Category Archives: wine cellar builders Chicago Illinois

Facts About Wines Stored in Your Chicago Wine Cellar

Wine seems as old as time, but I have only recently become fascinated by it. It was not something that I planned, but let’s just say that I stumbled upon it and started to get curious. As with other things that took my fancy, I read up on wine and found many interesting facts that fueled my fascination and enthusiasm leaving me awed and amazed.

Wines are not just bottles filled with intoxicating liquid resting in one’s Chicago custom wine cellar. There is more to wine than what we usually see. Here are some interesting facts about wine:

1. Dionysius, a Greek god, is said to be the god of wine, agriculture, and fertility of nature. He is also Bacchus in Roman mythology.

2. Red wines are fermented with the skin of the grapes which gives the liquid its red hue. White wines are made from grapes without their skins.

3. Foot treading of grapes is still done to produce small amounts of port wine.

4. Wine is said to have medicinal value. It helps in the control of high blood pressure if a glass is taken daily. However, there is an increased incidence of developing certain forms of cancer.

5. Oak barrels are used to store wine. One oak barrel can last for years.

6. Most wines produced today are ready to drink and do not require aging. Very few (and expensive) wines are aged these days and reserved for special occasions. Those wine which are aged are stored in wine cellars or wine cabinets equipped with modern cooling systems.

7. Wines in weddings symbolize fertility and life of plenty. These are the basic wishes people have for the newlyweds.

8.The word “aroma” is used to describe the scent of a young wine. “Bouquet” is used to describe the scent of a mature or aged wine.

9. Wine that tastes watery is said to be diluted. It is believed that the grapes used for watery wine were harvested during the rainy season.

10. A wineglass is held by the stem to prevent the palm from warming the liquid in the glass.

11. There is nothing one can gather from smelling the cork. The cork is examined after opening the wine to check for molds or dryness of the cork. This will indicate if the wine was stored properly in the wine cellar, hence, maintaining the quality and superior taste.

12. In the old times, the host of any gathering takes the first sip before serving the wine to guests to check if the wine is poisoned.

13. The combination of type of soil, climate, sunlight, and slope affects the grapes grown in a particular region. These are the factors that make each grape varietal unique.

14. Red wines are served with red meat while white wines are paired with white meat and fish. Sweet wines are served with dessert.

15. Climate change is slowly affecting the wine industry in the current popular wine regions.

16. A wine cellar door both refers to the entry of a wine cellar and a winery’s tasting room.

17. Wine tasting is a tourist attraction in itself in most wine regions, not only for enthusiasts but also for those who are curious and willing to learn something new.

These are just few of the interesting wine facts I have come across as I read about my new favorite topic these days. I can see that there are more interesting facts that will catch my attention and fascinate me more. I may even start filling up a wine rack or a wine cabinet to start my own collection.

The Best Wine Storage Solution for You – Contact a Wine Cellar Builder

Are you considering your own custom wine cellar? Whether you are planning to have a residential or commercial wine cellar,  Wine Cellar Specialists will help you provide the best wine storage solution for your collection according to your budget and requirements. Contact them now at 866-646-7089 or click here to request for a specialist to contact you.

Is Chicago Illinois a hot spot for Custom Wine Cellars?

Custom Wine Cellars Chicago Illinois Hot Spot?

Chicago Rolling Ladder on Rail Commercial Wine Cellar

Wine lovers, people who enjoy collecting wine and holding wine tasting parties are generally on the increase. All over the country, we notice this phenomenon, wine cellar builders and designers are busy.

The demand though for custom wine cellars in both residential and commercial properties such as specialist wine stores is particularly strong in the Chicago, Illinois area.

What is causing wine lovers to congregate around Chicago is a mystery to us. Do you have an opinion? Share it with us in the comments section below.

Watch the video below for some examples of recent Chicago residential wine cellars and commercial rooms we have designed and constructed in the Chicago area.

Commercial & Residential Wine Cellars Chicago
If you are a homeowner and would like your own home wine cellar or the owner of a wine store and would like to re-vamp your wine display simple call +1 (773) 234-0112 or complete a simple Wine Cellar Design form and we will help you kick off your project today!

Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago’s most experienced Wine Cellar Designers

Wine Closet Cabinets – what are they & how easy to install?

The Residential Wine Closet Cabinets on our website are becoming a major product line for us this year. The level of interest in these types of pre-built wine storage and display closet cabinets is clearly on the rise.

