New England Lags Behind Contemporary Designs of Wine Cellars

In the New World, it's hard to remember that wine storage began in the underground caves of Europe over 3,000 years ago. In Medieval times, the household service of buttery was responsible for the storage of wines. Underground caves proved perfect for consistent storage conditions that allowed wine to age at temperatures between 55-58 Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 55-75%.

Remember, wine breathes through the cork and environmental changes can accelerate or slow down the aging process. Excessive oxidation can cause wine to become bitter. Fast forward to the 21st century, we now have fantastic climate control systems that meticulously control both temperature and humidity. This new technology has greatly expanded the design possibilities of wine cellars including bringing the wine cellars up onto the main floor. These "wine cellars" tend to be smaller (under 500 bottles) and are usually referred to as wine rooms or wine closets.

Interestingly, as the private wine cellar moves up from the underground cave to the main floor, more women have taken greater interest in its design. Main floor wine storage can be a beautiful design accent to a private home but beware that it's more prone to problems associated with light, vibration, security, and temperature consistency. And then there's the challenge of keeping the wine out of the reach of children.

(Above) Traditional wine cellar, designed and built by Charles River Wine Cellars, features plentiful storage with mahogany wine racking and cabinetry, stone niches, and two islands for wine tasting.

Traditional New England Architecture Now, New England has many progressive aspects to its culture but we're pretty traditional when it comes to wine cellar designs (for good and for bad). This may stem from the classical nature of New England architecture reminiscent of styles imported from the United Kingdom. West Coast architecture has evolved as more versatile with diverse influences. Hence, the popularity of contemporary wine cellar designs is growing on the West Coast of the US to match contemporary West Coast architecture.

(Above) VINIUM Classic wine storage, patented by Charles River Wine Cellars, backed by Texas limestone with a glass entry wall, for a clean, contemporary, artistic display.

New Look for New England and Beyond Despite the penchant towards traditional wine cellar designs in New England, Charles River Wine Cellars is breaking the mold by adding contemporary designs and/or fusing the classic with the contemporary.

(Above) Vibrant contemporary display niches accent traditional wine racking in a custom stain and finish to create a striking impression (Charles River Wine Cellars)

Wherever you live, private wine cellars are becoming more common in newly constructed luxury homes and a popular add-on to existing homes. Whatever your architectural taste may be, creativity can now be brought to the design at every stage.