How to Make a Wine Storage Wall - A Practical Guide

For a wine enthusiast, there’s no shortage of pre-made storage solutions for wine bottles, from wooden wine racks to metal racks to a wine cabinet or simple wine cooler.

But sometimes, creating your own wine storage wall proves to be the most interesting option. Aside from the customizability a DIY wall mounted rack offers, you can also save money and frustration by taking a DIY approach.

To make a wine storage wall or large wooden wine rack, you’ll need to gather tools and supplies like wood, a mallet, and a miter saw or handsaw. You’ll also need to understand the proper techniques for building your wine storage wall. This article explains everything you need to know about designing and constructing a wine storage wall for your home.

Designing Your Own Wine Storage Wall

This tutorial explains how to build a basic wine storage wall with a medium capacity. However, depending on your preferences, you can create your own wine storage rack design. This will allow you to adjust the style and capacity to suit your own needs and make the process significantly more satisfying.

A great way to start designing your wine storage wall is to look on websites like Pinterest for inspiration. Aside from the imagination fuel the websites offer, many images link to tutorials that will allow you to understand how the wine racks were made — and how you can adapt the design to build a wine rack for your home.

Prepare to Build Your Wine Storage Wall

Tools to Gather

• Miter saw, handsaw, or circular saw.
• Trigger clamps.
• Drill bits, including a 1-¼-inch Forstner bit and ½-inch Forstner bit.
• Tape measure.
• Orbital sander.
• Staining supplies.
• Conditioning supplies.
• 18-gauge brad nailer and 18-gauge brad nails.
• 120-grit sandpaper.

Materials to Gather

• Wood filler.
• Wood glue.
• 2-inch trim head screws.
• Wood boards.
• Furring strips.
• Square dowels.
• Furniture wall anchors.
• OSB or plywood.

Construct Your New Wine Storage Wall

1. Prepare to Build Ladders for the Racks

To hold the wine, you’ll need to construct several pieces resembling ladders to serve as the base parts for your wine rack. Each ladder will stand side-by-side, with the rungs helping to support each wine bottle from the bottom.

Lay two wooden boards or square dowels side-by-side. Wine bottles are roughly 12” long on average, so you should ensure that the gap between the two boards or dowels is sufficient to accommodate the bottles — otherwise, the necks will stick out and become a hazard.

Next, you should gather the square dowels you intend to use for the ladder rungs. Each square dowel should be cut long enough to accommodate the length of the wine bottles laid horizontally — so at least 12 inches long. If you desire to do so, you can also space the dowels to fit standard wine storage boxes instead.

2. Put the Ladders Together

After applying wood glue, use the 18-gauge brad nailer to attach a rung to the bottom of both sides of the ladder. You should elevate the bottom rung by one or two inches to ensure marginal space underneath the wine storage wall.

After placing the first rung, use your tape measure and pencil to pre-mark where you will put the next rungs. The rungs should have a gap of 3.5 inches between each rung. If you’re using one-inch square dowels, you should place a marking at 3.5 and 4.5 inches to ensure correct spacing.

Use wood glue and the 18-inch brad nailer to connect each rung to the ladder. Repeat for each ladder until you have the desired amount of rows for your wine rack. It’s important to note that the interior ladders should have rungs attached to both sides, while the leftmost and rightmost ladders will only need rungs facing the inside of the rack.

3. Prepare Your Rack Frame

Once you’ve built the desired amount of ladders for your wine storage rack, you next need to build a frame to connect the ladders. Depending on your intended style, there are plenty of ways to accomplish this. You can use wooden boards or dowels if you want an open-air wine rack, plywood, or OSB to hold the ladders in position and enclose the wines.

Before you begin to build the frame, you should quickly decide whether you intend to condition or stain the wood. To treat the wood, you should condition and stain the ladders after they’re assembled before connecting them to the frame. Likewise, you should use the materials on hand to treat the frame pieces before you attach them to the ladders.

Also, it’s important to note how the frame should be spaced. You should have 2-¾-inches of space between the rungs of each ladder. Assuming that you used 1-inch square dowels as the rungs, you’ll need 4-¾-inches of space between the center of each ladder.

You should select a back support piece that measures 4-¾-inches long for each ladder minus one. The side pieces should be the same width as the ladder, potentially with extra space to accommodate doors.

4. Connect the Ladders with the Rack Frame

Once all the parts are ready to be put together, you should use a support frame piece or board of OSB or plywood to connect to the leftmost and rightmost ladders. After positioning the support frame flush with the top and bottom of both pieces, use the wood glue and trigger clamps to connect the support frame before drilling holes and screwing the pieces together. If desired, use wood filler to hide the screw holes.

Next, insert the interior rungs and attach them to the support frame pieces using wood glue, trigger clamps, and screws. Each internal ladder should be placed with 2-¾-inches of space between the rungs. If you measured your back support piece beforehand, you should have convenient markers to help you place the ladders correctly. Once the ladders are connected, you should verify that the wine bottles will fit on the rack.

5. Finish Building Your Rack

While the last steps will vary with your design, the only thing you need to do from this point is to finish your rack. If you haven’t already, you should measure and attach pieces to support the wine rack's bottom, top, and sides.

You can also add doors or drawers to your wine rack if you desire to, where you can add a stemware rack or glass rack so your favorite wine glass is always at hand. Once you’re ready to use the wine rack, you should use furniture mounting hardware to attach the rack to the wall securely.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a wine storage wall, and why should I build one?

  • A wine storage wall is a vertical storage solution for displaying and organizing wine bottles. It’s a practical and stylish option for storing wine in smaller spaces or adding a focal point to a room. It helps maximize space while showcasing your collection.

• What materials are best for building a wine storage wall?

  • The most commonly used materials are wood, metal, and acrylic. Wood provides a classic and warm look, metal offers a sleek and modern style, and acrylic gives a minimalist, contemporary feel. Choose durable materials that can support the weight of the bottles and blend with your interior design.

• How many bottles can a typical wine storage wall hold?

  • The capacity of a wine storage wall depends on its size and design. A small wine wall might hold 12 to 24 bottles, while a larger, custom-built wall can store 50 to 100 bottles or more. It's essential to plan according to your collection size and available space.

• Do I need climate control for a wine storage wall?

  • Yes, if you're planning to store wine for an extended period, climate control is important. Wine should be stored at around 55°F with humidity levels of 60-70%. For wine walls, you may need to install a cooling unit or choose a location that offers stable temperature and humidity conditions.

• What are the key steps in building a wine storage wall?

  • The key steps include:
    
    
  1. Planning the design and choosing the wall location.
  2. Measuring the space to determine capacity.
  3. Selecting materials for the racks or shelving.
  4. Installing the racks or shelving securely to the wall.
  5. Ensuring proper ventilation and lighting without exposing the wine to heat or UV light.

• Can I build a wine storage wall without professional help?

  • Yes, building a wine storage wall can be a DIY project, especially if you have basic carpentry skills. However, if you're integrating cooling systems or need custom design elements, it might be helpful to consult a professional to ensure the stability and proper function of the wine wall.

Conclusion

Understanding how to build a custom wine storage solution for your wine collection can be challenging. As long as you know how to construct the basic ladder and frame components, it’s possible to build any type of wine rack you desire for your home. Create a wine room in any space of your home with your wall wine rack.