Humidity is critical, particularly for reds. Humidity at 75-85 percent was the target and as humidity decreased, so did the scores. This is not a summer problem in the East but can be a real challenge in the dry West. The opposite effect, with blasting central heating in winters, is worth remembering. Though the wine doesn t care what kind of floor it sits on, a dirt floor with gravel or sand overlay adds humidity and is not a bad way to use that root cellar for more than a tornado shelter.
Ventilation seems to do more harm than good, say the experts.
This result had more of an influence than is commonly thought, prompting the researchers to propose additional studies on ventilation. Don t keep your wine in the same storage area as paint or other odors. Vibration is less important, it seems, than is often noted. Some of the wines in the study were stored near an airport, a few next to very busy roads, yet there was very little effect. Even storage near a subway or railway line is likely to have had more effect on the wine owner than the wine itself.