Aside from humidity, vibration and temperature, lighting is one of the factors that will determine the quality of your cellar condition. The wine’s ability to produce sweet and delicious tasting wine depends on your management techniques of these factors.
The Importance of Proper Wine Cellar Lighting
The selection of wine cellar lighting must be done with utmost care because improper lighting can have an adverse effect on the room temperature and consequently on the wine’s quality and aging process. A good light is necessary in order to stack and organize the wines properly, select the bottles you need, read labels and find your way through the wine storage. If you have a commercial wine cellar, your light fixtures will allow you to showcase your wine collection to your prospective customers. It may not be as indispensable as wine cooling system because wines can thrive well even in dark caves but a proper lighting system can have an impact on the wines visual appeal and the marketability of your product.
Because wines are sensitive to sunlight, most lights used in wine storage have UV ray protective coating to prevent wine spoilage or premature aging. Of all lights, the recessed can light is the most popular because it acts as the main light illuminating all the four corners of your wine storage area. It comes in different sizes, shapes and styles and has the ability to minimize glare and control room brightness.
Another lighting that is easier to install as compared to recessed can lights is the track lighting or spotlight. It is intended for accent lighting in vertical display wine racks and comes in varying lamp styles with movable track heads shining in the direction you like. It can also be mounted on walls, ceilings or cables.
LED (light emission diode) lighting is used by many wine collectors because it is energy saving, durable and has low heat emission and no harmful UV rays. It is a bit expensive though as compared to other lighting materials, but considering the longevity of the product’s life span and its low energy usage, a cellar owner can have more savings by using LED lights.
To be functional and effective, cellar lighting should emit as little heat as possible. This you can do by using incandescent bulbs or other products which has UV protective coating and so they produce less UV lights over fluorescent lights.
Exposure to UV rays, otherwise known as “light shock” can stimulate your wine’s stable organic compounds thus damaging your wine. A few hours of light is fine and this will not likely cause damage to your wine but prolonged light usage tends to exude more heat which could affect your wine’s cooling system. To control the environment, all you need to do is turn off the lights. But then how would you know how much light is enough?
Tips For Managing Your Wine Cellar Lighting
You may use a light timer or switch timer to help regulate light. This is a great wine cellar accessory for controlling your light and is a good safety device. It helps when you accidentally leave on the lights in the wine room.
Use of adjustable lighting or a dim light switch to lower the heat emission of lights thus maintaining the temperature requirement of your cellar. Most of the recessed can lights have this feature.
Provide a switch outside the wine room so that even if you leave the lights on, you won’t have to enter the cellar door once again. With just a push of a button, you can just put off the lights even when you are outside of the room. A light indicator can also be used to remind people in your house or business that there is an unattended light inside the cellar. The added monitoring features that you will install to your wine room can immensely help to achieve proper lighting in your wine area.
Lighting is an integral part of your cellar’s beauty and functionality. The overall mood and décor of your wine room will be enhanced by a good wine cellar lighting design and installation. Your lighting will provide the illumination you need as you store and organize your wine collection and will make the products viewable to your guests.
And so, whether you have a residential or commercial wine cellar or if you’re planning to have one, with proper light and other wine cellaring management techniques, your wine room will not only have an ideal ambiance but it will certainly produce quality wine.