Wine Design

Unique Wine Tasting Tables

There is so much that goes into an unforgettable wine tasting experience. The surroundings truly set the stage for the story that is about to be told within the wine and its pairing. Along with the overall design of the surroundings it is important to also look at the specific and tactile elements in the room as well. From the furniture that you sit upon, the lighting that illuminates the room, or the table in which you will be doing the tasting it all has to flow seamlessly. Below are a couple of fun examples of unique wine tasting tables.

Hotel du Vin- Cambridge, UK

Take a look at this! Instead of the typical spit bucket and water pitcher that is typically used in tasting rooms the Hotel du Vin has taken a different approach to design. With it's contemporary edge and transitional style this tasting table incorporates the necessary accessories right into the table. Too cool!

Bar Boulud- New York City, NY

 

The exclamation point to Bar Boulud's contemporary and cutting edge restaurant is the "tasting table in the round" reminiscent of those favored by 19th century negociants. Patrons can gather around this circular table where a niche is cut out giving access for the sommelier to lead a private tasting or small private dinner party.

Eco-Friendly Wine Cellars

There is a lot of talk these days about sustainable vineyards and eco-friendly wines and while these efforts are incredibly exciting we need to extend the fruits of our labor (no pun intended) and see it through to the end. When considering building and operating an eco-friendly wine cellar it is comforting to know that these efforts have a chance to extend well after the wine is released.

There are many considerations you can keep in mind when designing an eco-friendly wine cellar. Manufacturers today are making it possible to construct wine cellars in the most eco-friendly way that they can. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

Wine Racking- I have seen wine cellars recently made completely of recycled wine barrels. When wine barrels have run their course they are usually shipped off to the landfill, but some people have taken them and repurposed them into beautiful cellars full of unique shapes and forms. The steel bands from the barrels are used to secure the racks and the cooperage banding on the wood can be creatively displayed as well.

 

*This one is from Savante Wine Cellars- www.savantewinecellars.com

Cooling Units- There are many manufacturers today that have cooling units that run with much less energy and power. Most major brands have this option these days.

Doors- I have recently seen doors built using an invisible, insulated and engineered core providing three times the R value of a solid core door and 40% less natural resources to manufacture.

Paint- If you have decided to use paint in your wine cellar consider paints with less or almost no VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These components are what give off that chemical smell after you paint a room and can be very toxic. There are many manufacturers these days that offer such options.

These are just a few items to consider if you are interested in creating an eco-friendly wine cellar.

A Wine Silo in Teton County, Wyoming

Take a look at this! Architect Eric Logan, AIA has taken a home in Teton County, Wyoming and added a wine silo to it. Not only does it store the owner's growing wine collection, but it features a rooftop deck for sipping and viewing the Teton Mountains in the distance. The home itself is reconstructed of two 150 year old cabin timbers and the silo is covered in weathered steel. The skylight casts lovely shades of amber throughout the interior and the racking beautifully displays every bottle and every label.

 

Making Light of Wine Bottles

As a designer I love seeing familiar objects used in new and exciting ways. Below are some inspiring examples of ways to use wine bottles as lighting in your wine cellar, tasting room, etc. Enjoy!    

 

Options For Cooling Your Wine Cellar

Designing a wine cellar, tasting room, or wine bar can be very exciting, but there are definitely some technical decisions that will need to be made. One of the main decisions that you will need to make is choosing an appropriate cooling system. Below are a few notes that will shed some light on what those options are.

1. Go Underground- If you are lucky enough to live in an area where basements and underground access are the norm than you are in luck! A basement is an ideal place to house a wine cellar because humidity and temperature levels stay fairly constant. In many instances there is no need for a cooling system at all and if there is it would take very little energy to maintain the proper conditions that are required. For these reasons this is a very environmentally friendly way to go.

2. Self-Contained Unit- Similar to an AC unit that fits through a window, a Self-Contained Unit fits in the wall and vents into a space or room on the other side. Some key points about using a Self-Contained Unit are (1.) You will need to mount it within 18" of the ceiling and (2.) It usually has a protrusion of 14-20" into the cellar. Also, you will need to make sure that the area on the other side of the wall is twice the size of the cellar. This will ensure proper ventilation. Of course, you want to make sure that there are no obstructions of any kind in front of the unit.

