Drinks on Display Wine enthusiasts have many innovative storage options for collections

Drinks on Display

Showcase your wine and spirit collection with innovative storage options

By Kamala Kirk

Many take great pride in having an extensive wine collection. It takes years to develop, requires a significant investment, and, often, plenty of research and care. After spending time and money on building the ultimate collection, one of the most important ways to ensure that it gets better with time is to invest in proper storage.

Keeping wine and spirits in the appropriate space—with the right temperature and lighting—will help preserve them so they can be enjoyed in the years to come. Many people are opting for custom wine cellars and displays in their homes so they can showcase their bottles for all to admire as well as make them easily accessible.

“One popular feature is to have integrated storage around a wine fridge or beverage fridge,” Katharine Mills-Tierney, senior designer at California Closets Los Angeles, said. “Wine X’s or cubbies, as well as shelving and cupboards, can be added along a countertop to create a custom wine bar that works well in a dining room or family room.”

According to Mills-Tierney, people are looking for beautiful, well-appointed storage, as well as space for serving guests. During COVID-19, California Closets has seen pantries become more popular, and many include wine storage. Design features can include LED lighting, puck and ribbon lighting, a wine refrigerator, glass shelves, and other custom components for specialized storage.

One of the most stunning ways to show off a wine collection—and make it the center of attention in any room—is by encasing a cellar or storage area with glass. The cellars often include various types of racking, which

“With some wine cellars and displays, the first thing you’ll notice is the racking followed by the wine. The first thing I like to see are the labels on the bottles,” Michael Aronson, founder of Crystal Clear Glass Inc, said. “Wire racking is a great option because once all the bottles are on, those become your focal point.”

Handle choice on the doors is another important detail for wine cellars and storage, and Aronson said that most of the time a slightly longer handle between 18 to 24 inches tends to look better than 10- to 12-inch handles.

“It’s a much more elegant design aesthetic,” Aronson explained.

“NAPA CALLING.” PHOTO COURTESY OF PREMIER CRU WINE CELLARS

Another important feature that Aronson likes to incorporate into wine cellars is Ultra-Clear Starphire, a special type of glass that offers brilliant clarity. Depending on a person’s preferred aesthetic, however, custom glass tints like brown or gray are also options.

“Regular glass has a Coke bottle effect which is why I like the UltraClear,” Aronson said. “I also like to arrange it so that the bottles are two to three deep and show the labels. If the scenario is right for it, we’ll put mirrors in the wine cellar on the sides or the back ARTISTIC WINE CELLAR “GEOMETRICITY.” PHOTO COURTESY OF PREMIER CRU WINE CELLARS walls around the racking. It makes it look like you have twice the amount of bottles.”

Paul LaRussa, founder and chief designer/artist at Premier Cru Wine Cellars, considers wine cellars true works of art—and names them to fit the aesthetics, such as Napa Calling, which was influenced by an oak tree in a trapezoid-shaped room.

“Napa Calling for was an accountant/CFO,” LaRussa said. “So [the cellar] became his escape from all the familiar things in his life and profession.”

One of the most important decisions for the wine lover is the location of their wine cellar. Sometimes there are choices, and sometimes there’s only a specific space available. Then there are other decisions such as energy

WINE STORAGE IS CUSTOMIZABLE FOR SPECIALIZED STORAGE.

conservation, required temperature range within the cellar and equipment durability.

Having a beautiful wine cellar also makes for a “great showpiece and conversation piece,” Aronson noted. “People can see all of their wine instead of keeping them in boxes, and it adds a lot of elegance and brilliance to the room so that you can share your collection with others.”

This is a universal theme among those who both design and enjoy the beauty of these custom wine storage designs.

“Time is changing, and trends come and go,” LaRussa said, “but this is a great shift from the purist who wants their wine hidden away in the dark; there’s a place for them too, of course, because that’s how the wine making industry started thousands of years ago. Incorporating fine wine into one’s lifestyle today has become a new discovery for some to be able to have their wine collection ‘out proud’ as they say and in the open. [People] love to express and reveal their wine collection to friends and loved ones.” ▪

California Closets: californiaclosets.com/wine-storage Crystal Clear Glass Inc.: crystalclearglassinc.com Premier Cru Wine Cellars: pcwinecellars.com