My fiance' is beginning to become a wino. What makes it worse is the fact that there are a giazillion wineries around our neck of the woods, and she wants to visit all of them.

Anyway I am going to build a wine rack, but not just any wine rack. Being a space saver kind of guy I am going to install it overhead between the kitchen and living room underneatth the header beam.

Being a guy, who is an expert home improvement and remodeling nut I have one simple question.......Do you put wine bottles in a rack with the cork up or the cork down? At what angle should the bottles sit in the rack?

Yeah I could go the easy route and ask her but being diagnosed with the ALPHA male syndrome I cannot ask her, I should automatically know this kind of stuff.

For those of you that ask, it will either be built of oak, poplar, or maybe cherry. Depends on what is in the woodpile at the barn and what is the size I need for this project. Then again I may meet affirmative action guidelines and use several types of wood.

 

Bottles should sit horizontal in the rack, and they need to be turned periodically.

 

Horizontal as in completey flat or as in slightly pitched upward. Remember this is overhead with nothing but floor about 7' below.

 

You want to keep the corks from drying out. So whatever angle that will keep the corks moistened.

 

The racks we sell at my shop are designed to have a slight angle to keep the corks wet. I don't know the exact angle but I'll try to findout what it is for you. I'd guess its around 5 degrees to 10 degrees max.

 

Please find out.
I still haven't heard but is it tilted upwards toward the cork or down towards the cork?

Do you have any photos or a website of stuff your shop makes? I don't know if you'd have what I want as it will have to be custom built, but I have an ample supply of hradwood lumber.

 

Any bottle on its side will keep the cork adequately moistened, so perfectly flat or even a slight upward angle will work. Some bottles are larger at the shoulder and naturally lie with a slight upward cant. If you have not built racks before, you should acquire several styles of bottles (burgundy, cabernet, riesling, etc.) as each style has different dimensions - some are wide and short while others are skinny and long. When I built my first rack I did not take this into account and the skinny bottles would fall through the generous gap. The smaller the wood strips used, the better looking the rack. I would suggest you look at the Wine Enthusiast webpage at their basic redwood racking system and note how those racks are constructed as a guide. As you will soon discover, there are wine snobs who proudly and loudly announce their ignorance by stating they will only drink "the big reds". Don't fall prey to their influence if you find you enjoy white zinfandel more than Chianti. Just remember this; if you like it, then its good wine. As the years go by you will find your tastes change and your wine selections accordingly.

 

downwards towards the cork. You want the wine to touch the cork so as to keep it moist and sealed properly. The problem is, although it normally takes awhile, when the cork dries out, it shrinks, and then air makes it's way into the bottle and spoils the wine. That's why everyone is saying to keep the cork wet.

 

I looked at a Kitchen Craft wine rack today. Its level on the crossbars. Their web site is www.KitchenCraft.com.

 

that is correct, you want the bottle to lie so the wine covers the cork to keep it from drying out