Importance and Styles of Wine Cellar Lighting According to Experts

Custom Wine Cellar Lighting by Coastal

You can avoid costly mistakes if you hire a wine cellar expert who understands the technical requirements in building climate-controlled wine rooms. One of the crucial components of a wine cellar is the lighting. Your chosen builder must be knowledgeable in selecting the safest type of lighting system. At Coastal Custom Wine Cellars, we install LED lights because we know that they provide many benefits.   

The Importance of Wine Cellar Lighting 

There are many factors that need to be considered when designing a custom wine cellar. Three critical elements are functionality, room climate or temperature, and beauty. One variable that affects these three factors is proper wine cellar lighting.  At Coastal Custom Wine Cellars, we always make sure that our client’s lighting system is safe, functional, and attractive.

The Right Wine Cellar Lighting will Protect Your Wine Collection from Harm 

The wine cellar room temperature is very important because ineffective climate control can affect the quality of your wine stock. Too much heat from your wine cellar lighting  will raise  the temperature in your wine room. Remember that heat is the number one enemy of wine. Too much heat exposure will affect your wines in many detrimental ways.  Wine cellar lighting is necessary to improve the functionality of your wine cellar because, with proper lighting, you can easily check the labels of your wine bottles without having to install a very bright light. Too much light exposure can have adverse effects on the wine.    Lastly, lighting also improves the beauty of your whole wine cellar room because the right choice of lighting creates an elegant ambiance. 

Effects of Elevated Storage Temperatures to the Flavor and Shelf Life of Your Wines  

Proper wine cellar lighting is necessary to achieve the appropriate climate balance. Fluctuating temperatures in your wine storage area will accelerate the aging of your wines, which has an adverse effect on the wine’s quality. The high temperature will cause your wines to have a “light-struck” flavor and reduce its shelf life.   Moreover, your cork will lose its sealing ability because it will decrease in size when exposed to an elevated wine storage temperature. When this happens, an unwanted amount of oxygen will mix with the wine, causing it to taste like burnt fruit or wet cardboard.

LED Wine Cellar Lighting: Why We Recommend It   

Wine Cellar Lighting Residential Custom Wine Cellar by Coastal

A display lighting feature will undoubtedly accentuate the look of your wine racking. Accent lighting works great in arched tops, high-reveal and vertical displays, and cabinets, and lately, the use of light-emitting diode, or LED.  At Coastal Custom Wine Cellars, we do not want your prized wines to end up in the drain. Our team not only installs high-grade wine refrigeration systems, we go further to making sure that your wine cellar lighting does not emit too much heat. Our team uses LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lights in building custom wine cellars for many reasons.

Minimal Heat Emission While Providing an Ample Amount of Light 

The LED wine cellar lighting system emits a minimal amount of heat and does not produce UV light. We do not recommend incandescent bulbs in wine cellars. Moreover, LED lights provide an ample amount of heat for reading the wine labels and moving around your wine cellar, without comprising your wine’s desirable characteristics. There are many options you can use to create a dramatic effect in your wine display area.  

Energy-Saver and a Longer Lifespan 

This type of lighting is more expensive than regular bulbs. However, they will save you money in the long run because they utilize a tiny fraction of energy compared to other types of lighting systems. This low-voltage aspect is beneficial in preventing wine damage. Moreover, these are proven to be long– lasting. 

Types of Wine Cellar Lighting  

Read more and explore the many wine cellar lighting options available for your custom wine cellar. It would be smart to check with a design professional to help you choose the appropriate lighting that is best for your custom wine cellar design. The Coastal team will assess all of your needs to help us determine the most suitable type of wine cellar lighting for your project.  

Recessed Can Lights 

Recessed Can Wine Cellar Lighting

A popular design for wine cellar lighting is to use a ceiling-mounted recessed halogen lighting system with a frosted, tempered glass lens. These fixtures can add a distinct dramatic flair to your  wine cellar. They are unobtrusive, and their specialized fixtures allow you to aim the light to areas where it is most needed. It is advisable to find a system with a 12V/20W bulb, polished aluminum reflector, and make sure that the halogen bulbs have a UV protective coating. These specifications are necessary to avoid too much UV exposure to your wine bottles. When wine bottles are highly exposed to ultraviolet light, the quality of your wine is damaged. 

Directional Track Wine Cellar Lighting 

Directional track lighting can be used as either an alternative or an addition to recessed can lights. Track lights provide ample light to your room, and their flexibility allows you to adjust and focus the light on a cellar feature that you want to emphasize. Take note also that all tracks should be 18 inches away from your cellar walls to avoid contact with the wine storage racking. The heated wine racks will cause your wine bottles to overheat and damage your wines.  

Wall Sconces and Chandeliers 

Wine Cellar Lighting: Chandelier

Wall sconces are light fixtures that are attached to a wall or the sides of the wine racks. The light produced by wall sconces is usually directed upwards. The fixtures are definitely attractive and shed indirect, diffuse light throughout your wine cellar.  Chandeliers are lighting fixtures that are mounted on the ceiling. They are perfect for creating a focal point in your custom wine cellar. They are also recommended for wine cellar owners who want to add a vintage touch to their wine storage area. Choose a smaller chandelier if your wine room is built in a limited space. 

Light Dimmers 

Light dimmers for your wine cellar lighting system will ensure that you can manage the brightness of your lights. This feature is necessary in order to brighten the lights when you need to read labels and then dim them accordingly. The efficient management of brightness also ensures that your wine bottles are not exposed to too much light that can raise the temperature of the wine cellar room and ultimately damage your wine collection. 

Accentuate Your Wine Display Area with a Safe and Beautiful Wine Cellar Lighting System 

There are many brilliant lighting ideas to accentuate your custom wine cellars. Choosing your preferred lighting can be very exciting. You can explore the many options as long as you keep in mind the essential factors – functionality, room temperature, and beauty. There must be no compromise in these factors to create proper wine cellar lighting.  Need help in choosing a wine cellar lighting system? Talk to a specialist at +1 (949) 200-8134!