Giant, Custom-Made Wooden Wine Racks for San Diego Basements
We always get excited when asked to design and construct custom-made wooden wine racks. Customizing rustic wooden wine racks is a win-win solution because owners get to maximize the cost, and we get to have more opportunities to play around with the designs! Like this wine cellar we will share with you today, you can get better results when you let a wine cellar specialist work on your cellar.
We worked on this wooden wine racking project with Harvest Wine Cellars and Sauna. This was the 3D design of the rack and we can provide you a proposal like this for free.
Designing This Enormous Wooden Wine Rack
Our client here is an enthusiastic wine collector who travels the world to explore different wine regions and share his wine knowledge with different communities. He already had a wine cellar at his previous home and wanted a better-looking one in his new home. So yes, this was a wine cellar we built from scratch.
As a wine collector and someone who works in the wine industry, we already expected that this homeowner had an impressive collection. True enough, he has a massive personal collection because he asked us to build a wooden wine rack that could house more than a thousand wine bottles!
Redwood: A Great Choice for Climate-Controlled Wine Cellars
The owner had a large room in his new home allocated for a wine cellar. The original room was cream-colored from floor to ceiling, and we decided to stick to that theme, so the room feels pleasant and bright. Amongst the many choices of wood for wooden wine racking, we went for Redwood to build the entire wooden wine rack.
Redwood has a shade that’s not too light or dark, creating just the right amount of contrast in the room. It’s a type of hardwood that can withstand cold and humid environments even when it’s not varnished or heavily treated. In fact, we didn’t stain or polish the entire rack here, so the grains you’ll see and the texture you’ll feel are really the natural/original.
Wooden Wine Racks with Curved Corners
The room we worked with was a rectangular room with an alcove on one side. The total dimensions of the room were 15’L x 12’W X9’H, and the owner wanted to fill at least two sides of the room. The alcove area was a space that looked weird, so we also decided to custom-build a storage space on that side of the room.
This wooden wine rack was built with 3 sections: the left side rack, the curved-corner rack in the middle, and the right side rack with the decanting space.
Since the owner already had an idea about wine storage systems or racks, he could specify what he wanted to see in his wooden wine racking and how big each compartment style should be. These were some of his specs:
- Wood case – 48 bottles
- Cardboard case – 48 bottles
- X-cube lattice – 236 bottles
- Horizontal display lattice – 30 bottles
- Vertical display – 20 bottles
- Lattice vertical display – 60 bottles
- Standard 750s – 560 bottles
To stay within the budget, we built a separate curved racking for the corner, which was the same height and width as the rest of the racks (72″ high and 13.5″ wide), so it looks like the entire rack was built as one. We installed a light valance wrapped around the high-reveal display row on the curved corner rack. A light valance is used to conceal under cabinet lighting, so the bottles are dramatically illuminated without you seeing the light source directly.
System and Organization
When we say the owner is an enthusiastic wine collector, we mean he really is a legit collector. He has wines from all over the world, and he makes sure to bring home a local wine wherever he goes. He has wines from South Africa, Chile, Virginia, Portugal, Provence, California, Australia, Argentina, Spain, Tuscany, France, and more! And to remember all his trips, he organized his collection according to region and type of wine.
One particular trip that stood out was when he went to Australia. So apart from wine, he also brought home a wine map of the country and showcased it on his decanting table.
On the alcove side of the room, we installed a separate wine storage area with drawers where they can store their tools, stemware, and other wine pieces.
The Right Wine Cellar Cooling System
Wine Guardian’s through-the-wall cooling unit is relatively small and can fit in between your custom wooden wine racks.
Every wine cellar has its own cooling requirement. This is because heat exchange will depend on the materials found inside the room, the size, the shape, location relative to exterior walls, insulation, and more. To choose the appropriate wine cellar cooling unit, we conducted a heat load calculation first. Based on the results, we found that the WineGuardian 0018 was a suitable option.
The WineGuardian 0018 is a self-contained, through-the-wall type of air conditioning unit with a sleek finish, stylized air vents, bold faceplates, and efficient machinery. All of WineGuardian’s wine cooling systems are non-corrosive and built with an aluminum frame, so you won’t have to worry about them wearing out for a long time.
Wine Cellar Flooring for Traditional-Style Cellars
The overall theme of this wine cellar was natural and traditional — ergo, the unfinished wine racks. To add just a little more vibe, we used terracotta tiles for the flooring. Wine cellar floors can also be covered by different materials, including recycled oak barrels, but we went for natural stone floors for this project. Imagine your feet being cool and cozy if you go inside barefoot!
Hardwood floors also look great with either traditional or contemporary wine cellars with wooden wine racks. Check out this modern wine cellar with wooden wine racks and floors!
This is the alcove area where we built a special wooden table with shelves and drawers.
Work with Builders Who Know the Science Behind Wine Cellars
Wine cellars aren’t like normal storage areas. They must be kept at certain temperatures and humidity, so the wines continue to age normally. To achieve a climate-controlled wine cellar with wooden wine racking, one must install the right amount of insulation, the most efficient wine cooling system, air-tight doors, and many more technical features.
At Custom Wine Cellars San Diego, we can do everything from constructing new wine cellars to renovating existing ones. We offer complete wine cellar services because we don’t only build and help you repair, but we also design custom wine cellars! We also collaborate with other expert wine cellar designers and builders like Steve Pantalemon to produce the best wine cellar for you!
Whether you’re living in Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, La Jolla, North City, Point Loma, Rancho Penasquitos, or Rancho Sta. Fe, and other beautiful communities in California and beyond, Custom Wine Cellars San Diego is there to help with your wine cellar!
If you also want a traditional wine cellar — similar to the project we shared here — and have See what designs you can follow for your custom-made wood wine racks here!, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can contact us today at (858) 249 – 9190.
