Improper Wine Cellar Lighting can Harm Your Wines
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For collectors to be able to maintain the flavor and taste of the wines they store and age, several conditions must be strictly observed. The temperature and humidity levels inside the wine cellar must be maintained at all times.
If fluctuations occur, they should be at minimal levels and should not happen very many times a year. This is the main reason why avid wine collectors spend time and money when choosing the right cooling and refrigeration system.
Lighting System – an Important Component of a California Wine Cellar Design
Another important factor to consider when building your own custom wine cellar in CA is the lighting system. Light is important in illuminating the wine cellar, which is necessary for the wine label to be read conveniently.
Also, custom wine cellar lighting systems provide the effect the wine cellar owner wants to achieve in his wine storage room. Lighting is also a great way to showcase and show off your wine collection impressively to your friends.
Part of collecting wine is not just acquisition of various fine wine bottles, but also achieving the respect and admiration of fellow wine enthusiasts and collectors. However, wrong kinds of lighting systems and voltages can ruin your wines when not properly installed and strategically placed in the wine cellar.
How Wine Cellar Lighting Affects the Quality of Wine
Excessive light, whether coming directly from the rays of the sun passing through the wine room’s window or from the artificial light bulbs installed, can ruin the expensive bottles of wine in your collection.
Heat emitted by natural or artificial light can create changes in the molecular composition and chemistry of the wine, changing the color, texture, flavor, and taste of the liquid. Of course, changes which are not within the permissible ranges set or agreed upon by wine connoisseurs are not deemed to be good or palatable.
These days, wines are put into dark colored and thick bottles precisely to avoid being contaminated or harmed by light. Some people say that only direct sunlight can harm wines since the bottles are thick enough to keep artificial light from harming the complex molecular make-up of various wines, be it red or white. However, prolonged exposure to direct artificial light can still ruin the wine.
Wine Cellar Lighting Tips
When designing a California custom wine cellar, it is advisable to place the light bulbs and the entire lighting system in strategic places for those that will not be directly hitting the wine bottles. If it is necessary or unavoidable for the light to touch the wine bottles, make sure that the lighting system is conducive and amenable to the environment in the wine cellar that you have painstakingly created, to ensure the proper storage and aging of the wines.
Use light bulbs with low voltage, UV protective coating, and a tempered and frosted glass lens to help prevent heat emission. Better yet, observe the light bulbs you plan to use in your residential or commercial wine cellar to ensure that they do not emit excessive heat before installation.
It is prudent to be thorough and exact when creating the right environment and fixtures for your wine cellar. After all, it is useless to keep on collecting wine bottles only to have them ruined by sheer ignorance or low quality lighting.
At Wine Cellars by Coastal, they always ensure that they design and build wine cellars that will store and age their clients’ collection in the safest and most stunning way possible. For any wine cellar lighting needs, contact them today at (888) 735-8889 or request a 3D wine cellar design for FREE!