Wine cellar temperature

The temperature of a wine cellar is a crucial subject for ensuring your bottles of wine keep well. For this, the wine cellar must meet several criteria: temperature, air quality, rest, humidity and darkness. A bottle of wine is particularly sensitive to temperature. So you have to find the ideal temperature for a wine cellar to ensure the best storage of your bottles.

What is the ideal temperature for a wine cellar?

The right temperature for a wine cellar is between 10°C and 14°C. However, setting the temperature of a wine cellar depends on how the cellar is used. Indeed, the temperature of a wine service cellar is different from the temperature of an aging cellar. The temperature setting will also be different for a storage cellar.

Aging wine cellar

The right temperature for an aging wine cellar is 12°C. You can then leave all your wines to rest there (white, rosé or red). Such a temperature allows the wine to develop and reach its peak gradually. If the temperature of your wine cellar is too high, the aging of your wine will be too fast and its quality will end up degraded. On the other hand, if your wine cellar is set to a temperature that is too low, the aging process will be slowed and your bottle of wine will not develop as it should. So the ideal temperature for an aging wine cellar should be set at 12°C.

Storage wine cellar

A storage wine cellar lets you rest your bottles of wine over the short term. In this case, the ideal temperature for the wine cellar is between 10°C and 14°C. However, temperature variations (provided they are slight) are not a major obstacle to storing wine.

Wine service cellar

Finally, the temperature of a wine service cellar varies greatly depending on the type of wine you want to keep in it. The table below gives the ideal temperatures for all your wines.

Temperature of white wines

On the white wine side, the temperature varies depending on the region the wine comes from. As a result, for white wine from Alsace, white wine from the Loire, and white wine from Provence, you should set the temperature between 8°C and 10°C. On the other hand, for a white wine from the South-West, a white wine from Savoie, a white wine from Languedoc, a white wine from the Jura or a dry white wine from Bordeaux, you should set the temperature of the wine cellar to 10°C. Finally, sweet white wines from Bordeaux, white wines from Burgundy, and white wines from the Rhône should be placed in a service cellar at a temperature between 10°C and 12°C.

Temperature of red wines

In addition, the temperature of a wine service cellar must also vary for red wines! So a red wine from Savoie should be placed at a temperature between 12°C and 14°C, just like red wines from Alsace. Beaujolais, for its part, should be placed at a temperature of 13°C in a wine service cellar. Red wines from the Rhône, the Jura, Languedoc and Provence call for setting the temperature of the wine cellar to 14°C. What’s more, bottles of red wine from Burgundy, the Loire Valley and the South-West should be placed at a temperature between 15°C and 17°C. Bottles from Bordeaux, for their part, should be placed in a service cellar at a temperature of 18°C.

Other wines: champagne, rosé and foreign wines

For champagnes, the ideal temperature is between 6°C and 8°C, as for white wines from the South-West. As for rosé, the explanation is easy: these wines should be placed in a service cellar at a temperature between 8°C and 10°C. Finally, it is also interesting to know the right temperature for fans of foreign wines. This temperature is 16°C for wines from Italy, California and Australia. It drops to 15° for wines from Chile. It is, however, 17°C for Spanish wines.

The other elements of a wine cellar

Besides temperature, you need to take other elements into account to ensure wine ages well. So you need to focus on the cellar’s humidity and its darkness.

The humidity of a wine cellar

Humidity is a necessary element for the aging of wine in the cellar. The humidity level should be above 70% to prevent the corks from drying out or even the wine from evaporating. An apartment wine cellar generally controls humidity well. As for a natural wine cellar, we advise you to water the floor of your cellar if the humidity there is too low.

Ensuring the darkness of a wine cellar

Light greatly damages the quality of wine. The effects of light are particularly significant on white wines. Your cellar must therefore avoid letting light through. The glass of apartment cellars generally filters ultraviolet light and keeps your wine away from light: just remember to keep the door of your wine cellar firmly closed. On the other hand, for a natural cellar, the rule is simple. Absolutely avoid neon lights, which have a devastating effect on wine. Instead, install low-intensity bulbs and don’t forget to turn off the light!

Choosing your wine cellar

The temperature of a wine cellar varies depending on your needs (aging, storage, service). As a result, you will find wine cellars more or less suited to your needs. So, before choosing your wine cellar, you need to define how you will use it.

Multi-temperature cellar or single-temperature cellar?

On one hand, the single-temperature cellar lets you set the cellar to one single temperature suited to your needs. A single-temperature cellar is perfect if you use it for aging or storage. On the other hand, the multi-temperature cellar lets you get different temperatures depending on the shelves of your cellar. Such a cellar is particularly suited to service: it lets you keep your various wines at the ideal temperatures to be tasted.

A wine cellar suited to your needs

As a result, if you want to age your wine, you should turn to a single-temperature aging wine cellar (between 10°C and 14°C). You can also turn to a single-temperature storage cellar (10°C to 14°C). Although the latter is better suited to storage (medium term), it can work for aging. Finally, aging is also possible with a versatile cellar (between 6°C and 18°C). The latter lets you keep the cellar’s shelves at different temperatures: it’s up to you to reserve a shelf for each type of wine you want to age. What’s more, for storage, the best option is naturally to turn to a storage cellar with a constant temperature between 10°C and 14°C. You can also use a service cellar with temperatures between 6°C and 18°C or a versatile cellar. You can use a combined wine cellar and refrigerator. Finally, for service use, turn to service cellars, versatile wine cellars or combined wine cellars and refrigerators. So, to choose your wine cellar, focus on how you will use it and on the temperature setting. The temperature of the wine cellar is a crucial element for storing your bottles.

Examples of wine cellars

We have selected for you a few wine cellars that can meet your needs. We will also soon produce articles for each of the wine cellars to give you the best possible advice. First, for service, you can turn to this wine cellar. At 130 euros, it will let you keep eight bottles at the right temperature. This wine cellar is perfect for your kitchen. On the other hand, if you are looking for a versatile cellar, we recommend this one. You can store 27 bottles in it across two cold zones. This cellar is the ideal combination of service on one hand and storage / aging on the other. Finally, even though nothing beats a natural cellar for aging wine, you can choose this cellar. You can store 36 bottles in it at a temperature between 8°C and 18°C. You now have everything you need to set the temperature of your wine cellar correctly. We will soon offer tests and reviews of wine cellars to help you buy the wine cellar that best matches your needs.