People are buying grandiose houses and it has become a status to have a wine cellar. They do spend twenty, thirty, forty thousand dollars. But don't plan on the wine cellar becoming a popular dining spot, he said. People think it's going to be a usable room, but it's not. The optimum temperature for keeping wine is between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Extremes can spoil the investment.
Dried out corks can ruin a bottle and to store wines in bright light is also the kiss of death. Those who choose to put in dining areas either have to work around the temperature and humidity requirements, or they have to get even more creative by hiding the wines behind refrigerated glass walls or using other protective measures. Experts agree, the ideas are unlimited, but the aesthetics expensive. Where to start For those just starting out, collectors themselves recommend the purchase of portable units. Arch McClure of Wilton is well beyond the novice stage of his collecting.