Chill the Wine
05/01/2008
Today many wine cellar providers seamlessly blend old-world ideas and craftsmanship with hidden cutting-edge technology that not only protects your investment, but adds a new level of enjoyment to your wine collecting experience. The following luxury cellar companies offer the best in design, high technology, low technology and brand-new features.SPIRAL CELLARS
The Spiral Cellar is an excellent option for those who want a
wine cellar but prefer not to add or convert a room to accommodate a wine
collection. With a Spiral Cellar, the bottles are stored on the walls that wrap
a spiral staircase. A passive storage system—meaning that instead of electronic
cooling systems, it derives the appropriate temperature from the natural
coolness of the ground—it requires no maintenance and adheres to the Wine
Society guidelines for storage in a clean, dark, humid area with good
ventilation, constant temperature and no vibration.
The Spiral Cellar is built into the ground, designed to be watertight, and equipped with a simple two-pipe ventilation system that maintains optimal temperature and humidity, and keeps air fresh. The cellar is lined with precast concrete modules that form a honeycomb (nature’s perfect storage configuration), allowing for maximum horizontal wine storage in the compact space.
The cellar is accessed through a trapdoor, which can be designed to either blend with the flooring or make its own statement. Spiral offers four depths for storage of up to 1,600 bottles. Influencing Hampshire, England, customer Vincent Gasnier’s decision to choose a Spiral Cellar was what he refers to as "the look and impressive display of the cellar." Other factors he says were important to his choice were gaining wine cellar space without losing a room, the security of having his collection at home, proper storage conditions and easy access to his wine.
Spiral Cellars, 800.598.7530, www.spiralcellars.com
DALST STONE WINE CELLARS
Using an ancient, time-tested method to store wine in vast
quantities, Dalst offers cast limestone cellars milled in Burgundy, France.
"Unlike other wine cellar systems available today, our limestone wine alcoves offer an inert thermal mass that absorbs and then reradiates the ambient room temperature of a cellar down through the bottles, creating a uniform and undisturbed ‘cold chamber’ for wine to age," says Dalst partner Dionysi Grevenitis.
Dalst’s racking absorbs the cooling effects of either the climate control system in a chilled cellar, or the natural coolness emanating from the floor and walls of a "passive cellar." Once that temperature is trapped within the racking, the cold radiates out to the wine bottles, which are in direct contact with the stone.
The racking system is configured so that wine bottles are stacked double-deep, or neck to neck. This insulates the thinnest, most susceptible area of the bottle and prevents UV degradation from ambient lighting, or thermal shock if there is a mechanical failure or power outage.
"Our racks have a unique aesthetic virtue that hearkens back to the Medieval catacombs of France and Northern Italy," says Grevenitis. "From a design perspective we have been able to play upon that to create both classic and modern-looking cellars."
Beyond the practical considerations with a wine cellar are the design aesthetics, and as Dalst customer Joe Donelan notes, "I had two other cellars before I contacted Dalst—both made of wood. For our third cellar, in our new house on Nantucket, we really wanted something totally different—something that looked and felt unique, and most importantly, was not made from wood.
"Our new house is very special to us," continues Donelan. "Many of its details are extremely well thought out. Dalst offered us the opportunity to create a really beautiful cellar to complement all of the thought that went into the rest of the house."
Dalst Stone Wine Cellars, 718.369.0019, www.dalst.comGROTTO CUSTOM WINE CELLARS
High tech and low tech seamlessly dovetail at Grotto Custom
Wine Cellars. Using sophisticated AutoCAD design software, clients can literally
see their wine cellar design come to life in 3-D, full-color renderings.
This provides a clear visual interpretation of what their cellar will eventually
look like, right down to the smallest details such as doors, lighting and even
artwork, says the company’s John Bartz.
Grotto cellars include state-of-the-art energy-efficient refrigeration and cooling units with temperature control systems that alert customers if a cellar’s temperature departs from an acceptable zone.
With the CAD drawings that followed a very specific wish list for their cellar and tasting room, there were no surprises for Bob Levine of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. "All the angles and details of the cellar were thoroughly illustrated; this gave me great comfort that they would build the room specifically to my liking," says Levine, adding that he is particularly pleased with the fact that the five-by-seven-foot chilling room is designed to optimize the space for the amount of wine he can store.
"We’ll probably move again, and when we do we will use Grotto," he notes. "Our room turned out beautifully."
Another technology-driven feature of a Grotto cellar are the new Wine Stations, which allow you to uncork, preserve and taste bottles for up to 60 days. The Clean-Pour Preservation system preserves wines for this extended period, all the while providing perfect climate control for the bottles. Portion options include taste, half glass and full glass, and are designed to eliminate waste. The dispenser is equipped with LED touch-panel technology that allows for an easy and convenient way to select and enjoy the desired bottle.
Bartz is quick to point out that Grotto sets itself apart in the wine cellar market by combining new technology with tried and tested craftsmanship.
"Our wood racks are still hand-made and hand-sanded, with a dedicated craftsman on staff to ensure that our products are in keeping with our standards," he says.
Grotto Cellars, 866.266.5946, www.grottocellars.com
APEX CUSTOM WINE CELLARS
New technology is in full force at Apex Custom Wine Cellars
with the introduction of CellarTec, their state-of-the-art cooling system. The
equipment, with optional Internet monitoring available, tracks cellar conditions
and sends real-time alerts about physical system details to homeowners. In
addition, the company’s new wireless reporting device, CellarPod, monitors
conditions for those without cooling equipment, and also sends alerts.
"Both of these services are viewable through a dashboard in the customer’s online account," explains the company’s Eric Helzer. "This is a great product for our level of client who has multiple residences and travels often, yet wants to be sure their collection is protected at all times."
Client and luxury home builder Steve Glass, a partner at Design Guild Homes in Bellevue, Wash., is a regular Apex customer. "They really are the premiere racking and cellar specialists in the area," he says. "My clients are quite sophisticated, and appreciate all of the features Apex offers."
Apex will soon implement a labeling and tracking system that provides a computerized way to determine how long a bottle should age, and then instantly locates the wine that is ready to be enjoyed.
Apex Custom Wine Cellars, 425.398.0565, www.apexwinecellars.com