Vinotheque Wine Cabinets Chicago

Most homeowners, who love to collect wine, are dreaming of having an elegant and functional wine storage facility where they can store their collection safely. Lack of budget and/or not having an extra room at home may hinder them from investing in a wine cellar. A custom wine cellar builder in Chicago recommends wine cabinets, a cost-effective storage solution that can protect your collection for years to come. 

A Wine Storage Expert Offers Quality Wine Cabinets

wine cabinet Chicago wine cellar builders

Wine Cabinet Installed by Wine Cellar Specialists, Chicago Builders

If you have been storing wines in your kitchen refrigerator, don’t expect them to last long. It is not designed to meet the requirements necessary to preserve the quality of the wine.

Wine must be kept in an area where the temperature and humidity are maintained at an ideal level.

This is why serious wine collectors invest money and time to protect their favorite vintages from harmful external factors like heat, light, vibration, and odor.

If budget and space are factors that hinder you from starting your wine cellar conversion project, Custom Wine Cellars Chicago can provide a turnkey solution for you.

Partnered with Wine Cellar Specialists, they have been designing and installing wine storage facilities for more than 20 years now. For those who have a small collection, and need an alternative option for a wine cellar, they recommend refrigerated wine cabinets.

Why Opt for Refrigerated Wine Cabinets

Quality wine cabinets have been an in-demand storage option for homeowners who want a safe and beautiful storage area for their collection. Unlike wine cellars, there is no need to build out an entire room for your wine cabinet. You can place it in a tiny closet or in almost any area in your home or apartment. Installing a wine cabinet only requires a space that is at least 34 inches wide, 30 inches deep, and 80 inches high.

Another benefit of wine cabinets is their ability to provide a climate-controlled environment essential for proper aging. In addition to space efficiency and functionality, they are also affordable, elegant, and equipped with great features.

Before purchasing a wine cabinet, you must be knowledgeable enough about the different brands and features, so you will not end up choosing the wrong wine cabinet.

Vinotheque Wine Cabinets – Recommended by Custom Wine Cellars Chicago Builders

Vinotheque Wine Cabinet Cooling System

Our Chicago Vinotheque Wine Cabinets are Equipped with WhisperKool’s Ultra-quiet 2500 Cooling System

One of the popular brands of wine cabinets offered by Custom Wine Cellars Chicago is Vinotheque. They recommend these storage units to their clients because they are affordable, yet elegant.

Handcrafted by artisans and designed with attention to detail, Vinotheque wine cabinets can blend well with the existing décor of your home. They are also cooled by an efficient wine cooling system manufactured by WhisperKool.

WhisperKool’s ultra-quiet 2500 wine cabinet cooling system comes with a controller that utilizes Advanced System Protection Technology, which features monitoring probes. With this feature, you can expect your cooling unit to last longer, in addition to providing superior performance.

Other features of the Vinotheque wine cabinet system are quiet operation, energy saving modes, anti-frost function, adjustable humidity control, and quick chill mode.

Custom Wine Cellars Chicago will choose the style of Vinotheque wine cabinet based on your functional needs, aesthetic tastes, and financial requirements.

Roma Villa Series Wine Cabinets

Vinotheuqe Wine Cabinet Roma Villa Series

Vinotheuqe Wine Cabinets Roma Villa Series Chicago Builders

Constructed from Knotty Alder hardwood, the Villa Roma Vinotheque wine cabinets show beautiful distressed patterns. They have a solid door that looks like it is made from the outer side or “staves” of a wine barrel, metal wine racks, and a top venting exhaust. The cooling unit used is WhisperKool 2500. Optional LED lighting is available.

You can choose between light, medium, and dark stains. The storage slots and capacity are intended for 750 ml bottles. Larger bottles can be stored on the upper shelves.

Sienna Villa Series Wine Cabinets

Vinotheque Wine Cabinet Sienna Villa Series

Vinotheque Wine Cabinet Sienna Villa Series in Light Stain by Custom Wine Cellars Chicago

Whether you have a traditional or modern home, Sienna Vinotheque wine cabinets can blend well with your existing décor.

This is a high-capacity line of wine cabinets offered by Custom Wine Cellars Chicago.

The combination of a full-length window door and metal racking creates a sleek display of wines. The glass panels are insulated and dual-paned to create an airtight seal.

Other styles of wine cabinets are Villa Venetian, Contemporary Studio Reservoir, and Contemporary Wine Reservoir wine cabinets, all of which are equipped with a WhisperKool refrigeration system.

Store Your Collection Beautifully in a Wine Cabinet

Budget and space constraints should not stop you from providing your collection safe storage space.

At Custom Wine Cellars Chicago, their Vinotheque wine cabinets are cost-efficient, stylish, and ideal for limited spaces. Feel free to contact them at +1 (773) 234-0112 or simply fill out their contact form at https://www.customwinecellarschicago.com/contact-us/.

