, accompanied by detailed instructions on how to make a custom built wine rack, but then you reach the part of the plan that requires hundreds or thousands of dollars in power tools you don’t know how to operate. Getting a custom wood wine rack doesn’t have to turn into a month-long project with several trips to the lumber yard, when all you really want to do is stock your new wine rack and enjoy a glass. Start by assessing your needs. Next, make sure a total custom design is really what you need. Often modular options give much of the same flexibility in design as custom options but don't require an engineering background to understand the plans.

Before buying a book on custom wine racks, take some time to assess your woodworking skills and power tool collection and decide if your time would be better spent with your wine than in the workshop.