How to start your wine cellar?

The ideal wine cellar

Before embarking on the constitution of a wine cellarIt is essential to understand the characteristics that are essential for the proper conservation of wine in a cellar.

Several criteria are essential for the proper storage of wine in a good wine cellar:

• An ideal temperature, i.e. stable, is between 12°C and 14°C.
• A good hygrometry with a humidity level around 75%.
• The room must be protected from vibrations, bad odors and light.
• It should also be well ventilated.

The respect of these criteria allows the good conservation of the wineIt will not be altered by heat, light, odors...

To learn more about the conditions of conservation of wine, see our episode of Extra-Brut on the subject: How to store your wines?

A wine cellar : for what ?

If you wish to set up a wine cellar at home, you must first evaluate your exact needs according to the space available at home.

Would you like to dedicate a space in your kitchen or in your cellar, take advantage of the space you already have or install a thermoregulated cellar? Yes, you can, install a wine cellar at home is not insignificant. Depending on the type of cellar, you can keep your wines for a longer or shorter time.

Well, then.., should you choose a wine cellar? Elements of answers in our article.

What kind of wines for your cellar?

Depending on the conditions of your cellar, you can afford to buy wines with a high aging potential or wines to be enjoyed quickly. We help you find the bottles of wine that best suit your needs. Which sparkling or still wines can you age for later tasting?

Ageing potential of Crémants d'Alsace

Bestheim advises you not to keep the Crémants too long in your cellar to preserve the freshness of their aromas and the finesse of their bubbles.

For example, our Extra-Brut, Brut Premium, Brut Rosé and Demi-sec Crémants can be enjoyed immediately or kept for up to 2 years.

Lovers will of course be able to keep our sparkling wines for a few more years, especially the Grand Prestige Blanc and Rosé millésimés, to see their fresh fruit notes become more complex.

Ageing potential of Alsace wines

The varietal wines, like our Classic wines, have an ageing potential of 1 to 5 years. They can be enjoyed immediately or with a slight ageing period.

If there are wines that can be described as wines to keepare the Grands Crus. These wines are made to be kept (beyond five years), they are very tannic for red wines and with a high acidity and/or sugar content for white wines. It must be taken into account that they will soften, lose acidity and become less fatty with age.

The same applies to Late Harvest and Selections of Noble Grains which are, in Alsace, white wines with a high level of sweetness, thus allowing a better conservation.

In short, in your ideal cellaron the side of the range of Alsace winesplan to keep the Crémants and our Classic (wines to be drunk young). For choose wines to keepturn to our Grands Crus as well as to our late harvest and our Selections of Noble Grains. This is a good starting point for your wine cellar!