Wine cellars have a long history. The oldest evidence (opens a new window) of a working wine cellar dates back more than 3,700 years, to the former Canaanite palace of Tel Kabri, in Israel. Uncovered by archaeologists in July 2013, the simple room held the remains of 40 ceramic jars used for storing wine, and is thought to have supplied lavish celebrations in the adjacent dining hall.
From these rudimentary beginnings, the evolution of wine cellars has followed a gradual process of trial and error. The Romans filled rooms with smoke, hoping to preserve wine by preventing oxidation. Instead, they found that the warmer temperatures accelerated spoilage. Rather, it was the Medieval era that saw progress accelerate. The extensive foundations beneath the period’s heavier stone palaces and houses provided a natural home for the storage of wine and offered protection from light and temperature fluctuations.
These discoveries paved the way for inventions to come. But history can be hard to shake. It’s part of the legacy of these same methods that, for centuries, wine cellars have been regarded as solely functional spaces, unseen by those fortunate enough to consume the wine within.
Emerging from the shadows
“Until the 1980s, cellars were largely back-of-house spaces,” says Paul Walton Design Director at Halstock Cabinet Makers, a design and manufacturing firm specialising in luxury bespoke interiors, including wine cellars. “These were typically located in the basement, and constructed with simple materials, such as brick, stone or timber racking.”
But times have changed, with more owners giving their cellar a starring role in the contemporary luxury home. At the very top end, this means a whole room (or rooms) dedicated to storing and displaying wine, but as Paul notes, even “more modest family homes” can often include a wine wall as a luxury feature.
As the cellar transitions into a place to be seen, it’s only natural that clients are placing greater emphasis on cellar style and design. “Many clients ask for a display cellar with a glass entrance wall and an interesting lighting scheme to create maximum visual impact,” Paul says. “These cellars often greet you at the start of a basement entertaining space with cellar, cinema, gym and spa. The materials are often luxurious, and the collections are typically newly created to fill the cellar. Large storage capacity is another common request, allowing the client to enjoy the full visual impact of the cellar, and often requested adjacent to a dining space.”
Within this broader shift, trends continue to come and go. Strong demand for high gloss finishes and polished metal post-millennium have since subsided, in favour of more textural and natural materials and finishes, such as oak and bronze. But for designers, the challenge is marrying clients’ aesthetic sensibilities with the often-competing need for precise climatic control.
Paul notes: “Tastes vary, but a typical project might involve creating a luxurious and extremely bespoke space to display a relatively small number of very special bottles. The quality of the interior design and materials palette is critical and, while opulent, it also needs to be timeless. These spaces are more of an exclusive sanctuary; however, clients often ask us to provide an adjacent warmer temperature space for a small group of guests to enjoy a wine tasting experience. Achieving and maintaining precise conditions are very important for optimum maturation, especially with valuable wines.”
Advanced technologies
Paul admits that, among clients, the balance of interest is now on style over function. But as a manufacturer, he continues to emphasise quality. Unlike older ‘passive’ cellars, which were reliant on naturally cool and damp conditions to work effectively, the modern cellar is a product of advanced technology. “Fan coil units, remote condensers, insulation, door seals, double glazing, and thermal bridging breaks are just some of the tools we have to ensure stable conditions and control of condensation,” Paul states.
“Ultimately, considered design must be tailored to the individual cellar and its location,” he concludes. “We need to take a very careful and detailed initial brief from the client, and then ensure that the concept created will work technically. We set very high production standards, with our makers and finishers applying the same attention to detail and precision in their work as our aesthetic and technical design team and project managers.”
Technology continues to drive advances in the science of wine storage. New offerings continue to emerge promoting the benefits of artificial intelligence for tasks such as inventory management, while others even feature a virtual sommelier (opens a new window). The cellars of today have been long in the making; those of the future may have already arrived.
Managing your cellar risk
Despite its evolution, the cellar continues to be a functional space for the storage and preservation of wine. Especially for valuable wines, owners need to maintain precise conditions to achieve optimum maturation, while keeping their collection safe from other common threats.
Key considerations to store and protect your wines:
Flood protection – Store your first rack of wine at least a pallet height from the floor of the cellar. This will protect against damage in the event of a flood event. A detailed cellar plan and map should also be kept in a separate location to the wine itself. If possible, using waterproof identification on racks instead of paper labelling will ensure any damaged wines can be easily identified.
Temperature regulation – Undertake regular servicing of your temperature control units to minimise the risk of malfunction. Maximum and minimum thermometers can be very useful for monitoring potential places to store wine. Storage units or cellars should also have no direct sunlight. Wine should also be stored away from any sources of strong vibration, and away from any items with a strong smell, such as paint or chemicals.
Valuations – Secure up-to-date valuations for any wine, ideally within the last three to five years. This will reduce the potential for underinsurance should a loss occur. Having the collection indexed annually by the valuer is best practice. Likewise, listing your wine collection on the insurance schedule will help to negate the risk of any potential dispute over value or description.
Third parties – Check the level of cover and insurance responsibilities of any third-party. This includes any retailer from whom you intend to purchase wine, as well as any specialist tasked with shipping or transportation. Likewise, if storing wine with a third-party (e.g. in bond), check the level of cover and responsibility of insurance prior to engagement.
For more information, reach out to a member of our team.
