Francey Not Fancy Featured in Homes & Gardens

Shared some wine cellar advice with the good folks at Homes & Gardens. Click the photo above for the full article. Here are my tips:

How you maintain wine storage will depend largely on your needs and the size of your collection, begins Alison Morris Roslyn, certified sommelier and wine consultant, owner of Francey Not Fancy. A smaller private wine collection will not need as many bells and whistles as a professional collection, she explains.

‘I know several people who built small wine rooms in areas of their basement that naturally stay cool. They don't have cooling units or moisture barriers in their walls. They simply keep a thermostat in the room to make sure the temperature isn't getting too warm. This is very popular in Europe, where wine is often stored in wine caves or stone basements that are naturally in the 50s or 60s Fahrenheit.

‘If you're a more serious collector and are looking to store wines to age for years to come, you probably want to invest in a fully outfitted cellar, installing a moisture barrier in the walls and adding a wine cellar cooling unit. Unless you are very handy, this is a household project you shouldn’t DIY,’ she warns. ‘I recommend bringing in a local company that does wine cellar build-outs, preferably someone who has done work that you've seen and liked.’

Wine cellar maintenance requires regular checks to ensure that everything is okay and none of the systems have failed, reminds Alison Morris Roslyn, certified sommelier – this certainly makes it a home feature to avoid for a low-maintenance home. 

Alison recommends going down to visit your wines at least once a week to check the condition of the space, the temperature, and the humidity.

‘While you're there, check the cooling unit's drainage system,’ Alison adds. ‘Wine cooling units maintain both proper temperature and humidity and can drain excess water into a bucket. If your cellar is properly sealed, you shouldn't have too much drainage, but during rainy or humid periods, you might get some runoff that needs to be dumped out. If you're going for a simpler cellar with no cooling unit, consider installing a smart thermostat so you can track your cellar's temperature from your phone.’ 

Don't fret if you miss a week. Most cooling units have alarms that will sound if your cellar is overheating.