“Should I build a custom wine cellar?”
is a question we get a lot from prospective clients. You’ve seen the pictures online and on social media. Maybe your neighbor, friends, or colleagues have shown off their custom wine cellar as part of a recent home renovation. Or perhaps you’ve seen a beautiful showcase wine cellar at a great restaurant nearby. Beautiful and functional wine cellars can be a great addition to your home or business, but these projects are not for everyone. Like anything custom, these projects take time and a pretty significant financial investment.
These “passive” applications are uncommon, but make sense for some clients. Either way, custom wine cellars are areas/spaces for storing, displaying, and enjoying your wine collection. So, grab a glass of your favorite sipping wine and read on for all things related to custom wine cellars.
How do I build a custom wine cellar?
There are many factors to consider when it comes to building a custom wine cellar.
Location is the absolute starting point for your custom wine cellar project. Choosing a location that is naturally cool, away from natural UV light, and isolated from any vibration (such as any household washer/dryer units) is critical.
Selecting the correct cooling system is another crucial part of a custom wine cellar. There are many different systems available such as; self-contained systems, ducted systems, and split systems. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages, and we will help you make that decision based on the needs of your project.
Maintaining 60% Humidity is a large focus of the construction of your custom wine cellar. Air gaps, sealing existing surfaces, and using insulated materials are just some of the many ways to maintain that all-important humidity level.
What is the range of overall costs to build my dream cellar
This is probably the number one question we get asked. While this is always a complicated question to answer here are some examples to give a good picture of what your custom build may cost:
A minimum viable product with simple and readily available elements (lighting, racking, single pane glass) will typically fall in the range of $40K - $50K
Our average project with higher quality elements with custom materials and finishes often ranges from $50k - $65k
Our luxury custom wine cellar designs encompass a full range of custom-designed elements, materials, and finishes. These projects start around $65k and may exceed beyond $75k depending on the desires of the customer.
How big should my wine cellar be?
We love this question because the answer is, what size do you want it to be? There is no right or wrong answer here as we can design your custom wine cellar to fit your exact needs and space restrictions/availability. The major factors to think about are how much wine do you want to store and what space options do you have available to dedicate for your custom wine cellar.
What is the ideal temp to store my wine?
The short answer is between 45 and 65 degrees with 55 degrees being the generally agreed upon optimal temperature. It is not the end of the world if you aren't hitting these numbers though as consistency is far more important than perfect temperature. As long as you are storing at or below ambient temperature and not fluctuating, your wine will be just fine.
There are so many solutions and vendors to help you achieve your “wine cellar dreams” and we want you to be fully informed before making this BIG DECISION!
- Self Contained or through-the-wall units are the most cost-effective option. The catch is you must have access to an exterior wall so that the unit may vent hot hair.
- Ducted Systems are best known for their simplicity and plug-and-go installation.
- Split Sytems are the most versatile refrigeration systems, are “industry standard”, and come in two primary types:
- Ductless Split systems are great for their flexibility and for minimizing noise. This is a great choice for those worried about ambient noise levels.
- Ducted Split systems are the go-to choice for custom wine cellar design professionals and for good reason. They offer maximum flexibility as well as the ability to connect multiple units to one condenser.
- Ductless Split systems are great for their flexibility and for minimizing noise. This is a great choice for those worried about ambient noise levels.
Storing your wine? Follow these 6 tenets!
What good is a custom wine cellar if you arent quite sure how to best store your wine? We compiled 6 simple tenets to follow for storing your wine
- Temperature - 55 degrees is perfect or aim for between 45 and 65 Fahrenheit
- Temperature Fluctuation - Keeping your wine at a stable temperature prevents damaging the cork
- Humidity - It is best to keep your wine in a humidity range of 50%-70%
- Light - keep natural light away from your wine
- Vibration - Avoid excessive vibration to prevent complicated chemical reactions within your wine
- Horizontal - Storing your wine on its side is a simple way to ensure that your cork remains in good condition
With a more comprehensive understanding of how custom wine cellar builds work, we hope you now are ready to make a more informed decision. Ready to chat? Reach out now! As we continue to explore this topic, we will discuss the process for designing your cellar.
At California Custom Cellars
If you are looking for a custom design, service/repairs, or a bespoke from-the-ground up custom wine cellar, our team at California Custom Cellars is ready to offer you our personalized approach to exceed your expectations. No one will work harder to create a unique experience grounded in transparency, honesty, and respect.
