Wine Guardian

  Wine Storage Humidity Humidity is a critical, yet often overlooked feature in wine cellar design. A relative humidity (RH) of 50% to 70% is recognized as an adequate wine cellar humidity level, with 60% the ideal. Without ideal humidity, wine quality may be affected in a number of ways. When the humidity is higher than 70%, it will likely cause mold and degradation of the labels and glue. When the humidity is below 50%, corks will begin to dry out resulting in loss of liquid in the bottles and possible degradation of the wine. Problems resulting from humidity issues can be solved or avoided with the right planning. The first step should be the installation of a vapor barrier around the entire room. A minimum of 4 mil. plastic is recommended, with seams overlapped and taped. The vapor barrier is installed on the outside (or warm side) of the cellar insulation. This is to prevent condensation forming on the vapor barrier, potentially causing mold. A cooling unit alone cannot add moistu