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Wine in a bottle is very much alive and will develop with time. The development is affected by external factors which will either speed up or slow it down.

Space	Wine should be stored in an enclosed space yet spacious and well sectioned enough so that you do not have to move them around while looking for a particular bottle.
Light	The cellar has to be dark as light has a negative effect on wine. Use a candle or a torch in the cellar. Do not use paraffin lights as this will creat an unwanted smell of fuel.
Vibration & Noise	Vibration & noise has to kept to a minimum as they will increase the chemical reaction within the wine, and will hasten the development process. Excessive vibration and noise will certainly ruin a potentially good wine.
Odour	The cellar should be odourless. Any smell - moisture, fuel, chemicals, wood, fruits, flowers, vegetables etc, etc is bad for the wine.
Ventillation	The cellar should be well-ventillated so that the air inside remains fresh and do not smell the dampness, but at the same time not too draughty.
Humidity	Too low the humidity in the air will dry off and ruin the cork. On the contrary, too humid the air will breed moisture and insects. Ideally the humidity should be between 70 and 80 %.
Temperature	Optimising the temperature of the cellar is very important. The perfect range would be between 12 and 15°C (54 - 59°F). Below 11°C (52°F) the wine develops too slowly or not at all. Above 16°C (61°F), the wine is most certainly going to be ruined.

External Factors

How Long in the Cellar