3. Ductless Split System- This type of unit also sits inside the cellar, but vents to an inside or outside condenser unit. This is a great cooling system to choose when there isn't a sufficient location for the vent of a Self-Contained Unit (listed above) There are three components to a Ductless Split System:

1. Evaporator- This is mounted on the wall within 12" of the ceiling. A great location is usually right above the door jam depending on proper conditions.

2. Line Set- This is what connects the unit in the cellar to the condenser located elsewhere. It can be located outside or in a storage area, but like the Self-Contained Unit the space needs to be twice the size of the cellar for proper ventilation.

3. Condenser- You will need about 2 1/2' x 2 1/2'  minimum space for your condenser. Usually line sets only have 55'-100' in length so keep this in mind when selecting a location for your condenser. Also, when multiple bends are required it will reduce the length of your line set.

 

4. Ducted Split System- You can think of a ducted split system very much like your household central AC system. This is the cleanest and most aesthetically pleasing method for cooling your wine cellar, but it also is best used in new construction or when converting unfinished basements. You will need the services of an HVAC professional as it will need to be designed into the frame and foundation of the room itself.

 

Entertaining With Wine This Thanksgiving

   
 
This Thanksgiving we have a lot to be thankful for. With friends and family around us it's fun to entertain and create special memories for years to come. With such merriment it seems only fitting to create a day filled with wonderful food and great wine. Below are some fun ideas to entertain your guests throughout the day.

Midday Wine Tasting:

Once all of your guests have arrived why not kick things off with a Thanksgiving themed wine tasting? You could invite your guests to journey through all of the wines that pair well with typical Thanksgiving dishes. Everyone can decide their favorites and when dinner is served they will know which wines they prefer. Some recommendations are- Appetizers: Pinot Grigio, Sancerre, or Sauvignon Blanc; Turkey dinner with stuffing: Pinot Noir or Chardonnay; Pumpkin Pie: Pouilly-Fuisse, Vin Santo, or Sherry. 

The Main Event:

If you have a walk-in wine cellar why not host your Thanksgiving dinner there? They are always cozy and inviting places to entertain. If dinner will be served in your dining room be sure to add little touches to carry the wine theme throughout. Wine charms can always add a touch of "Thanksgiving". Perhaps the centerpiece could have some dark purple grapes added to it.  You could take a collection of wine corks, make a slit on the side, and use them to hold place cards. Or why not put name tags on wine stoppers and wrap them with ribbon around napkins? The possibilities are endless!

Thanksgiving to Go:

When your guests start to leave why not send them home with a handmade recipe book? It would be fun to add pairing notes next to each recipe that you include. (perhaps with the wine that you served earlier at the wine tasting) I highly recommend recipes from the Gooseberry Patch series of cookbooks (www.gooseberrypatch.com). Some of my autumn favorites are-

How to Properly Prepare a Room For a Wine Cellar

There are so many details to consider when constructing a wine cellar, but the most important is properly preparing the room for the conditions that need to be met. A wine cellar is kept at a constant 55-57 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of 50-75%. In these conditions it is imperative that the foundation of the room be taken care of properly. Over time, if you were to leave a room with typical insulation and drywall the entire room would turn to mush. Below are some key points for proper wine cellar construction. Please note that not all projects are the same and the specific conditions of each project may be different so seeking the advice of a professional is highly recommended.

Layers of a Wine Cellar Wall-

1. Vapor Barrier- On the "warm side" of the wall (the wall that connects to the adjoining room) you need to have what is called a vapor barrier. In order to achieve this contractors will use a 6 mil plastic that usually comes in black or clear.

2. Insulation- Because of the specific conditions of a wine cellar you will want to use a minimum of R13 on the walls and R30 on the ceiling.

NOTE: In place of the vapor barrier and insulation you can also use what is called spray isolene which will replace both 1 and 2.