Every custom wine cellar is a unique expression of its creator’s vision. From the design to the build, we want each one-of-a-kind space for your favorite beverage or collectible bottles—to be nothing less than extraordinary in every detail because it belongs specifically with you!
Type of glass overwhelming you?
While single-pane, dual-pane, and frameless are all fine options it is dual-pane that gets the job done best in the end. If you need to save a little money and are okay with the drawbacks, single pane gets the job done however, dual pane is the way to go if you are looking to hit that sweet spot of 55 degrees.
Its also okay to go frameless, just make sure you reach out to us for this challenging aspect of your project!
Wood options also have you seeing pine and fir?
Wood species and/or stains are two of the most important decisions pertaining to aesthetic when designing a custom wine cellar. With a nearly endless list of options for wood species and finishes, the final, decision should be made in consultation with a custom wine cellar design expert.
We at California Custom Cellars can help you choose between different woods to best suit your needs! Our team can help you consider cost, appeal, and application to make the decision process easy. (its totally okay to go with metal, glass, acrylic or any of the many other material options too!)
Materials for racking the icing on the cake and you are ready to learn more?
Wood is a great option but there are many other options for materials to choose from. A wine cellar design expert can help you choose what fits your project best
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• Wood racking is tried and true. It is a timeless classic that can be made modern when paired with contemporary stains (i.e. expresso, black. etc.)
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• Metal wine racking is a great way to display your favorite beverages in style. You can find any color or pattern that will match the décor of your home, and you won't have trouble with it looking too cluttered because these can be sleek enough for smaller spaces!
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• Acrylic shelves are a great way to display your favorite bottles in the cellar. This material allows for light to pass through, which makes it even more awesome!• Cable racking is also good if you want minimalism with 360 views of what's hanging on them
Does a wine cellar add value to your home?
The short answer is, YES! Building a custom wine cellar is an expensive project, but is worth the investment. A typical baseline starting cost for a custom wine cellar begins at $40k and can go up to over one hundred thousand dollars depending on what you want in your finished product - from climate control options all way down to ballpark dimensions like width or height (the minimum required space). If you are like us and love wine, a custom wine cellar is always a worthwhile investment!
How long does it take?
Unfortunately, with so many factors going into a complex construction project like a custom wine cellar, it depends. While it is not unheard of to wrap a project in 90 days, it is better to expect a timeline of around 6 months (and possibly longer for complex builds). It is important to communicate your needs with your custom wine cellar design team as they may be able to make decisions to improve your delivery time with choice of materials and options. At California Custom Cellars, we pride ourselves on communicating early and often with customers and build teams to keep surprises to a minimum and satisfaction to a maximum!
5 mistakes to avoid-
Any time you decide on a big project, and a custom wine cellar is no exception, there are risks that can complicate the project and cause major headaches. Here are some things to consider and watch out for.
- • Hiring a general contractor with no experience with building custom wine cellars is one of the most common mistakes. This often causes corners to be cut, delaying the project, increasing long-term costs or downright ending in a failed build.
- • Installing an AC unit in your wine cellar is a huge mistake. It will compromise the functionality and integrity of this vital space, leading to mold growth on walls or condensation that could damage your wine. Using commercial-grade refrigeration systems designed specifically for custom wine cellar applications is the only way to go.
- • Choosing the right refrigeration system for your custom wine cellar can be daunting. You must size it appropriately based on the dimensions and criteria of each room, such as its heat load calculation that will determine what kind (size) cooling unit is right for you! It's imperative to make sure not only does this new appliance fit in perfectly with any other equipment already installed but also isn't oversized or underpowered - otherwise short cycles could result from having too powerful a machine running all day long trying unsuccessfully keep cool while pulling excess humidity out through vents where mold may grow quickly
- • Selecting the correct glass can make or break your custom wine cellar. When designing cellars in clients' homes we prefer using dual pane glasses because it ensures less liability and condensation when compared with single panes. However, in some cases, if you are building in a basement, single pane glass can be used to save cost (if installed professionally).
- • Hiring multiple contractors unnecessarily complicated a construction project and building a custom wine cellar is no different. Having one team keeps communication clear, and can keep risk and liability to a minimum.
The moral of the story is that building a custom wine cellar is a major project and there are many things to consider when doing so. Going with an expert design team like California Custom Cellars is a great way to take the worry from the process!