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.
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 racks are a wine collector’s best friend. Why? Because they house your most loved wines while they mature to perfection. With this in mind, whether you have a dedicated wine cellar or a more limited storage space, you know you want to get the best wine racks there are for your wine collection.
Wine is a type of beverage that’s very delicate and needs careful handling to preserve its quality for a long period of time. This makes wine racks a necessity for most, (if not all) wine collectors and those in the wine retail business.
Wooden wine racks are by far the most popular type of wine storage furniture. There are a lot of characteristics that make wooden wine racks ideal, not just for wine storage in dedicated custom wine cellars, but for proper wine aging as well anywhere in the home.
First is the customizability of wooden wine racks. You may start with a small wooden wine rack and as your collection grows in number, you add extra wine storage spaces such as wine bins, wine cubicles or an additional wine rack to match your existing wine rack. This allows you to spend only what you need at the moment, and invest later on additional storage spaces.
Curved Corner Wine Rack
Second, are the great design options. There are different types of wooden wine racks and the most in-demand are Pine Wine Racks, Mahogany Wine Racks, and Redwood Wine Racks. Here at Wine Cellar Specialists, we offer these three types of wood wine racks in different sizes, designs, shapes, and stain.
Each type of wood has its special features and benefits depending on the way it will be used. You do not want to use pine in a climate-controlled wine cellar as pine does not hold up as well in colder temperatures and high humidity as redwood or mahogany would.
Pine is mainly for storage at room temperatures in your home or in a commercial wine store.
Mahogany is best if you want us to add a stain to the racks. It has a smoother grain and takes stain well.
Redwood comes in two varieties. All Heart Redwood and Premium Redwood. The all heart redwood is from the heart, or center, of the redwood tree and is a rich reddish color throughout. Premium redwood is from the outer edge of the tree and is a light color with reddish streaks. If stain is added to the premium redwood, the result will be a more streaked stained look.
Third is cost-efficiency. Our pine, redwood, and mahogany wine racks are certified to be very cost-efficient because of their abundance and availability. They are distinct from each other in terms of wood properties, appearance, durability, resources, and cost. The best wooden wine racks do not necessarily have to be the most expensive ones.
The rule in choosing wine racks is to value quality over price. Cheaper wine racks do not mean that they have inferior qualities. Pine wine racks, for example, are cheaper compared to redwood and mahogany wine racks, but the manufacturing quality is still high. Your choice of wood should be based upon where the racks will ultimately rest and your preference at the final look.
When compelled to choose between wood wine racks and metal wine racks, always remember that the former is more versatile than the latter with the ability to add capacity and to create racks to fit most spaces.
Fourth is beauty. Wooden wine racks can be mixed and matched with the traditional look of your homes or wine store while projecting elegance to the room. They can be made to enhance your décor or to blend into the background in a regular room or be completely stunning in a purpose-built custom wine cellar. We can add stain colors to the racks and/or add lacquer to give them a beautiful furniture finish.
Whether your style is contemporary, traditional or antique, whether you have a small space under the stairs, in the corner of a room, or are even able to convert a whole room into a wine cellar, there’s a wooden wine rack ideal for you!
Wooden Custom Wine Racks by Wine Cellar Specialists Texas
Do not underestimate the capacity of wood to spruce up a living space. Because of its natural beauty, wood is still an in-demand material in manufacturing elegant pieces of furniture and in building wine racks. When designed by a creative designer and crafted by a skilled manufacturer, your wooden wine racks will dazzle your guests.
Why Go for Wooden Wine Racks on Your Next Custom Wine Cellar Project?
Proper wine storage is something that all wine collectors should give importance to. Wooden wine racks, custom-built, and installed by a master wine cellar designer and contractor, is one of the best, most classic methods for high-quality wine storage.
It is very common for people to store wine and end up throwing bottles away later because they turned bad as a result of poor storage. Wine is a beverage that requires a stable environment in order to reach its peak maturation before it is ready for consumption. There are many factors that contribute to the proper storage of wine and custom wine racks are just one of them.
If your builder installed mediocre wine racks in your home or commercial establishment, the result can be disappointing. Do not go for a builder who manufactures wine racks made from a low-grade material or lacks knowledge on proper installation to avoid regrets.
At Wine Cellar Specialists, we design wooden custom wine racks with form and function. We also use exterior grade materials.
Wine racks can be made from different kinds of materials. There are metal wine racks, plastic wine racks, wrought iron racks, and wooden wine racks such as these in Chicago, Illinois. Each material brings a different ambiance to your wine storage. Some can bring a natural and antique feel to wine rooms with racks, while some can bring a more modern look. It really depends on your personal preference.
Wooden Wine Racks: Why are they Better than Metal Wine Racks
Premium Redwood Custom Racking Design for a Texas Home Wine Cellar
Compared to other custom wine racks, wooden racks are better because of many reasons. In terms of aesthetic appeal, flexibility, functionality, durability, and various design option, a wooden wine rack system is a smart choice.
