Have you reached the point in your voyage on the sea of wine where your treasures are slipping out of cabinets when you try to get a plate out for dinner? Has your significant other been complaining about tripping over cardboard cases rather than your discerning taste buds? If the answer to those questions is yes, it is time to start thinking of a wine rack.
Build or Buy?
There are several things you need to consider before you start placing the bottles. The first one is to buy or build. Location and available space are also considerations. The amount of wine you will be storing, the size of the bottles and the total weight of wine need to be taken into account. The style and the material of the storage unit will have a lot to do with its aesthetic appeal and should be considered whether you buy a unit or build one. Finally, how easy will it be to expand your wine rack? If you start collecting, you will always need more storage.
Wine storage and making have changed over the centuries. Since few of us have the space to construct a traditional wine cellar, a lot of do-it-yourself options have been developed. Buying all the materials and putting together a wine rack from scratch can be enjoyable and there are many plans available for free on the Internet. One of the best resources for free plans can be found at woodworking sites online; most of the blueprints are free. Think twice before you chose this option. Even the simplest of designs require more than basic woodworking skills. Building a safe wine rack is not something to be taken lightly.
If you chose to buy a wine rack, you will find that options extend from small racks that seem to defy gravity to custom-made units that require a skilled contractor and removal of walls. There is an excellent middle ground if you want to protect more than a few bottles of wine in a assembled counter-top unit. If you know use a few simple tools, you can move up to a quality storage system. Many are offered at online sites.
Selecting a Wine Rack Design
Location is as true in making a decision about a wine rack design as it is about purchasing a house. If you have selected a counter top for six to eight bottles or a DIY unit, location should be you first decision. The two prime enemies of wine are swings in temperature and light. For a counter-top unit, keep it away from stove and oven. Try to tuck it into a corner with no direct light from a window. With a larger DIY unit, your main enemy is light. Defeat this enemy of the grape by locating the unit in a closet or at least away from light coming in directly from a window.
How much are you going to collect is the next question. Count the bottles of wine you have right now. If there are more than six, plan on a rack with storage for 24 bottles and one that can be expanded with additional tiers.
Your final consideration is one not many people think about. The larger racks for 48, 60, and 72 bottle units need to be sturdy because of the weight, not of the rack, but the bottles of wine. The average weight of a bottle of wine is 3.5 lbs. A large 72-bottle rack will be supporting 252 pounds. That would definitely cause a permanent dent in vinyl tile in the pantry and holes in carpeting. If you keep adding to your rack, you could be dealing with a half ton of weight. Beside danger to your floor coverings, you need to make sure the rack you choose is going to be resting on stable flooring that cannot be damaged.
Enjoying Your Wine Rack
You have made it all the way through the process of choosing the design and now you are ready to order. When it comes, if you have chosen a DIY kit, take the manufacturer's advice and read the directions thoroughly and take your time in assembly. Take the time to properly store your liquid treasures and fuss with them some. Rotate the bottles, dust them off, and make some labels for the bins. Consider starting a wine diary. A collection of wine is always a conversation starter when some friends come over for dinner and you pull a special wine out for their enjoyment.
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