Whether one loves it for its organoleptic qualities or because it can provide unforgettable convivial moments, wine is one of life's great pleasures. If stored well. The wine rack is an important detail for wine lovers: let's take a look at all its characteristics and how to choose the most suitable bottle rack for your needs.
There is something for everyone: the wine rack has become an indispensable element for storing wine at home, to best preserve its organoleptic characteristics and to give a special touch to the décor. Let's see how to choose the ideal wine rack.
What is the wine rack?
The bottle rack is a useful tool for storing your wine bottles in the best possible way: it must ensure that the bottle is kept in the ideal position, preventing it from breaking.
What are the criteria to take into account when choosing a bottle rack?
Care should be taken when choosing a bottle rack, the choice of which depends on several factors.
0. Beyond the various choices, two criteria are transversal and, if possible, always to be preferred:
- choose a wine rack that keeps each bottle apart from the others: this limits vibrations, which are harmful to the wine.
- the position of the bottles must be horizontal. We explain why in the complete guide to storing wine at home.
1. First of all, you need to understand the size, which depends on how many bottles you want to store, and therefore whether you want to have a few wines on hand at all times or whether the wine rack you buy is for storing a real collection. If you want to enrich your collection, try our subscription solutions: in the Expert Box, along with wines that are ready to be tasted, there are always also bottles of great longevity, to be stored for a long time.
There are small wine racks and others that hold dozens to hundreds of bottles, the latter often designed to use space efficiently and fit a large number of wines in small spaces.
The question here is: how many wines do you have.
2. The size and characteristics of the space in which to put the wine rack, bearing in mind that the wine should be placed in a room in the house without direct sunlight and without too many temperature variations.
The storage space also affects the choice of type because there are wine racks with integrated drawers where corks, corkscrews, wine savers, tea towels and glasses can also be placed.
The question here is: where do you want to store the bottles.
3. Shape of bottles: depending on the type of bottles you want to store, you can buy bottle racks in various shapes. Think for example of magnums.
4. Materials. The most commonly used are wood and metal, but there are various solutions available, also with reused materials: the choice is very personal, since both are able to hold even the heaviest wine bottles. The advice is to opt in any case for quality materials that guarantee good preservation of the wine rack over time.
5. Style, which is as subjective as it gets. Bottle racks also have an aesthetic value and can change the appearance of the home a great deal, constituting an important furnishing component. The possibilities are many, from the simplest to the most sophisticated design forms.
It depends on one's taste.
6. Price. This criterion is the result of the sum of the above choices, and so here too, great variability.
What types of bottle racks are available?
Many, in different shapes and materials. The main types available are:
1. Wall-mounted bottle racks
They fulfil practical as well as decorative functions. They are generally not particularly capacious so that the weight of the bottles does not make everything fall over: pay attention to the quality of the materials, the bottle rack must be sturdy.
2. Hanging bottle racks
They are similar to the wall-mounted ones, the difference being that they are solutions to be hung rather in horizontal surfaces, be it the ceiling of the room or the top of a cupboard. The advantage is mainly that they save space.
3. Table-Top Bottle Holders
They can be placed on a surface, be it a sewing table, a counter or other flat surface. The advantage is that they save space in the home and are more secure. There are also ones for just one bottle.
4. Floor-standing bottle racks
These are free-standing solutions, similar to table-top racks but resting on the floor. This is the most common type and the one that allows the highest numbers of stored bottles.
5. Cabinet-shaped bottle racks
Some wine racks go beyond storage and double as a cabinet or table, also offering drawers for storing glasses and other serving implements. The advantage is space-saving.
