Wine Design

Cork Flooring For Your Wine Cellar or Tasting Room

   

Cork flooring is a beautiful and eco-friendly material to use in any wine cellar or commercial space. Below are a few advantages and disadvantage when considering this material.

 

Advantages:

 

1. Eco-friendly- The cork oak tree is not destroyed and then replanted but rather the bark is trimmed from the tree every 9 years, leaving the tree and the forest undamaged. Its not unusual to have a 200 year old tree still producing cork bark. Cork flooring is actually made from the waste of the cork wine stopper manufacturing process so cork flooring is a recycled product. All pigments, varnishes and adhesives that some manufacturers use in producing its tiles are water-based, solvent-free and have no VOCs.

 

2. Beautiful- just stunning when installed.

 

3. Durable-  I know it to be used in civic building, libraries, etc. Because of the softness and give to the material there is less grinding that takes place and so I've seen it wear even better than hardwood. I have even seen properties where the cork floor is nearly 100 years old and counting.

 

4.Softness-  Wonderful quality and "give" if you are standing on your feet all day or have employees that are doing the same. 

 

5. Thermal Insulator

 

6. Anti-allergenic & natural insect repellent

 

7. Easy installation- A lot of people are able to install cork flooring themselves or if you are working with a contractor it really cuts down on labor costs to you and your budget. 

 

8. Elasticity

 

9. Fire-retardant

 

Disadvantages

 

1. Fading-  Typically this is not a problem, but if you are thinking of putting this material in a sun drenched area just know that it will fade over time- sometimes pretty significantly. 

 

Cork flooring is a beautiful and interesting way to spruce up your wine cellar or commercial space. When you think about it what better way to add a sense of theme to any cellar space than with cork?!

 

Cellar Doors in Floors

One of the concerns that people have when planning their wine cellar is, "Will I have enough room for it?" Well, why not consider going down instead of out? An interesting thing to consider when creating a wine cellar is building it below the floor. Not only is it an instant showstopper, but it can be considered environmentally friendly as well. The spiral wine cellar is first lined with concrete plus water tight lining. The temperature is kept at a constant 55 degrees, considered ideal for wines, by the depth of the cellar and passive ventilation established through a pipe running the height of the cellar which keeps warm air flowing in. Depending upon the size of the cellar, it can hold 1000-1600 bottles. This is certainly not the least expensive wine cellar construction, but exciting and interesting nonetheless.

 

 

Sterling Vineyards- A Winery Perched in the Heart of Napa Valley

Everyone remembers their first trip to Napa. The grandeur of the Napa Valley is so exciting. I remember driving up Highway 29 and seeing one winery after another and thinking, "Wow, this is heaven." I visited so many beautiful and wonderful places on that trip. Sterling Vineyards always comes to mind when I think about that trip and how excited I was to visit.

Sitting high on a hill over Calistoga is a unique and picturesque winery. With views as far as the eye can see Sterling Vineyards brings an exceptional wine tasting experience to everyone that visits.

 

From the beginning of your visit you are whisked away through the air on a tram to the top of the hill where a Greek-inspired building greets you at the top. The towers ring eight historic bells, on the quarter hour, adding to feeling that you could be in Mykonos. Once at the top you are given a wine glass in which to start your tour.

 

Instead of the usual tasting room setup Sterling Vineyards creates an environment that allows you to stroll leisurely through the winery while stopping along the way for your next taste. All of this, along with the views and grand terraces sprinkled about, gives Sterling Vineyards a truly memorable experience.

Have a Barrel of Fun at Your Next Wine Party

One of the things I love most about the wine culture are the memories that you share in the process. I love getting together with friends, opening a bottle of wine and just enjoying life. The topics of conversation that come up are funny, cerebral, and sometimes even sad, but nevertheless moments never to be forgotten.

The environment and surroundings that you create around you are great ways to enhance these moments. A great way to spark conversation is by adding instant conversation pieces to your personal wine cellar or commercial space? Below are some great pieces made out of reclaimed wine barrels that should bring quite a lot to the table (no pun intended). Enjoy!

      

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

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Bringing Your Wine Cellar to Light

One of the most important, and often neglected, elements of designing a wine cellar is lighting. Lighting is the fastest and easiest way to add drama to any wine cellar and at the same time accomplish the task of general illumination. When considering different types of light for your wine cellar there are three areas of lighting that you should consider: general lighting, accent lighting, and task lighting.

