The definition of a wine cellar is a place in which wine is stored. Synonyms for wine cellar include larder, wine rack, and wine stock. When someone refers to their wine cellar, they may be talking about their wine refrigerator, their wine storage in a basement or pantry, their actual wine cellar, or a wine cabinet.

While the definition of a wine cellar is quite simple, what makes a good wine cellar is a little more complex. In the early days of wine cellaring, wine was aged in underground caves where it could mature undisturbed. Modern wine cellars seek to replicate the conditions of these ancient caves by creating an environment that is cool, humid, and dark. This usually involves a well-insulated room and sealed space that is not exposed to harsh UV rays, a power cellar cooling system, and sturdy wine racking. Wine ages best when the wine cellar temperature is a consistent 55◦F with relative cellar humidity around 50-70%.

Modern wine cellars are both practical and stylish. Many cellar owners opt to have their wine on full display, investing in all glass or acrylic wine cellars to showcase their collection. Metal, acrylic, peg, or cable wine racks can be used to give the illusion that the bottles are floating. Wine cellars can also be installed into the floor (shown below), taking advantage of the consistent temperatures of the ground/soil. Other creative cellar installations include using unused space under the stairs, an existing closet space, pantry, or basement. In an effort to save money, some wine lovers DIY their wine cellars by purchasing pre-fabricated wine racks, cabinets, and wine refrigerators.

VinCave Wine Cellar 450 Bottles


If you are thinking about building a wine cellar, you may be wondering what is the difference between a cellar vs the basement. Both the basement and a traditional wine cellar exist below a building such as a house. While basements have windows and doors with access to the outside, a wine cellar ideally does not have any windows and has a sealed door to maintain temperature and prevent any harmful UV rays from spoiling the wine. In other words, a cellar is more enclosed than a basement. Cellars are typically smaller than basements, depending on the amount of wine being stored. A basement is usually large enough to be used as an extra family room, laundry room, guest room, etc. Cellars can be located inside or attached to basements. Some basements are unfinished, while cellars require proper insulation to create the ideal conditions for aging wine. Basements may have many pieces of furniture, while a cellar is usually just wine racking, a cellar cooling system, and a light.

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