Importance of Proper Insulation and Lighting in Wine Cellars

A properly functioning wine cellar needs more than just a cooling system to help achieve the necessary conditions for storing and aging wines.  Efficient insulation is an essential aspect of proper wine storage.  A highly insulated wine storage room ensures that the storage environment is stable enough for wines to mature to their full potential.

Check out more custom wine cellars here!

                        Custom Wine Cellars Chicago Illinois

There are three primary reasons for insulating custom wine cellars in Chicago Illinois:  it lowers energy costs, prevents temperature swings, and maintains the humidity at ideal levels.  Poor wine cellar insulation causes the cooling unit to work doubly hard to meet the required climate conditions, which can lead to the system breaking down more often and thereby contribute to higher energy bills.

In order to keep temperature levels within 55 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity at 60% to 75%, all components of a wine cellar that can potentially bring outside air into the storage space should be thoroughly insulated.  This means that insulation should not only be limited to cellar walls, but also extend to the cellar entry door, the floor, the windows, and the ceiling.

Common materials used for insulating custom wine cellars are fiberglass, foam board, and drywall.  Fiberglass insulation materials are water resistant and offer versatility in installation because they can be used for various structural applications.  Foam board provides ease of installation and requires no maintenance because it is not prone to decay.  Drywall has mold and moisture-resistant features that help prevent mold and mildew growth.

Read more about custom wine cellar lighting here!

                               Custom Wine Cellar Lighting

Another important aspect that can impact the overall condition of wine cellars is the lighting system.  Using proper lighting will keep wines safe from the effects of harmful light sources.  A minimal amount of light not only accentuates the various wine bottles on display but also creates the perfect mood for the wine cellar.

The right kind of wine cellar lighting should provide enough illumination to view wine labels properly, find your way around the room, and conduct wine soirees without generating too much heat that can cause irreversible damage to your wine collection.

Keep in mind that not all light bulbs are suitable for wine cellars.  Regular light bulbs should be avoided because they have higher heat emissions that can drive up energy costs and increase room temperature.  On the other hand, LED-based lighting is ideal for wine cellars because of its energy efficiency and low heat generation.

Wine cellar lighting options come in various designs and configurations, such as recessed can light, track lighting, wall sconces, and recessed halogen lighting systems.  Recessed can lights are installed on ceilings that allow you to accentuate specific areas of the wine room.  The track lighting system is mostly used for highlighting wine labels stored in wine racks with a high reveal display row.

Wall sconces provide better light distribution.  They are usually mounted at eye level to create the desired lighting effect.  Recessed halogen lighting systems can add a dramatic flair to any wine cellar interior.  This lighting system is equipped with baffles to reduce brightness.  Remember to only use halogen bulbs with UV protective coating to protect wines from UV damage.

Installing dimmer switches and light timers in your wine room can provide additional protection to your investment.  Dimmer switches allow you to adjust the brightness inside the wine cellar.  Light timers help save energy, lower energy bills and minimize exposure of wine bottles to light.

Custom Wine Cellars Specialists – 2013 Best of Houzz Awardee

Click here to view our elegant custom wine cellars

Click here to see pictures of our custom wine cellars

Nancy Noga, owner and founder of Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago, recently picked up an award for Houzz’s “Best of Houzz” 2013.  Houzz is a popular online community that focuses on architecture, home improvement, design, and decorating.  Based on reviews and ratings of 11 million monthly users, Wine Cellar Specialists emerged as the winner in the Customer Satisfaction category.

Houzz has an extensive collection of interior and exterior photographs of residential homes, and it features articles written by remodeling professionals and home design specialists.  The website is a useful tool for homeowners who may require the services of home improvement experts.

The aim of Houzz’s Best of Houzz award is to give recognition to professionals in the field of remodeling and design.  Top-notch professionals and experts are singled out by the Houzz community for their high-quality customer service and excellent design skills.

Best of Houzz 2013 has two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design.  Winners of the Customer Satisfaction award are chosen by homeowner members, and they are evaluated according to their work quality.  As evidenced by the number of professional images saved to Houzz ideabooks, the works of Design awardees are popular amongst the Houzzers (or Houzz users).

Houzz’s Best of Houzz 2013 is regarded as the yardstick of remodeling and decorating excellence.  This award also serves as the platform for influencing architectural styles and design ideas worldwide.  Best of Houzz 2013 is awarded to remodeling experts like Custom Wine Cellars Chicago Specialists for their creative contribution to renovation and design projects for residential properties.

Click here to see more pictures of our wine cellars!

Custom Wine Cellars Chicago by Wine Cellars SPecialists

Custom Wine Cellars Chicago Specialists has been in the custom wine cellar construction business for many years.  With numerous wine cellar projects under their belt, they are the leading experts in building the perfect wine storage room for residential and commercial use.

This design-build firm works individually with clients from beginning to end of wine cellar projects.  They offer free consultation and 3D wine cellar design services for clients to better visualize the outcome of the project.  Wine Cellar Specialist Chicago also provides the best custom racking systems, wine cellar doors, flooring materials, and cooling systems.

