CREATING YOUR CELLAR, A SENSORY EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKING
Wine is not just a drink, it is a deeply emotive experience, binding you to the foundation of your being. Wine has the potential to transport you to the beauty of the countryside or a walk amongst the vines, smells and freshness of the grape.
Sipping wine refreshes the soul, so by definition, your wine cellar becomes an intimate haven, a virtual land of expectations for the senses… all of them! Smell, Taste, Touch, Sight and yes, even Sound.
Your cellar will be an immersive 3-dimensional experience specific to you and those lucky enough to be invited by you to enter. In creating this sensory world, you need to consider not only the simple collection of wines but a cellar that is a virtual Ark of Expectation.
Wine cellar designs require skill, knowledge and imagination, resulting in the enrichment and enhancement of your wine tasting experience. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the various aspects of planning your cellar to protect, catalogue and enjoy the fruits of your efforts.
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Like every individual body part, each aspect of your wine cellar will be shaped by what you intend to do with it. The list below is simply a guide to assist you.
IMMERSIVE FANTASY PLANNING EXERCISE
One idea that may prove fruitful in the planning of your new cellar…
- Grab a chair with your partner, a bottle of wine, a plate of cheese & water crackers and sit yourself down right in the middle of the future location of your cellar.
- With a pen and paper each, just doodle as you talk. Promising yourself that this is s a work in progress, with no need to finalize it today. Just enjoy the wine and throw around a few blue-sky ideas.
- Perhaps take your laptop, phone or iPad and search the phrase “Innovative Wine Cellars”. If you search using Bing, you will be presented with a catalogue of images across the top of the page to stimulate your creative juices.
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
Just like your own health, you cannot simply isolate a single aspect such as exercise, sleep or nutrition and expect success. Creating your haven, requires and integrated approach, factoring in a variety of elements. This list should assist you to map-out the perfect wine cellar for your home!
1. Purpose – is it simply for storage? OR
- do you intend to make it an entertainment and social destination?
- Snooker? Darts? Cards OR
- A conversation Pit.
- Will there be any furniture? If so what?
2. Size of your collection – Having a clear idea regarding the volume of wine you intend to collect will help you decide the dimension of your wine cellar. How many bottles do you currently have and how much additional space will be needed for future storage? A good rule is to double your current bottle count.
- Size by number of bottles?
- Size of the bottles – Magnum, 750’s or Dessert Wines?
- Beer? Spirits?
- Will you be storing them all horizontally or some vertically?
3. Aesthetic appeal – A wine cellar is not just a piece of furniture it is an ornament to your life and reflects your personality. While the functional aspects are important, so too is the aesthetic feel.
- Is it a showpiece? – Will some bottles be a feature display?
- Classic or contemporary
- What colors are featured throughout
- Lighting? Spotlights? Soft or Bright lights?
- Powder coated or raw metal
- Rustic appeal or natural?
- Modern or Classical
- Romantic setting?
4. Equipment and technology – Generally speaking, the primary purpose of a wine cellar is to store your wine and the diversity of individual cellars is too large to cover in a single article. However, consideration of the following will add an element of safety to the preservation of your collection.
- Potential for theft – Lockable wine racks
- Accidental breakage at the hands of the young
- Humidifiers
- Temperature controls
- Insulation
- Ventilation
- Protection from the ravaging effects of Ultraviolet Light
- Vibration
5. How much space do you require – A good rule of thumb for bottle density is 100 bottles per square meter. Given our wine racks are built using 100mm x 100 mm mesh we have you covered there. Wine collecting is often a long-term process so getting your cellar exactly how you want it, will take time.
A common mistake made when planning your installation is to assume a cool space in the home, basement or a double-brick wall will provide adequate insulation. Temperature control should be a focus and not just the appearance of the wine racks.
Of utmost importance is the fact that wine cellars should not be sealed. You will benefit from circulating air such as a gap under the door or wall vents for additional air flow. So as long as your wine cellar is correctly insulated, you can locate it almost anywhere in the home.
There will always be more you to consider. Now you have begun the process; the ideas will flow. If you would like any ideas or input from our end, why not look at our image gallery to see what our past customers have done in the way of storage in their homes.
Enjoy the process