General Lighting- You want to make sure that you have properly illuminated the entire space. This could be in the form of recessed lighting, chandeliers, etc.

Accent Lighting- In order to create drama and personality to the space you will need to accent certain areas with light. This could take the form of sconces, tables lamps, etc.

Task lighting- This type of lighting is necessary when illuminating specific items or things. Task lighting is also there to highlight different areas and often showcase certain items. For example, you may want to run strip lighting on the underside of your wine rack to spotlight certain bottles, etc.

Another VERY important element in lighting your wine cellar is what type of light you select. The most important thing to consider is how much heat they give off. Zenon and LED lighting have become very popular choices for wine cellars because they give off very little heat and last a very long time. In the past people steered clear of these types of lights because they would give off cold, white, sterile light, but these days they have come a very long way in creating light that gives off a warmer incandescent look.

Clautiere Vineyard- Vibrant, Energetic, Wig Wearing Tasting Room

From the outside Clautiere Vineyards in Paso Robles, CA looks like any ordinary winery, but you'll notice a difference when you step inside.

Upon entering you will immediately get a sense whimsy. With its purple walls and black & white checkered floors you will feel an immediate sense of fun and frivolity. To add to the fun, the owners got an idea from their interior designer (and well know drag queen) to have wigs displayed throughout the tasting room. Why on Earth wouldn't you wear a hot pink wig while tasting their Grande Rouge?! What a fun and unique wine tasting experience! With so many wineries taking on a more serious approach to their tasting room, Clautiere makes for a fun and silly experience that is sure to make you laugh and smile. 

It doesn't stop there! When you are through inside the tasting room you can step inside their house of mirrors, take a looks at old cars spotted throughout, or just take in the scenery all around you. Clautiere is serious about fun, but also serious about wine. When in Paso Robles be sure to check them out.

 

Take a look at this great feature found on YouTube. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_ug-K3ZY0c 

Questions to Ponder When Dreaming Up Your Own Wine Cellar

I thought it might be helpful to jot down a few items to ponder when dreaming up your unique and functional wine cellar:

1. What will be its purpose?

A) Will you be hosting events where you will be entertaining?

B) Will you be tasting in your cellar?

C) Will the wine cellar be more functional or used for entertaining purposes?

2. What style will dictate the space or unit?

3. How do you buy wine (this will dictate what type of storage you will need)?

A) Do you buy by the case? (diamond, square, and rectangular cubes might be in order)

B) Do you buy individual bottles / one at a time? (single racking might be a good choice)

C) Are you interested in displaying your bottles?

D) What type of bottle size do you usual purchase, if any? (Burgundy, Bordeaux, Magnums, Jeroboam, Nebuchadnezzar, etc.)

4. If the cellar will be for entertaining purposes, as well as storage, some other questions to ask:

A) Would you like the wine chilled outside the space or have it all in one room?

B) Will you want a tabletop or bar area in the space?

C) Will you be doing a lot of serving in the space?

D) Will you want to store other items such as glasses, accessories, cigars, etc.?

Architecture and Design at Opus One Winery, Napa

Anyone that has driven on Highway 29 in Napa has undoubtedly passed by a structure that appears to rise out of the earth and present itself to you. Much like the wine that comes from that region, it reveals itself to you and presents a distinctive subtly and grace that mimics the wine that you are there to taste.

The structure itself has very contemporary and European elements to it. Colonnades on either side of the building lend itself to the Old World feel while redwood and stainless steel juxtapose themselves against the cream limestone to bring the Old World and New World together.

  

Like the exterior of the building the Salon is another wonderful example of merging the Old and New World design elements together.

One descends down into the Grand Chai where barrels are arranged side by side. The lines appear to go out to infinity, but it is in fact a semicircle like the courtyard above it.

Vintage Wine Barrel Flooring

When constructing a wine cellar or public tasting room the flooring material that you choose can take on many personalities. Below is a wonderful, beautiful, and absolute conversation piece! Take a look below at flooring that uses reclaimed wine barrels- stunning!

1. This flooring beautifully displays authentic stamps and markings from the barrel heads.

  

2. This flooring uses the rich colored material that come from the inside of the barrel and is naturally stained by the wine.

     

3. This flooring shows the material from the outer side of the barrels and incorporate the distinct markings from the hoops around the barrel.

  

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