The Natural Beauty of Wooden Custom Wine Racks Add Character to Your Cellar in Many Ways
At Wine Cellar Specialists, we have been using different kinds of wood in manufacturing wine racks: Mahogany (Prime, Sapele, Philippine, and Ambe Blaze), Redwood (All-Heart and Premium), Pine, and Knotty Alder. We help our clients choose the best type of wood that suits their needs.
Most of these wood species are naturally beautiful even when left unstained or unfinished. If you want attractive burls and swirls on the surface of your custom wine racks, we recommend that you opt for Knotty Alder.
Flexibility and Functionality: Different Types of Wooden Wine Racks
Wooden wine racks are available in pre-built and custom-made. Pre-made wine racks are also known as kit wine racks. If you purchase ‘stackable racks’ or kits with extenders, they can simply be stacked on top of each other or extended. This means that as your wine collection expands over time, you will only need to purchase additional racks to increase the bottle capacity. You simply add or stack (provided you purchased the stackable racks) the additional racks on top of those that you already have.
If you have a growing wine collection but do not intend to collect more than 300 bottles, kit wine racks are ideal for you. Kit wine racks are affordable and available in various heights and sizes. However, they do not allow you to incorporate your own style into the design.
Although custom wine racks are more expensive than pre-made racks, they help create striking wine storage and display areas. With custom options, you can request to add special features in your racking design such as cigar humidors, cabinets, drawers, a mural, and a lot more. Moreover, custom wine racks will fit any room shape perfectly!
Wooden Custom Wine Racks are More Attractive than Kit Wine Racks
Wooden Wine Racks are Durable and Poor Conductors of Heat
Wooden Wine Racks by Wine Cellar Specialists
Although not as strong as metal or iron wine racks, wooden wine racks are still very durable. They can last for years if maintained properly. Lacquering the wood will protect the wine racks for a longer period of time and make them highly resistant to decay, rot, and insect infestation.
What makes them better than metal or iron is that wood is a poor conductor of heat. This is applicable in wine rooms that are not equipped with a refrigeration system. Of course, in a climate-controlled wine room with racks, this does not apply as the cooling unit will keep both metal and wood at the right temperature.
The ability to conduct heat can be a bad thing because this can damage your wines by raising their temperature and giving them a ‘cooked’ flavor. Wine is a very sensitive beverage, which means it needs to be stored at the ideal temperature with little to no fluctuations. In fact, this is the reason why wine racks should be situated far from any heat source such as a stove or a furnace.
Are Wooden Custom Wine Racks Expensive?
Not necessarily. There are many factors that can contribute to the price of custom wine racks and one factor is the type of wood used. There are many different types of wood to choose from, for example, there’s Mahogany, Redwood and Pine although Mahogany and Redwood are the most frequently used woods. Each wood type presents its own advantages and disadvantages. Some are obviously more expensive than others but you shouldn’t let price be a hindrance when choosing the best for your wines. Always choose quality over price.
Work with the Specialists when Installing Wood Wine Racks
If you are planning a wine cellar project in Texas, Florida, or Chicago, call the Wine Cellar Specialists design teamand get expert consultation on your wine room, cellar, or wine display. We can find the right type of wood wine racks that fit your home or business.
There are many styles and quality levels of wine rack kits on the market today. Styles range from traditional wood wine rack kits, stack-able kits, double deep kits, metal rack kits to modular styles.
There are several things to look for when choosing wooden wine racks.
(Traditional, stackable, & double deep kits. This also applies to wood custom racks.)
What is the niche size? 3 ½” niches will accommodate the regular sized 750 bottles. If you want to store Pinots or larger or odd-shaped bottles you will be out of luck. Look for wine racks that have a 3 ¾” niche size. You will then be able to fit most, if not all, of your 750s, even regular-sized champagne bottles. You will need a little larger niche for any Magnum sized bottles.
Be sure you are choosing a quality wood that will hold up well in a wine cellar environment. Redwood and mahogany are two of the most popular woods in a climate-controlled room. They withstand the humidity and temperatures well without cracking, warping or attracting mildew. Do not use cheap woods such as poplar, fir or especially cedar. Even what they call “non-aromatic” cedar still has a smell that can go through your cork and taint your wine.
If you want a curved corner in your wine cellar, be sure to look closely at the corners offered in your kit racks. Some companies only offer segmented corner racks. These do not have the beautiful look of a true radius corner.
Look closely at the construction of the wine rack kits. The front spacer bars should have dados or notches cut into them for a cleaner look and structural integrity. Dado stabilizer bars on the top and bottom of each piece will also add strength. Many wine rack companies do not include the top and bottom stabilizers.
Check the bottom portion of your racks. They should have a toe kick or base that brings the racks up off of the floor. You do not want racks where the bottom bottle touches the floor when you put the bottle into the rack. Imagine inserting a bottle and having it hit the floor and burst. What a mess that would create and you could lose a prized bottle. Who wants their wine stored on the floor anyway? A 1 ½” toe kick is sufficient.
