Building Wine Cellars by Joseph and Curtis

Custom Wine Cellar in New Jersey

2008-11-12T17:34:00.007-05:00

We recently had the pleasure of completing a custom wine cellar made of 100% mahogany for a private client in Summit NJ. We were referred to the client by a designer we had worked with on a previous cellar in Westfield NJ.

The basement was unique (it was a 3' crawl space) which was dug out by hand and raised to 9' ceilings. We began by consulting with the homeowner and builder about the overall design of the finished space. Once we had an idea as to the finishes and materials of the basement we began to formulate a design and look.

The homeowner was very detail oriented, with African mahogany wood raised panel and coffer ceilings throughout the entire basement. We decided the wine cellar needed to blend with the overall look yet have its own unique footprint in the space. We decided to build the racking out of 100% Malaysian mahogany (which is a lighter species of mahogany than African) to really contrast the other woodwork in the basement.

The homeowner had a very cool idea of adding a cut out in the center of the wine cellar for a hand painted mural of his families Tuscan villa (it really makes the room pop).

The next step was turning a sump room closet which was attached to the wine cellar and turning it into a continuation of the refrigerated climate controlled space. We decided to go with "high reveal display rows" and a custom cabinet was fitted over the sump pump. The end result is a seamless transition which enabled more refrigerated custom wine cellar storage.

The next step was the door. We decided that a Brazilian Mahogany custom wrought iron door would be just the fit. It sits right between 2 windows and 2 half wine barrel cut outs. The cooling system is a split unit which is also wrapped in a mahogany grill cover to match the racking.

The last step was the "rope lighting" for the display rows which adds a perfect way to keep the heat down (led light) yet wonderful ambiance to the wine cellar.

Overall we were very happy to complete the project on time, and as always on budget. The homeowners were thrilled with the space and it was a pleasure working with them. In the end we were happy to help the clients stock their wine cellar and to introduce them to what we feel is the absolute best cellar management system.

Please check back for the next blog article about stocking your cellar and cellar management systems.

Unused Basement Becomes Stunning Wine Cellar

2008-10-05T12:44:00.005-04:00

At Joseph & Curtis Custom Wine Cellars, we always enjoy the process of taking an unused space in a basement (picture a corner full of toys your kids haven’t played with in six years and a treadmill with laundry hanging on it!) and transforming it into a beautiful, value-added feature in a home.

We recently completed a custom wine cellar/tasting room in a beautiful home in Basking Ridge N.J. that began as just that. We approached the design from the outside in with an arched stone entrance leading to a massive hand made Knotty Alder and wrought iron Tuscan style entry door into the tasting room. We then repeated the stone aesthetic throughout the tasting room with two matching stone arches with custom diamond bin style wine racks on either side of them for “everyday” wine storage and inside the arch gave the customer a humidor cabinet with a display row on top.

An old wine press belonging to the homeowner’s father was brought into the tasting room and sits just adjacent to the entrance of the wine cellar. The dark distressed wood of the wine press and our All-Heart Redwood wine racks created an interesting visual contrast.

A large rectangular rustic dining table with chairs and a pair of vintage wine barrels that have been modified to become tasting tables provided ample space for entertaining. We finished the tasting room off with a mural of Tuscany (our client spent several years in Europe) which occupies the entire back wall and creates a dramatic backdrop for the room.

Opposite the wall with the mural is the entrance to the custom wine cellar. Repeating the wood species of the custom wine racks in the tasting room, we also built the custom wine racks in the cellar from 100% All Heart Redwood. A solid mahogany wine cellar entry door with a full glass panel allows guests to view the wine cellar without opening the door allowing the climate control system to operate efficiently. Although the space for the wine cellar was somewhat limited, we gave our client ample wine storage of nearly 1,200 bottles between the wine cellar and tasting room.

This beautiful custom wine cellar/tasting room has truly become a destination in the home. The owners are looking forward to dinner parties and hosting private wine tastings as well building their wine collection for years to come.

