At Vigilant Woodworks, we choose the best materials for our wine storage products so they will last a long time. Our individual wine racks, wine cellar doors, Tuscan tables and modular wine cabinets are made from mahogany, a wood known not only for its beauty but its durability. We also offer our wine racks in pine, which accepts stain well and can be sourced locally. Here is a closer look at these materials.

Wooden wine racks are the most commonly-used type of wine rack for home wine cellars. Hardwoods, especially Redwood and Mahogany, are best for making wine racks, but you’ll also see pine and cedar. Wood gives an elegant look to any home wine cellar. Below are just a few of the many types of wooden wine racks.

Individual Wine Racks
These racks suspend individual bottles within the rack, allowing air to circulate around the bottle, a benefit in preserving wine. Individual wine racks also make it easy to see what wine you have at a glance.

Bin Wine Racks
These wine racks allow similar wines to be stored horizontally together in compartments, a space-saving way to store wine.

Wine Tables
These racks combine storage with a surface to serve wine. Wine tables feature bin storage underneath a polished wood tabletop.

Wine Islands
These free-standing wooden wine racks come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They sit in the middle of the room and store bottles individually. This type of rack is perfect for a large wine room or a wine retailer.

Vigilant’s new wine storage blog is now up and running at http://blog.vigilantinc.com. Check it out!

While not essential, adding a few pieces of furniture when you draw up your wine cellar design can add a cozy touch to the room and give you a convenient place to sit and sip your wine. A table and a few chairs is usually sufficient. Vigilant offers a complete line of wine cellar tables and stools and can create any custom furniture piece you might desire.

Some examples of wine cellar furniture include:

Wine Cellar Tables - These free-standing wooden tables store wine beneath a wood, glass or stone top. Wine tables may be bar table height or the height of a standard kitchen counter. Some may also have drawers to store wine openers, corks and other accessories.

Wine Cellar Stools - Wine cellar stools don’t take up a lot of room or interfere with the sight lines around the cellar as a high-back chair would do. Choose the wood and finish to match your cabinets and any extras your stools must have.

Wine cellar furniture comes in a variety of styles, ranging from Italian designs to rustic, barrel-shaped pieces. Look for what fits with your wine cellar design, accent colors, and overall goals for your wine cellar.

Why is controlling wine storage temperature important?

Maintaining a constant, cool temperature is the best way to preserve your wine collection. Avoid temperatures over 70 degrees Fahrenheit, as that will age wine too rapidly. Also stay away from drastic changes in temperature. The rapid change from heat to air conditioning will force a wine cork outwards and allow air to enter the bottle (air permits wine to oxidize). A little air, at the proper time, is good—as when letting a wine “breathe” before consuming it.Long-term exposure destroys the fruit flavors in a wine and gives it a brownish color.

If you have a single rack or wine tower in your living room, kitchen or dining room, make sure that it sits away from the heating vent and air conditioner unit. With kitchen racks, keep wine bottles well away from any cooking appliance.

If you have, or are planning, a self-contained home wine cellar, consider temperature control for your cellar. Some sites are naturally well-suited for wine storage,such as a cool, dark basement, or a space beneath a stairway. Others will need the help of a temperature control system.