3. Green Board- In place of typical drywall you will need to use what is called "green board". Green board is a special material that resists moisture and will hold up to the humidity level in the room.

These are just a few quick points to keep in mind when thinking through your wine cellar construction. Of course, if you were to construct the room using brick, tile, stone, etc. than those materials would fall under a different category of construction. As noted above, there are many logistical items that may need to be considered with every project so seeking the help of a professional is highly recommended.

Bringing a Little "Bling" to Your Wine Cellar Management System

The most exciting part of designing a wine cellar, tasting room, or winery is how they always take on the personality and unique charm of their owner. Along with the mood and feeling they achieve it is always thrilling to think how many bottles their new cellar will hold. Whether you are designing a personal wine cellar or retail space there is no better "bling" than an electronic wine cellar management system.

Before the electronic systems of today, wine cellar management consisted of handwritten "cellar journals" or spreadsheets that would go on for miles. These methods are effective for very small cellars, but when your collection starts to reach over 1000 bottles these methods take forever to manage.

An electronic wine cellar management system allows for an all-in-one system where the owner can manage their collection with ease. The system resides in the wine cellar and manages your inventory with the touch of a button. Some of the advantages are:

1. You can easily catalog wines by Country, Region, Variety, Winery and Vintage.

2. You can download digital wine labels and reading notes for your records.

3. Storing is easy. These systems allow for easy peel and stick labels that are bar coded and lead the collector to its location in the cellar.

4. When removing a bottle from the cellar all one needs to do is wave it in front of the bar code reader and it automatically deletes it from the collection.

5. It can be integrated with major home entertainment and electronic control panel systems.

6. If you ever wanted to sell your wine it has the ability to print out the temperature and humidity history while in storage.

It makes managing your wine cellar so much easier.

   
*If you would like further information on purchasing and/or installing these products you can contact Offay Design Studio, LLC www.offaydesignstudio.com

Wine Vending Machines

 
Tasting rooms around the world have been adopting the concept of wine vending machines for some time now. All customers need to do is insert a pre-paid card, select a bottle of wine and watch the wine flow into their glass. I love this idea from a design perspective because it focuses on keeping wine simple, fun and functional. The machines are great tools to help learn more about various types of wine available and to discover the wine that's best for you.

It would be great to take this design concept into a residential cellar as well. What a great way to entertain friends while catering to all of their different palettes. Parties could be themed around the wines that you decide to dispense that evening. Why not have a party where everyone brings a bottle? When no one is looking you could place the bottles in the machine and later everyone can guess who brought what. The entertaining possibilities are endless!

Restaurants That Will Haunt You

In honor of Halloween this week I thought it would be fun to highlight some fun and spooky restaurants that are located below ground. Wine caves have always functioned well at wineries and are always fun to construct in homes, but it does not have to stop there. Many restaurants around the world have adopted the allure of wine caves in their restaurants, tasting rooms, etc. Below are three places that have always been favorites of mine. 

La Cave Restaurant- Costa Mesa, CA

Whenever I want to be in a cozy place and listen to jazz over a glass of wine I always think of La Cave. One of my favorite things about places like this is the unassuming appearance they have from the outside. It's so much fun to head through the main door at La Cave, head down the stairs and through the door below. Once inside you find yourself in a room filled with live jazz music and people of all ages sipping wine or ordering their next martini.

The Cellar- Fullerton, CA

The Cellar is a classic. Since its opening in 1969, the elegant surroundings of this meticulously designed restaurant include handsomely appointed tables, fine oil paintings, and antique china cabinets. Each table is set with monogrammed crystal, imported German china, velvet chairs and leather banquettes. This intimate setting is enhanced by crystal chandeliers and shimmering brass lanterns. With over 500 labels on their wine list, this dark, romantic, and cozy restaurant in high on my list of favorites.

Gordon's Wine Bar- London, England 

OK... so this one is on my "Bucket List", but take a look at this place! Gordon's is the oldest wine bar in London establishing itself in 1890. It looks so inviting with its old and rickety tables and anonymous nooks and crannies. Can you just imagine hanging out in this place on a cold and rainy day in London? Too cool.

Happy Halloween!