With every wine cellar project they take on, their main objective is to turn a remodeling idea into a reality, using only the best materials available and staying within the client’s budget.  Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago makes it a point to understand the storage needs and desires of their clients and integrate this information into the actual construction of the wine cellar.

Whichever location you choose for your storage space – be it a closet, basement, or under the stairs – Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago is committed to creating a beautiful and dedicated wine cellar based on your design preferences and specifications.

Their dedication to providing quality products and services to clients is the reason Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago is this year’s recipient of Houzz’s “Best of Remodeling” Customer Satisfaction award.  This award is solid proof of their creativity and professionalism, as well as a reflection of their innovative and unique design ideas.

Read the press release here http://www.houzz.com/press/7/Houzz-Unveils-2013—-Best-of-Remodeling—-Winners?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolv6vBZKXonjHpfsX56%2BksXKag38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YEDRMt0dvycMRAVFZl5nQRXD%2FqP

Chicago Custom Wine Cellars – Design and Construction

Chicago Custom Wine Cellars Design and Construction

Just about any room in your Chicago home can be converted into a high-capacity and great-looking wine cellar.

A residential ‘custom wine cellar’ by definition means creating a unique place in your home to store your wine collection with the racking customized to the shape and size of the room.

There is, however, much more to create a custom wine cellar than that. A true wine cellar will be climate controlled, efficient, and potentially also a place to show off your wine collection by creating a beautiful display.

On this blog, Custom Wine Cellars Chicago will, through a series of articles, talk about all aspects of creating and using customized wine cellars. In this article, we will focus on the first step, ‘picking the right room to convert in the first place. We will discuss the primary things to think about when making this initial decision.

The bottom line is that the room you pick to convert can make a significant difference to the annual cost of maintaining your wine cellar’s climate-controlled environment.

In most climates, a wine cellar cooling system of some kind will need to be installed. This is particularly true for Chicago but also relevant to most locations in the U.S. This is because wine needs to be stored in a stable environment of about 56 degrees Fahrenheit, 13 degrees Celsius. Steady humidity of about 60% is also an important factor. Most homes vary dramatically outside of these levels, through day/night and seasonal cycles.

Chicago Wine Cellar Experts – Discuss Wine Room Construction and Design Ideas

The room you select therefore needs to be structurally converted with appropriate insulation, correctly installed vapor barriers, and sealed around all access points in order to maintain this environment continuously. Getting this wrong can lead to higher costs due to:

  1. An overpowered Wine Cellar Refrigeration Unit that otherwise might be necessary
  2. A cooling system that runs far too much due to climate leakage, can lead to excessive cooling costs and the cooling system breaking down through over usage
  3. Mold forming in the room over time
  4. Your wine collection not aging correctly or even spoiling

These are common problems caused by custom wine cellars being installed by general builders and inexperienced contractors.

It’s important to take all these factors into account when starting a home wine cellar project.

For example, selecting a room that is poorly insulted on a south-facing external wall can therefore be a maintenance nightmare.

Getting a great wine cellar design can make a big difference to the overall capacity of your wine room, how good-looking the final result will be, and most importantly how stable it is.

The design plans of the wine cellar should include all factors important to your wine cellar, not just the racking. Consider insulation, vapor barriers, a wine cellar door that will seal and withstand the difference in climate over time, and lighting that will both look good but not upset the climate by generating too much heat.

In future articles, we will discuss these topics in more depth and many other aspects of wine cellar design. Up for discussion will be aesthetic choices of materials and products you can make use of to make your wine cellar one that stands out from the crowd.

Some of the topics for future discussion:

  • The correct size and type of wine cellar cooling system
  • The size and use of your wine room
  • The floor of your wine cellar
  • Wine cellar lighting ideas
  • Planning for the wine your cellar will need to store
  • Different types of wine racks
  • Sizes: 750ml, magnum, smaller split or half size
  • Materials, wood species, metal types
  • Styles, standard, display, ‘X’ cube, ‘X’ bin, horizontal label forward, solid, lattice, case storage, waterfall displays, and many more
  • Special features, display tables, arches, hand-carved features
  • Purpose-built wine cellar doors
  • Glass walls
  • Budgeting and growing your wine collection
  • Wine parties and entertainment
  • A wine cellar as a feature in your home and its impact on resale value

Clearly, there is much to think about from both aesthetic and engineering perspectives when building a wine cellar.  Everything starts with a great custom wine cellar design that takes into account where your room is situated in your home, its current construction, and how you plan to actually use your wine cellar.

Some experienced Wine Cellar Designers, Construction Experts & Resources:

Chicago Wine Cellars Experts
Wine Cellar Designs Dallas
Coastal Wine Cellars California
Wine Cellar Designs New York
Wine Cellar Designs & Accessories San Francisco
International Wine Cellars Florida

Wine Cellar Refrigeration Experts

Wine Cellar Cooling Installation California
Wine Cellar Refrigeration Equipment for the Trade