Whether you’re a wine enthusiast, sommelier, or an avid host of dinner parties, a wine cellar can be a beautiful and meaningful addition to your home. From cultural collections to intimate wine tastings, the benefits of having your own dedicated cellar go far beyond having a stockpile of wine available to you 24/7, although you could have signed us up there.
When we design wine cellars, we start with function. How do you plan to use the space? Does it need to serve as more storage than entertainment, or does it need to accommodate entertainment space as well as ample storage? Are there certain collections you’d like to have on display, or any bottles in particular you only plan to bring out for special occasions? Knowing how our client envisions using the space takes top priority.
Hosting & Design
For entertaining purposes, we like to create a more intimate space for wine tasting/pairing. A cocktail lounge style seating area allows for comfortable conversation while enjoying a glass or two. An adjacent bar serves as a space to store glasses and open bottles with ease.
Vertical open racks and shelving allow you to show off your collection and helps keep visual clutter to a minimum. We believe your wine cellar should make a statement, so giving it a prominent location in your home is important to us. Surrounding the cellar with glass walls allows the space to command the attention it deserves.
Intimate and elegant, it doesn’t need to be over-the-top extravagant, but rather an understated luxury.
Storing
Creating ideal environmental conditions within a cellar is imperative to properly aging and maintaining wine. If it’s a new construction, we always begin by determining the level of insultation required. Having an adequate moisture barrier ensures that the relative humidity remains controlled. When the climate is too hot or cold, the aging process can be dramatically altered. 60-70% relative humidity, and 50-60 degrees seems to be the sweet spot.
Additionally, you may have noticed that wine is typically stored on its side—this prevents the cork from drying out.
At this point, you might be thinking to yourself, “what?”. We know, there are many non-negotiable guidelines that come with storing wine. If you’re considering making a wine cellar the next addition to your home, but would rather skip the science project, schedule your discovery call with us. We’re armed with the knowledge so you can go straight to doing what you deserve—enjoying your home.