The Modern Wine Cellar

Last Updated on January 14, 2012

The perfect wine cellar can make an attractive and functional addition to your home. For long, wine cellars were considered exclusive to only the most ardent collectors but now wine cellars are available to a wide range of homes and lifestyles.

A wine cellar is first and foremost a climate-controlled space in which to store one’s collection of wines. If wine collections are not properly stored, the fragile chemical balance of the wine can deteriorate, causing its value to decline. Thankfully, wine cellars offer a way to organize and enjoy one’s collection while maintaining the value and taste of one’s collection.

Also, with improvements in cooling and insulation installation, wine cellars can now be installed in homes of many shapes and sizes. Whether you are a more casual wine collector or a serious wine connoisseur, there is a wine cellar to fit your home and lifestyle. Wine cellars have been built from preexisting rooms, as additions to homes, and even on yachts! If you are interested in wine collecting, there is a wine storage solution out there for you.

Many often associate wine cellars with older more traditional architecture and decor. However, wine cellars have become increasingly modern in both style and functionality. Traditionally, wine was stored so that only the top of the cork could be viewed. Today, more modern racking displays bottles with labels facing out. The effect is to create an impressive mosaic of wine bottles that cover a wall or section. Additionally, the use of glass doors and windows can create a more open contemporary feel in a wine cellar.

Wine cellars have also become more technologically advanced. The latest software allows wine collectors to electronically catalog and track each bottle of wine in their collection. These systems not only allow you to quickly recall any wine from your collection, but also access to professional ratings and critiques with a intuitive. Many also come with an intuitive touch screen interface. Technological improvements such as these have made wine cellars a far more modern experience.

Furthermore, wine cellars can serve as a social space in which to share and enjoy your collection with friends and family. Many wine cellars include an area in which to sample and entertain. Even if your visitors are not wine collectors themselves, a wine cellar can be a wonderful place to spend time and enjoy a glass of wine. Wine cellars are a great addition to the modern home, offering owners the opportunity to share and enjoy their collection attractively and effectively.

Warren Howe is a wine enthusiast and writer for Vintage Cellars, a custom wine cellar design company. Vintage Cellars is located in San Marcos, California and has designed and constructed wine cellars throughout the country. Vintage Cellars’ work has been featured in Wine Enthusiast and South Coast Style Magazine.