Need a Wine Cellar Replacement? Start Here!

For those of you with existing wine cellars, hopefully you’ve enjoyed the the value and peace of mind that comes with having a properly functioning, climate-controlled wine cellar. As wine-lovers, we know that aging wine under optimal conditions (~55-58 F and ~ 60-65 relative humidity) ensures your collection will taste it’s very best when enjoying with tonight’s dinner or tomorrow’s special occasion. In fact, maintaining consistent temperature and humidity control is the like an insurance policy for the taste and value of your wine. If done correctly, a custom wine cellar has great utility for connoisseurs and collectors. 

And of course, your wine cellar should be beautiful! The years of enjoyment you get from your wine collection are enhanced by this distinctive space, curated with your preferences to share with family and friends. It’s important to remember that a well-functioning wine cellar means a beautiful wine cellar! We like to say “It can’t look good if it’s not working well.”

Regular Servicing

Now, it’s one thing for your custom cellar to be built functionally and beautifully. Once completed it’s important to schedule regular servicing for the refrigeration equipment. We typically suggest our clients do this once every 6 months, after the summer and winter months. With regular service, these refrigeration systems operate more efficiently, with fewer maintenance or repair requirements. The longevity of these machines is also increased with regular servicing. 

That said, refrigeration units may require repairs or other maintenance since they are mechanical by nature. Some of the symptoms of a refrigeration system that needs repair would be: inability to achieve or maintain the desired temperature, condensation or moisture issues inside the cellar, equipment or on surfaces (glass), or warm air blowing into the cellar.  You could also be hearing excessive or unusual noise coming from the fan coil, air handler or outdoor condenser. Again, aa minimum of one service annually is strongly recommended to ensure the proper long term function of your refrigeration unit. You can schedule a service visit, diagnostic, repair or service contract with California Custom Cellars at this link (embed).

Upgrading Your Cellar

Now in the unfortunate circumstance that your refrigeration unit does need repairing or replacing, you may also consider upgrading or renovating your existing wine cellar. Often times dysfunctional refrigeration units, climate control or moisture issues in a wine cellar reflect poor build conditions, so it’s worth enlisting an expert company, like California Custom Cellars, to offer a complete and thorough evaluation. We offer this service complimentary to anyone serious about their custom wine cellar. It’s not uncommon for a DIY or “handyman” wine cellar to lack the required construction fundamentals to function correctly. This can also happen if a general contractor parses a custom wine cellar job out to a various subcontractors, without the experience to ensure these trades are aligned and wine cellar construction fundamentals are adhered to. We’re here as a resource to clients that value the long term storage and integrity of their wine collection and who appreciate the memories created when wine is shared with friends and family. 

Renovating or replacing a wine cellar is an exciting prospect for our team. Typically clients will call us frustrated with some dysfunctional element of their wine cellar. We reassure them that with a thorough understanding of the space, construction history and client goals we will offer a comprehensive and permanent solution to fix a broken wine cellar.

Our Process for Updating Custom Cellars

In our Evaluation Phase I, we offer a complimentary site visit and client intake to gather all of the available information to provide solutions. Specifically evaluate these spaces for construction and mechanical integrity. We evaluate temperature and humidity, condensation issues, mechanical path, glass, door conditions, vapor barrier, insulation, electrical, plumbing and more.  We also do a complete client intake to review the cellar history and current goals. Ultimately, we are consumed by the functional and mechanical elements of the cellar to ensure it works well. However we realize the most exciting part of a custom wine cellar is typically how it looks! That said, we establish a mechanical and functional plan first, followed by a “deep-dive” on aesthetic and design goals. Our clients typically find this to be the most enjoyable part of our custom wine cellar design and build process.

Once the Evaluation Phase I has been completed with a mechanical and functional plan agreed upon, we begin the Room Conversion Phase III. During this conversion phase, we install the appropriate insulation and vapor barrier, rough-in electrical and plumbing requirements, any required framing or building and then a complete rebuild of the walls, ceiling and floor if necessary. After the room/space has been completely converted, we then move on to the Design Phase III. 

The Design Phase III is exciting for our team as well! We offer infinite customizations to racking, cabinetry, shelves etc to achieve a distinctive custom wine cellar design for each of our clients. Our full color renderings will bring your wine cellar vision to life, with a variety of views to ensure your complete understanding of the newly designed space. Details including bottle count, wood stain and finish, lighting schedule, wall treatments, flooring etc are all rendered to ensure we are aligned with your design preferences and desired project outcome. We also provide you with material samples of our premium woods, glass, metal and other finishes so you can be certain of the completed look, fit and finish. 

The final step in the Design Phase III is your personal review and approval of all elements of your soon-to-be created custom wine cellar! Once all shop drawings are reviewed and  approved, our team moves the project to the Production Phase IV. 

Depending on the types of materials being ordered, manufactured and/or customized lead times for a custom wine cellar are typically between 8 to 16 weeks. Non-custom materials, like refrigeration units (in-stock) and retail racks or kit racks typically take between 3-6 weeks to produce. 

You can expect to get weekly updates from California Custom Cellars on Production Phase progress as well as the estimated time of shipping and delivery of all materials. Once the products have been delivered to the jobsite, our expert team of installers will begin the final transformation of your custom wine cellar! 

The Install Phase V is the final step in completing your custom wine cellar. Depending on the size, racking type, flooring, wall treatments, etc this final step typically takes a week or two. Larger more complex construction requirements may require a bit more time. This is an exciting time for our team and our clients as the wine cellar vision becomes a reality. Once the installation is complete, we typically celebrate by gifting our clients some exclusive bottles of wine to add to their growing collection!

Cheers!

If you’re interested in designing and building your own custom wine cellar, contact us today at : 213-770-4220.