Natural cellars are the ideal place for wine conservation, as they are dark, free from outside disturbance and have a highly specific climate. But, it is rare in a transient modern world to find such a natural environment to keep one’s wines.
In 1976, EuroCave of Lyon, France was the first to develop a self-contained wine cellar that recreates the natural cooling environment of a chateau wine cellar. Suitable for small, growing, and extensive wine collections alike, these wine cellars are flawless in temperature and humidity control, remarkable in hand craftsmanship, and supremely beautiful.
EuroCave wine cellar and wine storage cabinets recreate the climate found in natural cellars in the following ways:
Temperature:
The two worst enemies of wine are extreme temperatures and fluctuating temperatures. A constant temperature of between 50°F and 57°F is considered ideal for wine to reach its full potential in a wine cellar.
The speed of biochemical development in wine is directly linked to temperature; it is therefore not a good idea to leave wines to mature at too high temperatures. Temperatures from 50°F and 57°F are generally considered to be optimal for wine to reach its full potential.
Fluctuating temperatures repeatedly dilate and contract the wine in the bottle. These variations quite simply tire the vintages, sapping their organic vitality.
All EuroCave wine cellar cabinets are equipped with an original Twin Process heat regulating system (double hot/cold) that recreates the climate in the best natural wine cellars. Thanks to high precision sensors, the Twin process operates in real time to make the required corrections to keep an ideal temperature, producing hot and cold to keep the interior of the cabinet at a stable level. In this way even if the cabinet is exposed to extreme temperatures, (from 32° to 95°F) your bottles are preserved at a constant temperature of 50°F and 57°F.
Darkness:
Light rapidly degrades wine through irreversible oxidation of the tannins.
Light, and especially ultra violet rays, will break even through the dark green of the bottles, causing damage to your wines very quickly. Just as in underground wine cellars, your wine should be stored in total darkness, especially away from UV.
EuroCave wine cellar cabinets have opaque or glazed doors treated to filter UV and thus protect the wine from the light. The Lighting option available in the Classic cabinets is designed to meet this wine preservation criteria: this cold light contains no ultra violet and generates very little heat.
Natural Ventilation:
A constant supply of filtered outside air is essential if unpleasant smells and mould are to be avoided.
Wine is a living product, it lives and breathes through its cork. The quality and renewal of the ambient air in a wine cellar are determining factors in wine preservation. A good wine cellar should always have an inlet of air from the outside, and it should be filtered so as not to introduce any undesirable smells.
EuroCave wine cellar cabinets benefit from natural ventilation through a breather effect. The air is directed by an opening at the top of the cabinet, equipped with an active charcoal filter, and then escapes through an opening at the bottom. The constant and progressive renewal of air thus avoids mould and the development of unpleasant smells.
Hygrometry:
This is an essential factor, enabling the wine corks to conserve their sealing properties.
The ideal humidity rate must be higher than 50% :
Respect for well defined hygrometry conditions is an essential factor in good wine preservation. The enlightened enthusiast will undoubtedly know that a too low hygrometry level will dry out the corks and make the wine cry, and could allow air into the bottle whilst highly saturated air will deteriorate labels, making identification a game of chance.
EuroCave wine cellar cabinets are equipped with SRA walls (Stone Relief Aluminium) which offer great heat conduction. The natural humidity in the air settles on the walls and distributes itself uniformly in the cabinet. An electric sensor measures the relative humidity inside the wine cabinet and a display shows you the level. If the humidity level remains too low for too long a time, a visual alarm gives you a warning. You can therefore enjoy peace of mind, in the knowledge that your wines are being well looked after.
Freedom from Vibration:
Vibration disrupts the slow process of biochemical development in wine and is often fatal to the best vintages. To leave a wine to mature in peace, all vibration must be eliminated, as this can break the molecules. Vibration will cause a mechanical agitation that will turn the wine.
EuroCave wine cellar cabinets have an original Vibration Exclusion System (VES) that ensures high performance anti-vibration barrier with several layers of protection. The compressor is separate from the cabinet walls with high performance Silent blocks, that avoid any transmission of vibration. The wine racks are equipped with several shock absorbers, thus restricting any residual vibration.
Wine Cellar Layout:
Moving bottles too often can be harmful to good wine preservation. It is highly recommended to have a wine cellar storage solution that avoids unnecessary movement.
EuroCave has designed the dimensions of its wine cellar cabinets bearing in mind the extreme weight and varied shapes of wine bottles. Bottles are arranged in layers 2 deep and are securely held in the recesses provided for this purpose.
EuroCave wine cellar cabinets are designed to optimize storage capacity: it is thus possible to keep 13 bottles on just one row of the rack, and up to 248 bottles on a ground area of approximately 1.6 ft².
Individually handcrafted in a thirty-step process, the EuroCave wine cellar will provide years of smooth, quiet, vibration-free service with the utmost ease of operation. Stored in these true wine cellars, your finest vintages will develop to their full potential. Also the security lock and key will keep your valuable wine collection safely protected.
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