The lighting of a wine cellar, explains Egoluce, plays an essential role in wine conservation but also in creating an atmosphere that enhances the visitor’s sensory experience.
Wine is more than just a drink: it is a sensory experience that begins with its enveloping aroma, evoking memories and arousing deep emotions. Since Roman times, wine has been stored in cool, dark rooms to protect it from the harmful effects of light and temperature variations. Over the centuries, conservation techniques have evolved, and now illumination plays a key role. The lighting of a high-end wine cellar is more than an aesthetic issue. Proper storage of wine bottles is essential for maintaining their quality.
Champagne bottles, in particular, are sensitive to light, as exposure to some wavelengths (<523 nm) can trigger the phenomenon known as ‘light taste’. This defect alters the organoleptic characteristics of champagne, giving it unpleasant notes of boiled cabbage or wet wool, compromising its quality and value. White, rosé and sparkling wines are the most susceptible to this defect. These varieties are often bottled in transparent containers to highlight their attractive colours, making them ironically more sensitive to light damage.
The lighting of a wine cellar plays an essential role in the conservation of wine and in creating an atmosphere that enhances the visitors’ sensory experience. Each cellar has its own identity, shaped by the architecture, the layout of spaces and the quality of light. Well-designed lighting must harmonize with the ambience, guiding the eye between wood shelves, natural stone walls, and neat rows of carefully stored bottles. The general lighting creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, avoiding excessive areas of shadow that could compromise the usability of the space. Even light distribution helps to maintain an elegant and refined ambience, while strategic installation is essential to avoid direct reflections on bottles and limit glare. Diffuse light, with amber tones, provides a sophisticated and relaxing space, ideal for wine tasting and display.
Accent lighting enhances the bottles, emphasizing their details without altering their contents. Spot and uniform lighting empower the texture of the glass and the design of the labels, enhancing the chromatic depth of the wine without compromising its preservation. Mounting directly near the displays provides focused lighting that accentuates each bottle, achieving a balanced visual harmony in the cellar.
Additionally, using amber LEDs optimizes light efficiency, enhancing details while preserving the wine’s quality, thus contributing to a refined and engaging sensory experience. These solutions lead to excellent results, ensuring total protection of the bottles from the harmful light spectrum. The elegant and sophisticated atmosphere, achieved through diffuse and accent lighting, transforms the wine cellar into an exclusive environment, perfect for tastings and presentations. The carefully designed lighting transforms every visit into a historical journey.
