Wine cellars

Custom Home, July-August, 2004 by Shelley D. Hutchins

All fine wine collections require the same basic care and feeding. The pros list climate, humidity, and light control systems as must-haves to protect and preserve tender vintages. Vapor-tight doors and easy access are also top priorities. But the spaces that store those collections are as varied as the motives of homeowners who are willing to devote precious square footage to their favorite beverage. "Wine cellars seem to be the cool amenity right now," says Austin, Texas-based architect Dick Clark. But before you build a wine cellar worthy of a world-class connoisseur, Clark advises to "first find out if the client is a true collector or if this is just for casual storage. Think about if they will be drinking the wine within the year or storing it as a commodity for 15 years." Clark adds that many clients want space for tastings, but cautions that "the bigger the cellar is, the harder it is to control temperature and humidity.

Wine Rider.

Architect Dick Clark produced this 3,000-bottle wine cellar for a retired international motorcycle racing champion well on his way to becoming a serious oenophile. A rugged stone and leather encased grotto seemed a natural fit for Clark's thrill-seeking client. The 12-by-15-foot room descends about 4 feet below grade in his "toy" barn, which also houses cars, boats, mountain bikes, and motorcycles. "So many cellars are just racks on walls," laments Clark. "We wanted to break it up and make it inviting for people to linger." Local Texas sandstone is dry stacked with random stones cantilevered as single-bottle display shelves. A particularly large slab juts out as a tasting table. The nearby bench and wall behind it are upholstered in unfinished cowhide for a soft contrast to the jagged walls. Fir base cabinets provide storage for lull cases and support matching racks. Above the open cubes are special glass-fronted, completely sealed cupboards for collectible vintages. Low-voltage copper fixtures provide the mood lighting. Builder: Prince Brothers Construction, Wimberly, Texas; Architect: Dick Clark Architecture, Austin, Texas; Photographer: Paul Bardagjy.

Cask Call

"I had clients from California who are wine connoisseurs, and they wanted to do something really fun with their cellar," says architect Jay Dalgliesh. "I knew Willie Drake [from] Mountain Lumber] bad just acquired these giant wine casks from Bordeaux, and so we figured out a way to use one of them." The aged barrel wasn't tall enough to walk through comfortably, so he had it raised on a plinth of wine racks. Contained within a 14-by-18-foot basement, the cask serves as a passage between a tasting area and storage for 2,000 bottles. The original chalks, used to keep the barrel in place, were incorporated into the design, while the entire front piece (spigot intact) is mounted on the wall and used as a serving bar. The circle of fine spirits is made complete with reclaimed barrels from the Guinness factory in Ireland, which were used to create many of the surrounding elements. Builder: Jeff Smith & SPN, Charlottesville, Va.; Architect: Dalgliesh, Eichman, Gilpin & Paxton, Charlottesville; Cabinetmaker: Hynek Bilek, Renaissance Cabinets, Louisa, Va.; Cask supplier: Mountain Lumber, Ruckersville, Va.; Photographer: Peter Vanderwarker.

Slow Sipping

The unused third bay of a garage seemed an ideal spot for this cozy cellar. The bay was enclosed in cultured stone and plaster to match the home's casual Mediterranean mood. A distressed pine door with an iron grille opens to reveal assorted racking systems with a combined 800-bottle capacity. Racks were inset to make the most of the room's 122 square feet. An old cask set on end serves as a table for two where the owner can comfortably sit and catalogue his wines or entertain a guest. "The style here is Old World, giving the impression of entering a cool, dark cellar," says designer and builder Billy Guerrero. Guerrero collaborated with the client to produce a place where "time is slowed down enough to enjoy the wine?' Builder/designer: CG&S Design-Build, Austin, Texas; Photographer: Tina Weitz.

Stair Master

The clients' desire for a grand entry led Michael A. Colleary, proprietor of Southern Wine Cellars, to design this dramatic peek-a-boo wine storage center under the stairs. The owners relished the plan from the beginning, but Colleary had to conquer several challenges to make it reality. "The biggest obstacle was to be able to follow the curved rake of the stairs without leaving dead space," he says. By connecting individual redwood racks rather than using sections, they were able to closely follow the curved diagonal. To prevent awkward reaches as the ceiling dropped, Colleary turned the corner at about 3 feet and installed case cubbies. The problem of light transmission through the glass wall was solved by using a picture niche to push bottles away from direct light. Getting the right proportions on the cut-out was tricky, says Colleary. "We wanted to open it up, but not give it all away, so we used the top of the door as the upper end of our slope." Builder: Harbor Side Custom Homes, Palm Harbor, Fla.; Designer: Southern Wine Cellars, Palm Harbor; Cooling system designer: Wine Innovations, Cincinnati; Photographer: Michael A. Colleary.