To ensure wine is kept well, the humidity of a wine cellar is a crucial element. Indeed, the temperature of a wine cellar is not the only thing to take into account. You have to set the humidity level of your wine cellar properly to keep wine in the ideal conditions. The humidity level matters less for a wine service cellar, since it is not meant to hold wine for long periods. That said, humidity is an important factor for all other cellars: from the mini wine cellar to the custom wine cellar. Good news: we are giving you everything you need to set the humidity of your wine cellar properly.
What humidity for a wine cellar?
The humidity level of a wine cellar is a crucial element to take into account to ensure wine is kept in optimal conditions. Two things should be considered. To begin with, a cellar with humidity that is too low leads to a deterioration of the corks and thus a decline in the quality of the wine. On the other hand, a wine cellar with humidity that is too high leads, in particular, to a deterioration of the labels. If you have decided to invest in wine or if you collect lovely bottles, the humidity of your wine cellar is therefore an important factor to take into account. So the ideal humidity for a wine cellar is between 60 and 75%. To measure the humidity of your wine cellar, you can use a hygrometer. In some wine cellars, it is built in. In others, you can simply add your own. If you are looking for a hygrometer, you can buy this one, which will let you measure the humidity of your wine cellar.
Setting the humidity of a wine cellar
Setting the humidity of a wine cellar properly is crucial to keeping wine well. So, raising the humidity of a wine cellar or lowering it may be necessary. But then, how do you raise the humidity of a wine cellar?
Setting the humidity of an electric wine cellar
The humidity of an electric wine cellar is also important. Some wine cellars let you set the humidity level you want to achieve and also let you monitor it. This is the case for many aging cellars. However, other cellars do not let you measure or set the humidity. If you have bought a wine cellar in which it is impossible to set the humidity level, there is, rest assured, a solution. You can simply place a bowl of water at the bottom of your cellar. The water in the bowl will gradually evaporate and raise the humidity of your electric wine cellar. Do not forget to get hold of a hygrometer to keep an eye on when you need to fill the bowl of water again. There are many models of wine cellars and many brands: Liebherr, Haier, La Sommelière, Climadiff and plenty of others. Setting the humidity is a factor to take into account before buying your wine cellar. To help you choose your wine cellar, head to our article on how to choose a wine cellar.
Raising the humidity of a natural wine cellar
In a natural wine cellar, if you notice a humidity level that is too low, you can wet the floor. In that case, the best set-up is to have a wine cellar with a beaten-earth floor. It will be able to retain the water poured on it, and the humidity level can rise as you wish. If your floor is not made of beaten earth, you can use gravel or a container filled with sand onto which you pour water. On the other hand, if you notice that the humidity is too high, you can air out your cellar and use lime.