Make sure the bottle holders, or ladder rungs as I like to call them, are sanded smooth. Sharp edges on these pieces can cause your labels to tear when placing your bottle into the racks or removing them. A damaged label can make the value of your wine decrease. It can also ruin a great presentation when dining and wining with your guests.
Beware of ugly screws, or plugs showing on the front of your racks. Look for a wine rack where all of the screws used to assemble the rack are on the back or in areas that do not show. Plastic and wood plugs that hide the screws are also unacceptable for a well-made rack.
Look at the angle of the display rows. Display rows should be angled at a 15-degree angle. No more. A higher angle and the wine will no longer touch the cork. This could cause your cork to dry out and crack and your wine to get air into the bottle causing it to spoil.
Metal wine rack kits are a little easier to tell if you have a good quality rack.
Look to see that the ends of the metal pieces that hold the bottles have a rubber or plastic tip. This will help to hide any sharp metal edges and give the rack a more finished look.
Most metal racks will come in a choice of black or silver color. Some can be ordered in other colors as well for a more unique look to your cellar. Custom color racks will usually take longer to get.
Metal racks can be wall-mounted or floor to ceiling mounted or free standing. Choose carefully what will work best for you.
Be aware of how these racks will attach to your walls. Depending on what is behind your walls, you may need special screws to attach your metal racks. You may want to add ½” plywood behind your walls when attaching this style of the rack to the wall.
Modular wine racks are a completely different story
Modular wine racks can be made up of different components of kit racks of any variety. The best modular wine racks come pre-assembled. Modular means it is made up of groups of components. When people look for modular racks they usually do not want to assemble each piece on site. Pre-assembled modular racks are the way to go. Find a grouping that you like and that fits into your space. Easy installation and you will save money by not needing the racks themselves assembled.
Traditional styles and contemporary styles are available in modular racks. These pieces are more like furniture than your other “kit” syle racks. You can install them in your living room or they will also be at home in your wine cellar. They come in various sizes.
Generally, you will have options to choose from. Many modular racks offer options such as lacquer, led lighting, and side and back panels.
Because the units are pre-assembled, shipping is usually a little higher on modular racks than those that will need assembly on site. However, the cost of the assembly usually outweighs the added cost of the shipping.
Be aware of the wood species used in your modular racks. The best modular racks use a Sapele mahogany. This wood has a naturally darker color than the Malaysian mahogany used in most kit racks. No need to stain these racks. Adding lacquer alone gives them a deep rich furniture finish.
Look for modular racks where the lighting option is already installed in the racks. Purchasing and installing led lighting separately can get quite expensive. If you intend to add lighting to your racks, adding a lighting option, that comes pre-installed, to your modular package can actually save you money.
Contemporary styles of modular kits come in a variety of styles and can be mixed and matched to make many different configurations. Some are attached to the walls while others have their own feet and stand on the floor.
To Summarize
Choose carefully when making your wine rack decision. Look for the quality of the construction in detail. If you do not want pre-sized units, you may want to choose custom wine racks. Even then, you can usually tell the quality of the custom racks by the quality of the kit racks a company carries. Ask the right questions. Always use a company that specializes in wine racks. A big mistake is thinking that your local woodworker or contractor can build wine racks correctly. Decide if price or quality matters most to you. You will be living with your wine racks for a long time. Cheap is not always the best choice.
To see the quality kit, custom, and modular wine racks that meet the above specifications, visit our website at www.winecellarspec.com
We couldn’t be more thrilled! Check out some of our awards and their corresponding projects:
We had a start to finish excellent experience with Wine Cellar Specialists. After talking to a couple of carpenters about converting a closet into a small wine cellar I wasn't very confident they knew what they were doing so I started looking for expertise and found Wine Cellar Specialists.
I had my consultation with Brad Cupp and he was very passionate about their business and options
Steve Gee
We had a fantastic experience with Brad Cupp and Wine Cellar Specialists-Dallas. They converted an under-the-stair closet into a fabulous refrigerator cellar that holds about 400 bottles of wine. The attention to detail and craftsmanship was well worth the time it took to complete this job. You don't always get what you pay for, but in this case, I truly believe that we did. Thank you for an exceptional job.
Timothy Martin
Wine Cellar Specialists provided us a custom black iron/glass door as the main feature to our new wine cellar. The quality is excellent and the look is just what I asked for. Thanks so much.
Aiden K
I purchased a wine cellar door from Wine Cellar Specialist and had the pleasure of working with Alex. She helped me design a custom door that was absolutely beautiful. This was a very big project and she was so kind and professional and held my hand throughout the whole process. It was an amazing experience. I researched other companies before choosing Wine Cellar Specialists and it was their customer service and attention to detail that made my decision so easy. I highly recommend them for any wine cellar project.
G
Gary Anderson
Great experience with the process and progress completion - Brad Cupp dons well in coordinating and communication. All the sub contractors were good to work with and were attentive to cleaning after work. Plus the important end result was a wonderful wine cellar that can accommodate over 700 bottles of wine in relatively small area. Highly recommend!
Dallas 