Many home owners are finding that these types of pre-built wine cabinets are the perfect solution for those with only a small amount of available space but who still would like to have the look of a built in wine cellar in their home or condominium.

Home builders are more and more adding them as an option to be added for new home sales. Realtors are often suggesting them as an add-on for home buyers who love wine want a place to store their wine collection. Home owners are finding it an inexpensive alternative to adding full custom wine cellars to their home.

In this video of a wine closet cabinet installed in Dallas Texas we show just how easy they are to install.

Residential Wine Closet Cabinets — what are they & how easy are they to install?

These Wine Closet Cabinets can easily be fit into the limited space of a small closet. They do not require a full build out and re-construction of the room. They simply require an opening of 34″ wide (or more) with a minimum of at least 30″ deep and 80″ high. This space will also require a dedicated 110 outlet at the back or side, which can easily be added if it is not already in place.

The wine closet cellar cabinets arrive fully built. All you need to do is attach the top trim and side flanges, plug in the cord, slide it into the closet area, and add molding of your choice to match your decor. (Moldings not included) There you have it! A closet wine cellar that looks like it was custom built for your home.

The cabinets usually include wine cabinet cooling units. The Whisperkool 2500 front vented wine cooling units are commonly used. These keep you wine collection in the ideal environment for preservation and aging.

These wine closet cabinets typically include a display row with pre-installed led lighting to make the closet a really interesting highlighted feature in your home. Additional display rows can be added if looks, rather than the amount of storage, is your priority. They include a full glass display door to enable you to view and show off your wine collection.

Installing a closet cabinet will generally cost you about 50-85% less than doing a full custom wine closet build out. The wine closets are available in a choice of light, medium, or dark wood finishes. You can add additional display rows and you can have the cabinet made wider to fit larger closets.

This Wine Closet Cabinet shown here was installed in Chicago Illinois and was created using a space just 34″ wide, 30″ deep, 80″ high. It can store up to 166 bottles in the racking plus there is a little extra room for bulk storage either side of the cooling unit which can be used for larger format wine bottles.

The estimated cost for these wine cabinets as shown above including shipping, a local contractor to install it, a dedicated electrical outlet in the back of your closet, removal of your closet door, making the opening the correct size, if necessary… and the addition of molding around the finished cabinet…… usually comes out at less than $5000 all in!

The Cabinet only is $3895.00 plus shipping to your location.

Call us today for exact pricing for your delivered Closet Wine Cabinet!

Custom Wine Cellar Builders Contractors Installers Chicago Illinois

Check out this sneak peek of a new residential custom wine cellars builders project we recently completed in Naperville a location near Chicago Illinois. As Full Service Wine Cellar Builders, Contractors, and Installers we love building and designing beautiful custom wine cellars, wine tasting rooms and simple closet conversions like this example job. For the full story, interesting before and after images go to custom wine cellars design Chicago.

Custom Wine Cellar Builders Contractors & Installers Chicago Illinois

Custom Wine Cellar Contractors Chicago

Naperville is a smaller city just outside Chicago Illinois. Interestingly it has been voted as the best place to live in the United States several times, even at one time making it to the number two best place to live position. As a smaller U.S. city with a population of around 142,000 (2010), it is actually quite an affluent city with numerous corporate headquarters located in the downtown area. Surprisingly in a 2010 article, Naperville was named as the wealthiest city in the Midwest!  As Custom Wine Cellar Builders it should be no surprise therefore that we maintain a local presence of Wine Cellar Contractors in Naperville, Chicago, and Illinois generally.
If you live in one of these areas and are considering converting an unused room into a Wine Tasting Room or Custom Wine Cellar simply call us Toll-Free: at (866) 646-7089 or complete a FREE Wine Cellar Designs form and we will create a stunning 3D CAD Design Package tailored to your specific requirements without obligation and completely free of charge.

Uses for a Wine Cellar in the Home

home wine cellar Texas

You Can Have a Functional and Appealing Home Wine Cellar with the Help of an Expert

If you have asked yourself if you need a wine cellar in your home, then you already have your answer. Just asking the question means that you have gone beyond the normal wine drinker who may have a few bottles on hand for the occasional dinner party or night in.

Because a home wine cellar (and, let’s face it, wine) is an investment, you should be thinking about the type of custom wine cellar you want in your home, not just whether you want one.

Your wine cellar should grow with you and your collection, and unless you’re not planning to sell your home, then your wine room should be built in such a way that it will appeal to someone other than you.

