The siting, or placement, of your wine cellar within your home is your first major decision. There are four components of ideal cellar conditions: an absolutely constant temperature, varying between neither day and night nor summer and winter; substantial humidity; a very cold mean temperature; and the absence of air movement (let alone any movement of the bottles). The first two factors are of major importance; the third is important but needs to be taken in context, while the last is of least importance, but needs to be mentioned.

Consistency of temperature is more important than the degree of temperature. Temperature variations is harmful because it leads to the expansion and contraction of the wine in the bottle, hastening the ingress of oxygen - and thereby oxidation.

Ullage is the air space present in a bottle of wine between the cork and the surface of the wine. In old wines it is fairly reliable indication of likely qualit

"It was damp England's fondness for the ruby warmth of claret that first turned wine into an investment vehicle". (Power 50) The wine merchants of the 18th century learned to take a large financial position when the wine of a good harvest was offered in Bordeaux and then set aside a portion of their holdings. A few years later when the supply in the marketplace had been consumed and fondly remembered, the merchants sold their reserve at a handsome profit. This marketing strategy also demonstrated that the better Bordeaux reds actually improved in flavor in proper storage. Due to the enduring reputation of the Grand Bordeaux a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite sold for $155,453 at auction in London in 1985 (Bramhall). "Wine of that immense age, of course, has passed from beverage into the status of semi-sacred relic" (Bramhall).

In 1855, the Bordeaux merchants gathered in Paris and established a classification system for their wines, based on the prices they were able to fetch (Bramhall). Five "growths", or classes, were created. Accorded the top rank (first growth) were Chateau Lafite, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion (a favorite of Thomas Jefferson) (Bramhall). Only one change has been made since then: Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was elevated from second to first growth in 1973. All but one first-growth wine, Haut-Brion, from Graves, is made in the Medoc district of Bourdeaux. A wine that is perhaps the most expensive in the world-Chateau Petrus-isn't even classified among the five growths because it's made in the tiny Pomerol district of Bordeaux rather than in Medoc.

two coats of urethane to resist mold. The racks must rest directly on the floor. For strength the best materials are steel, aluminum, and wood.

Lighting should consist of fluorescent lights because they give off only 1/5 as much heat as incandescent (Alexander). Now for the bins, most everyone builds wooden bins, ideally with redwood or cedar, which resist mold (Alexander). Pine is much cheaper and more readily available, but needs

The older, the rarer, the more exquisite, the more it demands to be drunk. There is no greater pleasure than sharing a bottle of wine with one's friend. "Wine is not like a postage stamp, frozen in a time warp on the pages of an album" (Halliday 9).

When no one is in the cellar, it should be kept in pitch darkness. Fluorescent or other forms of electric light have little or no effect over short, intermittent periods. Light-bodied white wines and champagnes are far more sensitive to light than are red wines, and special care should be taken to protect these (Bramhall).

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Approximate Word count = 1896
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)