If you’re one of the alcoholic drink lovers and you’ve been thinking of storing more wine bottles at home, then you might have thought of building a wine rack at home.
You may then be interested in learning about the recommended dimensions of a wine rack?
We got you covered. And now, this article will tell you more about the recommended wine rack dimensions. If you want to store a large capacity of wine, we already explored the wine barrel dimensions.
Wine Bottle Sizes
Knowing the sizes of standard wine bottles will help you better appreciate or understand wine rack dimensions. The standard wine bottle (750 ml) is about 12 inches tall with a diameter ranging from 3 to 3.2 inches. This is the universal bottle size for most wines around the world and can serve five glasses.
But as you may already know, there are even larger wine bottles that naturally require wider wine racking. For example, the Magnum wine bottle is around 13.5 inches long and 4 to 4.5 inches wide. This bottle is the equivalent of two standard wine bottles with a capacity of 1.5 liters.
An even larger wine bottle is the so-called Jeroboam, with a capacity of 3 liters. The bottle is around 18 inches long and five inches wide. It is the equivalent of four standard wine bottles.
Yet, there are also smaller wine bottles. The Piccolo or split wine bottle is typically used for a single serving of champagne. Piccolo is the Italian word for “small,” hence the name. It is one-fourth of a standard wine bottle and measures 7 inches long/tall and about 2 to 2.5 inches wide.
Demi or half wine bottles, meanwhile, are used for dessert wines. Also known as a half-bottle, it has a slimmer bottle than a standard wine bottle. It is about 9.5 inches long and with a diameter that’s around 2.25 inches.
Wine Rack Dimensions
Now, what size should a wine rack be?
There’s no single answer to this question. The size of the wine rack would hinge on different factors like the types of wine bottles you have, the available space in your home, and the number of wine bottles that you plan to store.
Let’s say that you have mostly standard wine bottles. The height of the bottle would determine the depth of the wine rack, especially since it is typical to store wine bottles on their sides. If you’re planning to build an enclosed wine rack, the depth should be around 14 inches so that the whole standard wine bottle would fit.
This measurement would also take into consideration the actual structure of the wine rack, whether it is made of wood or metal. The height and width of the rack may also vary depending on the number of bottles you intend to store. You need to build a bigger wine rack if you intend to store 12 or more bottles.
Going back to the materials used in a wine rack, the material may also have an impact on the dimensions of the rack. A wine rack made of wood is typically larger than a wine rack made of metal and with a contemporary style.
You can also build a shallower wine rack, one that’s not 14 inches deep. This would depend on how much of the bottle you’d want to be exposed to. Some racks are only 7 inches deep but with open fronts and backs.
As for the opening, the standard size for most wine racks is between 3 to 3.5 inches. You can comfortably fit or store standard wine bottles on wine racks with such an opening. But then again, you’ll have to consider the type of wine bottles that you’d want to store. As mentioned earlier, there are wine bottles with a larger diameter. A Jeroboam wine bottle can be up to 5 inches wide; hence, it may not fit in a wine rack with an opening of 3.5 inches.
If you can envision yourself storing wine bottles of different sizes, then consider getting a lattice wine rack. This is a classic diamond-shaped wine rack with diamond-shaped openings for storing wine bottles. Some lattice wine racks have openings of 3.5 inches, while others have 4 inches of openings. But there are also diamond racks with large diamond openings, allowing you to stack several bottles on top of each other.
Here’s one tip if you are to do so: keep the bottles you are likely to drink first on the top. Then place the bottles you won’t be drinking soon at the bottom. This way, you won’t have to risk breaking the bottles.
Best Angle for Storing Wine
You might have also asked yourself: “at what angle should a wine bottle be stored?” This is a legitimate question that may affect your wine rack dimensions.
While it is recommended that wine bottles are stored horizontally, you can also store them at a 45-degree angle. This way, the wine will be in constant contact with the cork and ensure that there will be no air that gets into the wine bottle.
There are also other factors that you would have to consider when storing wine, which can affect the dimensions of the wine rack you’re planning, too.
Factors such as humidity, temperature, and light can affect the wine’s quality. As much as possible, keep the wine in a cool and temperature-controlled environment.
The wine rack should also be away from direct sunlight. These reasons also explain why most people opt to have cellars for storing wine. But unfortunately, not everyone has the space for a cellar.
Conclusion
In short, the dimensions of your wine rack would depend largely on the size of wine bottles you intend to store. You’ll also have to take into consideration other factors like humidity and temperature when determining the dimensions for your planned wine rack.
