Great news. You’ve leveled up your wine game and built your collection. But now where to stash all your precious Cabernets and Chiantis? The cases they come in are simply not effective. You’ve outgrown tabletop racks. What’s next?
A key component of being a wine lover is having the knowledge about how to store your favorite bottles properly. After all, you’ll need to keep wine club shipments and coveted bottle shop finds in great condition until the occasion calls for you to pop open the cork.
While wine fridges and coolers are excellent storage solutions, a wall-mounted wine rack may be a better option for your go-to reds, whites and rosés prior to chilling. And compared to other types of racks, wall-mounted styles keep all the focus on the label. That way, wines you plan to drink are readily available and easy to find.
To determine if a wall-mounted wine rack is the best fit for your home, we asked industry professionals for their insights on when to use one and what makes for the best design.
What Is a Wall-Mounted Wine Rack?
A wall-mounted wine rack is an open storage solution that holds wine bottles horizontally, showcasing the label artwork.
Wine Enthusiast Wine Cellar Consultant Dino Sapienza says wall-mounted wine racks are normally utilized in smaller wine cellars and can be mounted on wood, stone or ceramic tile walls.
Torrey Lewis, advanced sommelier and wine manager of Barking Frog at Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington, notes that a wall-mounted wine rack makes for an excellent alternative to other cellaring solutions such as wooden racks or wine fridges and allows for a clean look and efficient use of space.
“It leaves you with a way to display your cellar with a minimal footprint, leaving the focus on the wines themselves and the story you tell with them,” Lewis says.
When Should I Use a Wall-Mounted Wine Rack?
A wall-mounted rack is ideal if you’re short on space. It’s a practical solution that ultimately offers easier access to bottles you plan to drink relatively soon.
If you like having conversation pieces in your home, then this style of storage is also for you. What better way to strike up a discussion about your newest favorite bottle or that memorable trip to Bordeaux?
Lewis says that wall-mounted wine racks are used in a restaurant setting to give an immediate impression that wine is a large focus of the program. The same idea applies at home. “They can be used for long-term storage or for a focused display of your favorite producers or both,” he says.
When Shouldn’t I Use a Wall-Mounted Wine Rack?
So, can you put any bottle of wine on a wall-mounted display? Not exactly.
“As it is a horizontal rack, it’s best suited for wines that benefit from aging on their side,” says Lewis. “There are several styles that winemakers recommend aging vertically and may not benefit from a wall-mounted wine rack. Examples include fortified wines, like Port, and sparkling wines finished under cork, like Champagne.”
Additionally, if your home is located in a place with big temperature or humidity swings, your prized bottles might be better off in a fridge or cooler where climate can be controlled.
Because of their material and construction, wall-mounted wine racks are often displayed in a more modern-focused space. “They provide a cleaner, sleeker look,” Sapienza says.
What Makes a Good Wall-Mounted Wine Rack?
At minimum, it should be sturdy and capable of holding the weight of wine bottles. No one wants to see a wall of prized Barolo come crashing down.
Lewis shares that a wall-mounted wine rack should preferably be built with steel. Both high-quality stainless steel or powder-coated steel are ideal for durability and resistance to humidity.
The capacity of a wall-mounted wine rack can vary greatly, and the best choice depends on your location for mounting and what you plan to display on it. A six- to 10-bottle mounted wine rack is an excellent choice for a dining room display, while you may want to consider a larger rack for long-term storage in a cellar that’s limited on space.
According to Sapienza, most wall-mounted wine racks can be one, two or three bottles deep making it efficient.
Where to Mount It
Not all walls or rooms are equal. Keep temperature, sun exposure and humidity in mind.
“A wall-mounted wine rack in your warm kitchen or living room may be better suited to wines that are to be consumed in the short-term, while a wall-mounted rack against a cool wall in your basement may be the perfect location for aging wines for long-term,” notes Lewis.
More Wine Storage Coverage
- We investigate why a wine fridge costs more than a regular fridge.
- The world of wine fridges and coolers can be confusing, so we explained the difference between the two wine storage options.
- We rounded up the 12 best wine fridges and coolers for every kind of collector.
- You probably need more space in your wine fridge than you think.
- The best home bar cabinets double as stylish statement pieces.
In the Shop
Organize and Display Your Wine in Style
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Published: September 24, 2024
