Wine Storage Whizzes: VintageCellars.com

While doing research for my recent Pinteresting post, Ultimate Wine Chillers, I came across an incredible website that should not go unmentioned: VintageCellars.com.

Vintage Cellars, based in San Marcos, California, started building custom wine cellars in 1990 and is now one of the largest wine storage businesses on the internet. From custom built cellars to wine preservation systems, and everything in between, Vintage Cellars.com offers a wealth of information and products that are focused on preserving and enjoying wine.

What caught my attention at first glance of the site was the beautiful custom built cellars. From huge walk-in cellars with elaborate entryways, stunning decor and enough room to store several thousand bottles of wine, to smaller spaces that have been converted into storage for a few hundred bottles of wine, Vintage Cellars can transform a blank slate into a prized possession that wine enthusiasts can fill with their…prized possessions.

One of their smaller custom cellars, which holds 800 bottles of wine, is far from being ordinary. Built on the second floor of a residence, beautiful craftsmanship is not just seen in the wine racks, but in the shelves, walls, floors and the exquisite custom glass entry way as well.  What may have been unused space or a closet, is now a magnificent, impressive, functioning walk in cold room.

An alluring “smaller” custom cellar by Vintage Cellars

For a larger project, Vintage Cellars designed a cellar for renowned San Diego chef, Jeffrey Strauss, owner of the highly acclaimed Pamplemousse Grill. What was once a bedroom in the Strauss home, is now an amazing walk-in cellar where wine tastings and meals are held regularly. Aesthetics and size were an important factor, and clearly no attention to detail was left behind. Gorgeous marble floors, sliding shelves, elegant lighting and rounded corners for displaying the finest of wines – this cellar is a beauty.

Renowned chef, Jeffrey Strauss, is his custom built Vintage Cellars wine cellar

One of my favorites is a very unique cellar that holds 1,200 bottles and has a Medieval-era feel with candle lighting, brick ceilings, cobblestone walls, stained glass and rot-iron chandeliers. A gorgeous pebbled-glass and rot iron custom designed door, along with the cabinetry and other customized features, were tailored to the owner’s vision. This is one cellar I could spend hours in. Note the intricate iron working on the doors, the custom cabinetry and beautiful stained glass.

 Aside from the exquisite custom built cellars, the VintageCellars.com website offers an array of other wine storage options, including items as simple as high-quality wine cabinets to items that are actual walk-in climate controlled wine rooms – an assemble at home project. Also offered on the site is an entire education center: The Science of Wine Aging, the History of Aging Wine, how to store and serve red, white and sparkling wine and the Chemistry of Aging Wine are just a few of the easy-to-understand sections that offer helpful and interesting wine storage knowledge. I particularly like the Wine Pronunciation Guide located under their active Blog section – if you’ve ever wondered how to pronounce Viognier, Gewurztraminer or Pouilly-Fuissé, this is your go-to guide for sounding like a pro.

The list of products offered by Vintage Cellars is vast: beautiful, ornate cellar doors, cooling systems, wine preservation and dispenser systems, wine barrel flooring – one of my favorites. With so many fantastic options, I’m already dreaming up what my ultimate wine cellar would look like. Now I just need to find the perfect space.