A Residential Custom Wine Cellar may be a nice incentive for someone buying a home, so make sure it has broad appeal.

One benefit to having a wine cellar of your own, is it allows you to buy wine in bulk. Wine by the case is less expensive than one or two bottles.

Wine by the case is also less expensive when it is young, and if you know wine (and if you want a wine cellar in your home, then you must know wine), these young wines, once mature, will taste better and result in a larger return on your investment. It also allows you to purchase larger quantities of a wine that you discover and particularly enjoy, to assure that you will be able to have a stock of it for the future.

Home Wine Room Chicago

How will you use your wine cellar (in other words, what prompted you to ask the question in the first place?)? Will you use it strictly for storage, will you also use it as a tasting room, or is it to be a showplace? How you plan to use it is important to know, because that can affect the way you construct your room, or at least the size of it and how the racking is designed.

If your wine cellar will be used just for storage, then think about how many bottles of wine you currently have as well as how many bottles of wine you plan to accumulate.

Your cellar should be able to grow with you and your collection. Make sure you can maximize the bottle storage for the space you have. If you want a wine room and think that you just don’t have the space, look around at unused areas. Do you have a stairwell? And, if you do, can you build out underneath it? Unused closets? Maybe you use it to build out a cellar.

Residential Wine Cellars Designed and Installed by Wine Cellar Specialists in Texas and Chicago

VintageView Wine Cellars, Metal with Wood Coppel TX Project – Near Dallas

custom wine cellar Coppel Texas

Metal and Wood Custom Wine Cellar in Texas

This contemporary home wine cellar is located under the curved staircase. The racking is made of metal and wood, resulting in a unique wine storage space.

Chevis Home Wine Cellar with a Rolling Ladder – Dallas, Texas

Installed with attractive mahogany wine racks, this residential wine cellar aesthetically appealing and offers great features. A rolling ladder was added for easy access to bottles stored beyond normal reach.

Contemporary Custom Wine Cellar – White Rock Lake Area, Dallas, Texas

This modern design was created by Wine Cellar Specialists for their client in Dallas, Texas. The metal wine racks from Vintage View are mounted on the wall, creating a sophisticated custom wine display.

Dave Custom Wine Cellar with Barrel Table – Palos Heights Chicago Illinois

Located in the basement, this home wine cellar displays the owner’s wines in unfinished redwood wine racks. A wine barrel table was added to add a distinct look to the wine room.

An Efficient Wine Refrigeration System is Essential for Proper Home Wine Storage

wine cooling systems for Texas and Chicacago wine cellars

Wine Refrigeration Systems

Where you build the room will be dictated by the ability to install your climate control system. Controlling the temperature is critical to ensuring your collection is protected and continues to grow in value.

When the ideal temperature (55-65 degrees Fahrenheit) is maintained in a cellar, wine will not be oxidized. Oxidation causes off flavors and discoloration in wine.

Additionally, an efficient wine cooling system also regulates humidity levels need in preserving wine’s quality. Humidity levels higher or lower than the normal range (60-70%) will damage the corks and wine labels.

View the different types and brands of wine cooling systems.

If you have considered building a wine cellar in your home, then don’t ask yourself if you should build one; ask, instead, how big you want it to be and what will go inside of it.

Wine racks are the framework of your custom wine cellar.

Whether you are building your wine cellar for storage or display, you must take into consideration what kind of racking system you want. Wine racks make your wine cellar collection organized. A well-organized collection of wine is not only pleasing to the eyes but it’s also practical for the owner. You won’t have a hard time trying to find any particular wine you want in your collection.

What wine rack should you use for your custom wine cellar?

Enhance the appearance of your wine cellar with a wooden rack.

Revamp your custom wine cellar with a wooden wine rack.

Wine racking systems come in all shapes and sizes. There are two major types of wine racks. First, there’s the wooden rack. Then, there’s the metallic racking system. What material to use depends on your preference, how large your wine collection, and the reason you are building a wine cellar.

Wooden racks are good insulators. These racks lessen the heat going through your wine bottles. This feature is favorable since heat could trigger premature spoilage of your wines. And, wooden racks give your wine cellar a classy and traditional look.

Metallic racks, on the other hand, give your custom wine cellar a modern and contemporary look. These racks are known for their durability and strength. Given they are installed in an optimum wine cellar condition, metallic racks are easy to maintain.

Whether you’ll be using your custom wine cellar for storage or display, making a well-informed decision on what wine rack to use could make the most of the functionality for each variant.