Kings Winehaus

1. Can I use a conventional split system air conditioner in my wine cellar ?

This is a very common mistake people make. You are actually better off storing your wine in a higher than ideal temperature at stable conditions rather than using a conventional air conditioner.

Why?

Firstly a conventional air conditioner chills and recycles air into the cellar dropping its temperature by around 15 degrees C. This cold air landing on your precious wine shocks it every time it cycles. It is just as bad for the wine as heat is. This is not what happens in a cave. A cave maintains constant stable conditions. Our Fondis Winemaster machines simulate cave conditions with a very soft form of temperature control not shocking the wine with very cold air.

The air off a conventional air conditioner also overly dries the air dropping the humidity in the cellar and drying the corks causing shrinkage which in turn leads to leakage and spoilage of your wine.

The other main reason why a conventional air conditioner is no good is that wine under cork breathes through the cork and releases acidic vapors into the air which in turn gets blown over the gas cooling evaporator coil causing gas leaks. All of our Fondis Winemaster cellar conditioners have three special protective coatings on the cooling coils that protects against gas leaks from acidic pitting of the refrigeration system .

2. Do I need to insulate my room ?

Yes. This is just as important as the machine itself and they work together to simulate the required stable cave like conditions .There must be an unbroken layer of foam on the face of the walls and ceiling creating a thermal and vapour barrier. The idea is to have a very gradual change of temperature in the cellar as to not shock your wine. This can only be done with low capacity wine cellar conditioners matched to the volume of your room. The low capacity of these machines means that the only way to contain the desired conditions within the room is to have a thermal barrier.

When a room has been insulated using the correct type and thickness of foam the cooling capacity required is as follows:

• 15m3 cellar = 450 Watts
• 25m3 cellar = 550 Watts
• 40m3 cellar = 900 Watts
• 50m3 cellar = 1200 Watts
• 80m3 cellar = 1600 Watts
• 100m3 cellar = 2500 Watts

3. Can I just put a larger machine in to compensate for the lack of or insufficient insulation ?

Absolutely not. Having an overly powerful machine is just as bad for wine as heat is because of the icy cold air shocking the wine with every operating cycle. Remember that there is no cold air being blown around in a cave.

4. Can I install a thick single sheet of glass ?

Absolutely not. It doesn’t matter how thick the single sheet of glass is it doesn’t have any thermal resistance. Thermal resistance is only created by having layers of glass with argon gas in between. The ideal is double glazed 1.4 ”U” factor glass which is made up of 4mm glass , 16mm argon gas void and 4mm glass. Triple glazing and vacuum glass are better again. In humid parts of the world a single sheet of glass will also sweat causing water to pool up on the floor.

Be very careful if someone says you can have a single sheet of glass in your cellar or no need to insulate as they may be giving you a higher capacity machine to compensate for the thermal losses but are actually damaging the wine with the over capacity, overly cold air.

5. Do I need to insulate and install a conditioner in my underground wine cellar?

A common misconception is that a below ground basement or cellar without temperature control is sufficient for long term wine storage. However vast changes in temperature still occur between seasons. This is more so when the below ground cellar has a masonry or concrete structure above it as hot summer days will transmit energy into the cellar with some reaching as high as 26 degrees C. This change can prove detrimental to the storage of your wine. There is an ideal humidity range necessary to keep the cork moist, to avoid it from shrinking and allowing air into the bottle. This is one of the reasons why we keep wine bottles lying down. Too much humidity will help propagation of fungus and rot which will damage the wine labels and also develop bad smells in the cellar which will affect the aroma of the wine. Fine wine is fragile, if kept at a high temperature it will age too quickly and turn to vinegar. If the temperature is too cold the ageing process will slow down and eventually stop. Some of the best wines, both white or red if kept in stable and controlled conditions, can keep for decades. All wine, regardless of variety, needs to be stored at the same consistent stable conditions.

Once you have made the decision to have a wine cellar in your home, Kings Winehaus, can convert any room or space into a temperature controlled wine cellar. For new building projects we can also consult with your architect and builder, to create your ideal wine cellar. Whether you are after maximum bottle capacity or a show piece wine cellar, Kings Winehaus can satisfy your wine storage needs as well as add value to your home.

• We fully insulate the wine cellar with closed cell extruded polystyrene or polyurethane insulation creating a thermal and vapour barrier
• We supply and install Fondis Winemaster cellar conditioners which is the leading French brand in cellar room temperature control.
• Fondis Winemaster units range from 15m3 to 100m3
• A wide selection of wine racking is available, custom made to cellar size and shape
• Wine racking systems are available for showpiece presentation or maximum storage
• Lighting options which are available include LED and strip lighting
• We can supply and install double glazing to your cellar to create a visual impact within your home or restaurant.

Our current customers include

• Restaurants
• Wineries
• Apartments/Penthouses
• Private Dwellings
• Commercial Premises
• Architects
• Builders