Cave Dwellings

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So you're thinking about adding a wine cellar in your home? Did you know that wine cellars began in underground caves in Europe. Caves provided consistent storing conditions that allowed wine to age at a perfect pace. Believe it or not these conditions have become the standard for modern wine cellars today. The ideal wine cellar temperature is between 55 and 58 degrees and the relative humidity should range between 55 to 75 percent. Some of you might be thinking why are these numbers so important? Put simply, nothing is more detrimental to your wine than extreme heat and cold. Wine breathes thru the cork and ages in the process. Fluctuations in the wine cellar temperature and humidity will accelerate the aging process. If you have excessive oxidation this will cause the wine to become bitter. Keep in mind that wine requires oxidation to mature but, it must be consistent so that it does not affect the aging of your wine. When you keep the humidity between 55 and 75 percent this eliminates mold and will keep your labels from rotting. So remember to keep your temperature and humidity levels consistent. This will ensure that your wine will be at its peek thus allowing you to enjoy it for years to come. Meet our clients Dr. Houstan and his wife Lori Hayes. Dr. Houstan and Lori love to entertain family and friends at their home. They believe that good food and wine are essential for any event. So, having a wine cellar was important to them. The Houstan's wine cellar was 75% finished when they called us for help. We felt that the cellar only needed a few small touches to complete the look. The first major obstacle was how to make the refrigeration/ humidity unit disappear without effecting the overall temperature and humidity of the wine cellar. Luckily for us the circulation vents were located on the sides of the unit. This meant that we could conceal this large stainless steel unit by hanging a picture on it, thereby eliminating an eyesore and replacing it with a fine piece of artwork . Our next task was designing the glass and iron door panels for the cellar. We submitted several different sketches and we all agreed on this particular one. The built in shelving unit was attractive, but it just needed some additional molding to take it to the next level. Keep in mind that a wine cellar is cool and dark just like a cave, so we painted the ceiling in a warm red and added a rug with reds, greens, and golds to help visually warm up the space. Adding a lamp helped with the overall lighting of our space. Last but not least we recycled two wood doors off of an old buffet that was literally falling apart. It's wonderful when you are able to recycle a beautiful work of art, and these hand carved panel doors were the perfect addition to our project. So if you thinking about adding a wine cellar in your home just remember, although it may feel like a cave, it can still have a lot of class.