Wine Cellar Design
Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach. (Spanish Saying) Wine cellar design can be as personal in taste and looks as any other room in your home. Whether your choice is to go with a functional wine cellar, focusing on accessibility and volume, or that of a more elegant environment which can also serve for entertaining, there is a wine cellar design you can create in order to build “your” personal cellar space.
You will have to figure out your design based on the amount of space you have to work with, and your budget, so do your best to plan accordingly even before you meet with your contractor. Take a look at the various types and sizes of wine racks that will fit into your space. You can do research online for more ideas and then draw up your plans accordingly.
To properly design your wine cellar you must consider some key points:
There are guidelines on how to properly prepare your wine cellar for a cooling system and racking. You, or a contractor can prepare your wine cellar. Properly insulating and installing vapor barriers are required if you plan on installing a cooling unit. For more on this, go to Building A Wine Cellar. What size bottles does your collection consist of? Are you looking for an attractive showcase cellar or strictly for storage? What type of racking would you like to include? You have many choices. More than one will fulfill your needs. Wooden Wine Racks. Modular wine racks are typically available in different grains and finishes, with the least expensive generally being pine. Most wine rack dealers will offer other materials such as red cedar, mahogany or oak, in a custom finish. Of course you can always save some money and finish the wood yourself. When determining your wine cellar design, an exterior grade (1¾") door must be used if you are cooling the whole room and not using individual wine coolers. It is very important that weather stripping is attached to all 3 sides of the doorjamb. A bottom "sweep" or threshold is also recommended. The door must have a very good seal to keep the cool air from escaping out of the wine cellar. One of the most common problems with cooling is due to not sealing the door properly.
Solid core doors or doors with a full glass insert are most often used. Glass doors must have at least double pane-tempered glass. If no cooling unit is installed, you can install any standard interior door.
Using self contained cooling systems is recommended. Manufacturers with good ratings include Breezaire or Whisperkool. These units are easy to install and no plumbing or drainage is needed. You MUST vent these units into and adjacent indoor room, or (preferred) directly outdoors. These units are mounted in the wall within 18 inches from the ceiling. Otherwise, the Breezaire Split System is recommended for those that don’t’ have proper ventilation.
Not everyone has the budget, or the space, to construct a wine cellar in the home. One of the best options to store your wine collection if you do not have the room or money is a wine cooler..
On the other hand, I believe there is a perfect wine cellar design to fit any space and any budget. You do not need more than a small space for a self-contained unit for wine storage. You can even have hanging wine racks that are great space savers. The smaller wine cellars are designed to fit up to two dozen bottles. They are designed to fit into a corner or in a closet. A smaller space only means that you have to do with a smaller inventory.
Today there are a number of options available to those that wish to create their own custom wine cellar design. The best news is that there are wine cellars for everyone from the do-it-yourselfer with advanced woodworking skills, to the complete novice. If you're looking for diy instruction about how to build a wine cellar, I recommend a visit to wine cellar secrets.com. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about wine cellar design by clicking here.
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