Building A Passive Wine Cellar

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of likely quality: the greater the ullage the more suspect the wine. Excessive ullage indicates a loose cork, widely or frequently fluctuating storage temperatures, or low humidity (Gold 31). Some ullage with age is inevitable, but anything more that 12 mm (1/2 inch) per decade is avoidable.
Excessively high relative humidity inevitably leads to mold. The carbohydrates in your wine cellar: cork stoppers, paper labels, paper surface of the drywall, and wooden shelves can all become mold food (Alexander).
Wines: Best Kept in the Dark
When no one is in the cellar, it should be kept in pitch darkness. Fluorescent or other forms of electric light have little or no effect over short, intermittent periods. Light-bodied white wines and champagnes are far more sensitive to light than are red wines, and special care should be taken to protect these (Bramhall).
The serious cellar should be just that: a cellar. It should not be a general entertaining or show-off area for a large ...

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common chemical methods (insect sprays, and so on) usually bring a speedy end to such an invasion once it is noticed ( Rizzo).
Rats can find their way in and proceed to chew through lead capsules, seeking the glue and/or minute residues of dried wine for food ( Rizzo). There is no damage to the wine itself, but the appearance of many old treasures is irrevocably impaired. Keep traps around the wine racks to avoid this from happening and remember to make periodic inspections.
Ideal Storage Temperature
The one requisite that has general consensus among wine authorities is that the ideal storage temperature is 55º F (13º C). The permissible deviation from this standard runs to ...

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