Contact Joseph & Curtis to turn your unused basement into a stunning custom wine cellar.

Enjoy!

How to Build a Wine Cellar in NYC (And Fill It, Italian Style)

2008-10-02T23:34:00.003-04:00

Saturday October 4th Joseph and Curtis Custom Wine Cellars will be at Italian Wine Merchants

108 East 16th Street
(between Park Avenue South & Irving Place)
New York, NY 10003
>>Google Map & Directions

Special Event: How to Build a Wine Cellar in NYC (And Fill It, Italian Style)

What happens to a wine that is not stored at 55 degrees and 70 percent humidity? How long should you hold on to your 1990 Barolo? What should you look out for when you store a wine?

Whether you are a budding enthusiast or a connoisseur, how you store your bottles is essential to the integrity of the wine.

This seminar, the first of its kind, explores wine storage options for the busy New Yorker with limited space. A professional cellar builder from Joseph & Curtis Custom Wine Cellars will lead the first half, discussing some options from the wine refrigeration unit to transforming your closet into a wine cellar.

An Italian Wine Merchants educator will also conduct a tasting and provide information on building a balanced collection; it is a nice opportunity to taste wines before they go into your collection. Six wines will be featured including everyday wines, entertainment wines, cellar-worthy, and a rare treat.

Please come and join us for what should be a great day to enjoy some fabulous wines.

If you are interested in attending please call 212.473.2323 x129

Man Cave: DIY Network

2008-06-20T07:46:00.009-04:00

Tuesday June 17 was an interesting day. Besides working on two cellars (one in Bernardsville NJ and the other in Basking Ridge NJ) We received a call from a woman named Becca from the "man cave show". Becca was looking for some help and expertise with a wine cellar they were making for one of the episodes (season 2 #12) and asked if we would be interested.

We decided to do it after we finished our two projects which consisted of checking out 2 cooling systems. We got to the set around 3:15 and were immediately brought up to speed with the project (which was a finished basement space for the husband. It was being built when we arrived: tuscan finish paint on the walls, new lighting, new tables, couches, chairs etc, flat screen and A WINE CELLAR.

John (the head designer) asked us if we could provide a wine cellar cooling system since they did not have one...I asked John when do you need it by? His respone: 7pm Tuesday.....We went into a full court press calling our suppliers and found one which we were able to pick up at 4:57 (3 minutes before closing) and it was only 30 minutes from the set. Once we got the cooling system it was a mad dash back to the set and then it was action time.

We got a brief introduction with Tony "the goose" Siragusa and Jason Cameron the 2 hosts for the show. We walked each of them through what and how the system worked, how the cooling system would vent, how the condensation would be removed, and of course how the room would be cooled. Jason and the crew (about 7 guys) were taking care of the custom wine racks and the 2 custom french doors for the cellar.

The space was being finished with a tuscan distressed plaster look and was really coming together. Once Ivan the "paint guy" was finished with his shoot it was Joseph & Curtis time! We walked into the cellar and Jason turned to us and said hello and asked us to introduce ourselves and then asked us to describe what we would be doing to the wine cellar. He then asked us to describe how the cooling system worked, and where we would be placing it in the room. Once we hung the system we then spoke about the importance of having a climate controlled cellar and spoke briefly about the custom racks Jason was making.

Jason then thanked us and asked us to stick around for a couple more shots. After a couple more pics with Jason and Tony our work was finished.

Overall it was a GREAT experience and we hope to work with DIY, AND THE MAN CAVE SHOW in the near future.

Welcome to our blog!

2008-05-30T22:12:00.000-04:00

We would like to thank you for visiting our website and our blog. This blog is all about how we build custom wine cellars for our clients. We will be discussing how we work with our clients to create a home for their wine. A home that allows them to preserve and protect their valuable wine collection.

Check back soon to learn more.