Great Wine Made Simple - Andrea Immer [119]
Check the electrical requirements and measurements of the space where you plan to put the unit, and make sure to check the clearance needed around the unit for the compressor exhaust to vent adequately. The options you’ll have to consider are:
The look You can go industrial plain or, if the unit will be a visible focal point in your house, get fancy with wood finish, glass doors, interior low-temperature lighting, and so on, at a cost
The racking You usually have to pay extra for racks that slide in and out, but I recommend them for easy visibility and access to the wines
A keyed door lock This makes sense in most circumstances
Temperature zones The standard unit has one zone whose level you can program, but you can get units that maintain one compartment at refrigerator temperature (for Champagnes, maybe), or two cellar temperatures to have whites at ready-to-serve temperature (around 48 degrees) and reds at cellar temperature (55 to 58 degrees).
BUILDING A WINE CELLAR If you have several thousand bottles, or think you eventually will, you might consider this option. You need a space that you can both insulate and vent without disrupting whatever it is adjacent to. The major components are a temperature and humidity control unit, and these vary in size according to the square footage of your cellar (and the number of bottles, with more needing greater refrigeration capacity); electrical upgrades as needed to accommodate your unit; a lockable door and/or security system; and the aesthetic aspects—racking, lighting, and other interior features such as furniture, art, and so on.
Most such wine cellars are of necessity custom designs, which need to be executed by qualified installers. There’s electrical and insulation work to be done, at a minimum, and possibly much more—millwork and carpentry, lighting design and engineering, interior design, and so on. The point is, you can really go hog wild (again, check first with your partner or spouse), and if you do, treat it like any serious renovation and enlist someone qualified to function as a general contractor (preferably with wine cellar experience). Fine wine stores and architecture firms can often provide referrals.
Unless you are a professional builder, beware of “cellar design services” offered by mail-order companies. They can provide you with ideas and basic specifications, but measuring and assessing electrical, venting, and insulation needs should be done on site by a pro, as several collectors I know discovered firsthand. I have worked on several restaurant design projects where the coordination between our general contractor and the equipment company proved crucial—to correct problems with electrical specifications, dimensions, and so on before a custom-built unit was assembled and shipped. And once a custom order is signed off on, you own it unless there are manufacturing defects covered by the warranty (check it carefully!).
For large collections, a computerized inventory management system can be helpful, too. There are custom wine-inventory software systems available on disk or CD-ROM that include critics’ scores for collectible wines, regional sorting tools, and other features. I, and many of the professional sommeliers I know, use standard spreadsheet or database software, because it works with the rest of our PC software. This way, we can print out an elegant wine list or menu, and still have the capability to do inventory cost spreadsheets, and so on.
RENT-A-CELLAR Some collectors put their wine in rented