Beautifully Aged

Some like to drink their wine young and fresh, but if you’re one who appreciates wine that has aged gracefully with the additional body and character that only time can add, then you may be considering incorporating a purpose built wine cellar in your new home. More than just a storage solution, a well designed cellar can be an architectural highlight, adding both character and value to your home. Here’s some home cellar inspiration along with tips to ensure your wine develops both the characteristics and the longevity that will have you drinking and enjoying it years from now.

Getting it Right

As a basic guideline, the cellaring option you choose for your home should recreate similar conditions to those found in the best natural underground cellars. There are five basic factors to consider when deciding how and where to store your wine:

1. Stability of Temperature: daily and seasonal ambient temperature fluctuations denature wine, accelerating or stunting normal maturation, and creating “spoiled fruit” flavours.

2. Maintaining a High Humidity: it’s important that the humidity of the environment is at least 60% . This ensures that corks do not dry or shrink, allowing Royale Constructions, Melbourne Sammut Constructions, Sydney damaging air to “oxidise” wine and cause off-odours.

3. Exposure to UV Light: UV light causes hydrogen sulphide compounds in wine and affects the tannins and the colour of your wine.

4. Environmental Stability: vibrations and movement prematurely deteriorate wine by speeding up chemical reaction, keeping wine in a consistently stable environment will ensure optimal aging

5. Airflow: lack of appropriate ventilation can make wine cellars become stale and mouldy and effect the integrity of the wine, it’s therefore important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation and fresh air available in your chosen wine storage area.

This gorgeous basement cellar has the ambiance of a traditional undergound cellar with stone feature ceiling and recycled timber which add to the aged ambiance – by Zorzi Builders, Perth

What would normally be a void below the staircase has been transformed into a  functional wine-cellar which is also a strikign feature within the home by Zorzi Builders, Perth

A beautiful bespoke timber floor by Antique Floors, Sydney leads into this luxury home cellar.

Feature timber framing add warmth and a classic feel to the cellar in this contemporary luxury home by A. Di Bucci & Son, Perth

 Beautifully lit, this gorgeous wine cellar designed by Vine & Vault, demonstrates you don’t need a lot of space to store your collection. 

Going against the grain, this upper level cellar features floor to ceiling glass windows and feature lighting that allows the cellar to become an internal feature of this spectacular home by Giorgi, Perth

A herringbone timber floor and diamond design racking add character to this contemporary cellar by Mardini Constructions, Sydney 

Marble flooring and custom cabinetry with wrought iron detail complete the look in the cellar of this federation home restoration by Perth’s Zorzi Builders

Contained within a ‘glass room’ this gorgeous contemporary cellar is a striking feature of this luxury home by Sammut Constructions, Sydney 

Dark and dramatic this contemporary home cellar features a variety of textured finishes  by Zorzi Builders, Perth

The exceptional detail in this luxury home cellar is reflective of the entire ‘Authentically French’ Toorak home by Royale Construction 

An expansive glass window  of this basement level walk in home cellar by Vine & Vault, creates a striking feature within the garage of this luxury home. 

Custom finishes at every turn reflect the Moroccan style of this entire Queensland home 

Common Wine Storage Mistakes

• Near appliances that radiate heat. Heat literally ‘cooks’ wine resulting in unpleasant and “jammy” flavours. This goes the same for other appliances – e.g. fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and heaters and fireplaces. Even short bursts of intense heat can quickly deteriorate wine.

• By windows or doors. Placing cabinets near windows or doors provide exposures to damaging UV light.

• Dark areas that fluctuate in temperature. Those who are aware of the above, often choose dark cupboards or perhaps even have a ‘wine cellar’ under the house, however if the climate in this area fluctuates within more than a few degrees your wine will also not keep well. In Australia and particularly areas which can experience very warm summer days and very cool winter days the fluctuation in temperature may be 20 degrees at times.

Wine is a fragile and “living” product – ultimately if you do not have a proper, purpose built wine cellar, the hard and fast rule is that it’s best not to waste money trying to keep wines – buy just what you need for the next few days and drink up!

Now to what to fill your wine cellar with – the following wineries not only have some outstanding drops that have earned a well-deserved spot in your cellar but have spectacular cellar doors that are well worth a visit.

What’s in Your Cellar?

Whether you already have a fabulous collection of wine to store in your new cellar or are just starting your collection, take a look at our recommendations for top wines to cellar from some of Australia’s Most Beautiful and Must Visit Cellar Doors 

Winmark Wines

Winmark 21 Chardonnay $37 per bottle	2021 Single Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay – $55 per bottle

d’Arenberg

The Dead Arm Shiraz $76 per bottle	The Old Bloke & The Three Young Blondes Shiraz Roussanne Viognier Marsanne – $200 per bottle

Hungerford Hill

Sparkling Dalliance Tumbarumba 2018 $45 per bottle	Epic Shiraz 2018 $150 per bottle

Peter Teakle Wines

2019 ESTATE CHARDONNAY $25 per bottle	2018 ESTATE SHIRAZ $50 per bottle

Pt. Leo Estate

Pt. Leo Estate 2019 Reserve Chardonnay $86 per bottle	Pt. Leo Estate 2019 Reserve Pinot Noir – $86 per bottle