Wine should be stored on its side in a cool, dark place.
Wine should be stored on its side to prevent the cork from drying out and shrinking, allowing oxygen into the bottle which can oxidize the wine. When the wine is stored on its side, the wine itself keeps the cork from drying out. The best way to store your wine on its side is to use a wine rack. Making your own wine rack is an interesting, money-saving project.
Container Options
You can make a diagonal wine rack inside any square or rectangular item such as a wooden crate, or inside an unused kitchen cabinet. To create a large diagonal wine rack, search thrift stores, flea markets or antique shops for a free-standing cupboard or cabinet. Alternatively, build your own simple wooden crate. Anything can be used as the frame for your wine rack, provided that the chosen container measures a minimum of 18 inches wide and 12 inches tall, with a depth of between 10 and 12 inches to properly support the wine bottles.
Shelf Design
There are a number of different ways to arrange the diagonal shelves within the container to create an attractive wine rack. If you plan to only store a few bottles of your favorite wine at a time and you're using a relatively small container, a single shelf fitted diagonally across the container will create two separate sections for your bottles -- red and white. Another simple design is to fit two shelves into your container, creating an X-shape and providing four separate storage areas. The more wine you wish to store, or the more elaborate you want the wine rack to appear, the more extra shelves you can add to the design.
Interlocking Shelves
For an open-fronted wine rack that will be on display, 1-by-12 board lumber is the most suitable material to use to create shelves. However, if the wine rack is inside a cupboard or tucked away out of sight, then plywood will perform just as well. Once you have measured from the diagonal corners of the container and cut two shelves to the appropriate length, they need to interlock. In the very center of each piece of board, cut out a section that is as wide as the depth of the board -- for example, if using 1-by-12 board, the width of the cut-out section should be 1 inch -- and with a depth of half the board's width; when using 1-by-12 board, this would be 6 inches. Fit the two boards together so they form an X-shape. More boards can then be added to the basic X-shape if you require more separate storage sections.
Finishing Touches
Prior to fitting the shelves inside your crate or cupboard, sand smooth any rough edges or corners, and then paint or stain the boards. If you're using a wooden crate or homemade container, this can be painted or stained to match. If you're using an existing cupboard, use a coordinating color for the shelves.
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