Patrick Wallen Designs 
Artistic Wine Cellars
Patrick Wallen's Budget Engineering
How to save on your custom wine cellar by avoiding these common misconceptions.
Misconceptions and commonly made statements:
Concrete Walls (below grade in basements) provide cool enough storage for my wine.
While below grade concrete walls typically have earth behind them, concrete is not a good insulator. Granted, when we get 5’ below the earth’s surface, the temperature tends to stabilize around 55 degrees fahrenheit (which is ideal for wine storage) but, most heat gain enters from the living space above the ceiling of the wine cellar. Therefore, it is necessary to frame in the front of the concrete, insulate and sheetrock.
The choices are to go with 2 x 4’s on edge (provided the space can afford this space reduction) and insulating with 3” rigid polyurethane with foil on both sides and then sheet rocked. This will provide R-21 insulation and significantly reduce the run time for the climate control system. If space is limited, placing 2 x 4’s flat against the concrete and then insulating with 1 ½” rigid will provide R-9. In both cases, because the rigid has foil on both sides, a vapor barrier is not necessary.
When fiberglass insulation is used (i.e.: 2 x 12 ceiling joists with fiberglass, will give you R-36) it must be protected with 6-8 mil plastic sheeting on the warm side of the insulation.
Note: cold side of the insulation is the interior of the enclosure. It is also a misconception that one must use “green board” in a wine cellar. Regular sheetrock will suffice as moisture problems start outside the enclosure.
Many wine cellars I’ve seen in Europe have been storing wine below grade for generations without any climate control whatsoever.
Several things I’ve noticed while exploring these passive environments: There is a fluctuation in temperature from 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit and that is not the ideal temperature for wine maturation. At 65 degrees the maturation process speeds up and most wine will be ready to drink within five years, Cabernets require more time. Ideally we want to slow this process down.
In these European cellars there is also a huge potential for mold and mildew which doesn’t hurt the wine but destroys the labels and provides a rather unsightly problem. With todays technology, one can achieve perfect conditions for wine whether your cellar is on the top story of a home in Death Valley or a basement cellar in Alaska.
How to select a wine cellar designer and when to involve them in the process?
There are several ways to find the right designer for your project. Start by asking friends and associates who’ve they worked with in the past, try to see a recently completed project to get a feel for their work. Another way is to find a designer via the internet. Type in “Wine Cellar Design” and the name of your city or area. Hopefully you will find someone local. Go on their web site and take a look at pictures of work they have done. Unfortunately, many are web based businesses and you will see the same pictures on more than one site. Avoid these designers as it is probably not their work. A reputable design company will have a showroom where you can go and meet with their staff and see first hand if they re serious about what they do. Always ask for references and be prepared to pay a minimal design fee from $ 250.00 to $ 1,000.00. Most will credit you back your design fee upon completion of the work.
After your initial selection of the designer, you should have your client meet with the company at their showroom to select the features and amenities the client wants. This saves you a lot of time and things, “ won’t be lost in translation.”
The best time to procure a designer is when you have framed in your space, but before you rough in, insulate and close. The reason for this is, everything you do in that space will depend on the racking design you and your client select. Most designs will include “in rack lighting” which will call for electrical in key locations within the enclosure. Location of the cooling equipment is integral to the design process, as well as guaranteeing the entire space will be cooled. One must be careful not to locate the equipment in the middle of your focal point wall. Overhead lighting, type and location should also be determined as a result of the racking layout. The location of the lighting should be discussed with the wine cellar designer as lighting is critical to feature key elements within the enclosure.
What are my options for climate control?
The old saying “You buy cheap, you get cheap” are words well said. Depending on the size of the enclosure and the value of the wine being stored there are essentially three choices. The first being the least expensive is a “box type” cooling unit which is similar to a window air conditioner. Their life expectancy is around 5-7 years. They are acceptable for small spaces (under 650 cubic feet) assuming you have a space on the other side of the enclosure walls where heat and noise will not be a problem as they must exhaust the heat created by the compressor. You cannot duct the exhaust side of the cooling unit as the fan motors are not strong enough to force air to a vented space. Doing this will shorten the life of the cooling unit and void the manufacturers warranty.
For enclosures over 650 cubic feet we recommend going with either a split (commercial) system or a ducted system, Both of these systems will last 25+ years and will cost more additionally ,but it will be money well spent.. We recommend you find a good, local refrigeration contractor with experience in properly sizing the equipment and the ability to control temperature and humidity. If in fact, your wine room is detached from the house it may be necessary to add heat to your system in order to keep the temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I caution you against purchasing equipment off the internet as you have no recourse in the event there is a problem. Lastly, the ducted system is the cleanest look and all the equipment is outside the enclosure. All the above systems are dedicated systems.