Wine caves are certainly not a new topic (although a recent topic from the presidential debate). The first known wine cave reported was in Iran dating back nearly 7000 years ago. Flash forward to modern day wine caves found throughout the world and you may wonder how you can create your very own wine cave?
Thanks to modern day technology and innovation, wine cellar climate control allows you to create your very own wine cave. Here are the best fundamental facts about wine cellar cooling systems.
The Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2019 is exciting. Silver Oak’s success with a second brand called Twomey focused on pinot noir is exciting, and also in the news. The “Fine Wine Labels to Watch in 2020” according to The Drinks Business is exciting. But fundamental facts about wine cellar cooling systems, how is that exciting? Here’s how:
Fact #1: Your pleasure reward when you pop the cork on a bottle with pedigree that’s been waiting in the gorgeous wine cellar (perhaps designed by Fred Tregaskis and Summit Wine Cellars) is directly proportional to the rewards you have given that wine in terms of proper storage conditions. A wine cellar cooling system that has maintained a steady temperature around 55-58 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 percent humidity, makes the wine happy so it grows in depth, complexity and flavor—and then that makes you, and your guests, happy.
Fact # 2: Wine cellar cooling systems are so advanced their elements are now part of expert wine cellar designs. The most sophisticated wine cellar designs feature self-contained or split-system ducted climate control. Any cooling system has to flow the cool air into the wine cellar, and these types of systems feature aesthetically pleasing grills that can be incorporated directly into wine cellar design. They might be featured as horizontal grooves in the molding, for example, or as a vertical motif in the pillars. Think of it as HVAC infrastructure in couture clothing.
Fact # 3: Extending the idea in Fact # 3, the most exciting developments in wine cellar cooling systems are options that allow the climate control units to be placed far enough away from the wine cellar that they’re out of sight, out of mind, and out of hearing distance—meaning no humming and other noise. This is accomplished with either a ducted split system (made by both Wine Guardian and WhisperKOOL) or a self-contained ducted wine cellar cooling system.
A ducted split system has two interconnected components, an evaporator or air handler, and a condensing unit. The noisier condenser can be up to 100 feet away from the evaporator, which is placed closer to the wine cellar but still outside it. The duct system delivers the cool air into the cellar and pulls warm air out. The self-contained ducted system has the compressor and evaporator within the same housing, which makes it larger and best placed in a nearby storage or mechanical room.
Fact # 4: A cutting-edge wine cellar cooling system represents a call to action to do the right thing, which is ultimately good for the beauty of your wine cellar and the long-term aging potential of your wine collection. What do we mean? Consider the analogy of a shotgun shack on a gorgeous piece of waterfront property. A sophisticated buyer doesn’t try to fix up the shack; he or she tears it down and builds a new dwelling using best practices. Similarly, it’s foolish and counterproductive to purchase a great wine cellar cooling system for a “cellar” or wine storage space that isn’t otherwise up to par. The minute you decide not to skimp on the cooling system, you also commit to creating a professional cellar with important elements like properly-insulated walls, a vapor barrier, appropriate lighting, and more. By committing to the best climate control, you ultimately also commit to creating a wine cellar that will be a source of pride.
Fact # 5: The ultimate fact about wine cellar cooling systems is the simplest and most tactile: the sensual pleasure principle. It’s “that sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness itself,” as Jane Austen said. For a wine lover, there’s nothing quite the same as gently taking a cherished Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, or whatever is most prized, from the racking in wine cellar and feeling the cool bottle, admiring the crisp, perfect, beautiful label, judging the inkiness of a red or the honeyed glow of an aged white, transporting it into the warmer climate of the kitchen, dining room, study or living room—and then seeing the glow of delight and supreme anticipation on the faces of family or special guests. As you pull the cork and pour the first glass, or decant the wine, take a moment to pause and consider that the magical process of “raiding the cellar,” and the inspiring and transporting flavors about to hit your palate—evocative of country, region, grape variety, terroir, history, tradition, and so much more—are all thanks to not just your wine cellar design but to the cutting-edge wine cellar cooling system that serves as its heart.
About Summit Cool Cellars
Summit Cool Cellars is a division of Summit Wine Cellars, LLC, (https://summit-cellars.com). Summit owner/designer Fred Tregaskis creates dramatic custom wine cellars for clients throughout the world. Summit has a dedicated manufacturing facility in Connecticut, where expert craftsmen fabricate all the components—in wood, metal, glass and other materials. Those bespoke components of each unique cellar are shipped to each location and assembled there by Summit Wine Cellars, before the final flourishes and finishing touches are added.
To learn more about Summit Wine Cellars, LLC and the wine cellar design process, contact Summit Wine Cellars by email at info@summit-cellars.com, or by phone at 203-916-1664. Make sure to see the Portfolio page for examples of Summit’s traditional and modern wine cellar design.
