• Large wine racks can hold hundreds of bottles if they are properly built.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
  
  Wine must be stored at the correct angle in order for it to breathe. Because standing wine bottles upright on a counter or in a cabinet will lead to ruined wine, a properly constructed wine rack will hold the bottles horizontally. Homeowners with some woodworking or furniture-building experience can utilize their knowledge to build their own wine racks. With the right materials and design, you can create a wine rack that is as high quality as an expensive store-bought model.
  
  

Use the Right Wood

• Large wine racks designed to hold 20 or more bottles of wine will be put under serious stress from the weight. Stronger hardwoods are less likely to crack or split, according to the Humboldt Woodworkers Guild, and close-grained woods are easier to finish. Any furniture-grade hardwood should work well for a wine rack if the design is right. Cherry wood is heavy but strong and reaches a deep red color when it is polished. White maple is a light yellow or gold color when finished, and a wine rack crafted from it will hold up to generations of use. Choose special pattern-grained woods, like fiddleback or quilted maple, for a one-of-a-kind wine rack.
  
  

Build the Rack to Fit the Space

• Determine where your wine rack will go before you choose a design. Building a sturdy and beautiful wine rack for a countertop requires different woods, tools and overall design than a freestanding or wall-mounted unit, according to I Love India. If space is tight, consider building an unusual over-the-door wine rack that keeps bottles on a pantry or kitchen closet door. To prevent unexpected crashes that could destroy your wine collection, anchor a freestanding wine rack to a nearby wall or the floor.
  
  

Use the Right Fasteners

• Nails may work for constructing a home or building a bench, but wine racks require correctly sized wood screws, says Woodsmith Magazine. A single wine rack may require multiple sizes of screws. Larger wood screws are used to secure the weight-bearing parts of the rack, while smaller screws make less of a visual impact on the finished piece. Softwoods or hardwood that is prone to splitting or chipping when drilled may require special plastic sleeves for the screws. Countersink any screws used to create a smooth finish and prevent them from becoming loose over time.
  
  

Try a Modular Design

• Modular wine racks adapt as your wine collection grows or shrinks through the use of removable shelving and racks. Ron Hazelton's House Calls website says that using dado joints cut into the wood will allow for the quick and easy disassembly of a modular wine rack. Countertop modular racks are easily put away when you are done using them, and are a great way to store wine that has been given as a gift for homeowners who don't have large collections.