Humidity - What is ideal?

[MontereyRick]

I know between 55-65 degrees F is the ideal temp for cellaring, but what is the ideal humidity level?

[Innkeeper]

Between 40 and 60%, but higher is not a problem, while lower is a problem.

[hotwine]

I think 60%-70% is the ideal range. Lower, and the corks begin to dry and possibly shrink, allowing air to enter the bottle. And higher, the labels come loose from the bottles and turn into big snowflakes on your cellar floor (a condition with which I became all too familiar, prior to installing a chiller).<P>Mine was at 66% from June to December, when it slid to 58%. Has now held steady at that value for a month.

[Innkeeper]

Sorry Hotsie, was thinking about people not wine. The higher humidity though does no damage to the wine, just to the labels as you point out (one of the things I up with put with our passive system). That's what Scotch Tape was invented for.