Kelvin Browne in the National Post on the modern wine cellar:
I like wine cellars even more than I like wine, which is saying something. I used to have one in the basement of an 1870s stone house. This fantasy cellar had the ancient stone walls of the home’s original foundation, new rough-hewn granite floors and wine racks made from reclaimed oak by a perfectionist craftsman. It kept wine at the requisite 56F to 57F, with humidity about 70%. Who knew cellars were in basements for a reason, as temperature and humidity didn’t need much mechanical assistance here to be ideal for wine?
I loved the cellar and bought cases for it to make sure the room was picturesque — right out of a French château. The room had a 600-bottle capacity. Practically speaking, my partner and I would have been fine with a 24-bottle wine fridge, but antique chairs and an elaborate tasting table don’t suit such a setup.
After we sold the farmhouse, we disposed of the wine to friends, also indulging in a massive liquidation binge ourselves, starting with wine at breakfast.
The enduring lesson: If you like wine, you’re likely a sensualist who loves the total experience, and that includes where you store your horde.
I’ve always wanted to have a wine cellar like that, but the corner of my basement that serves as my wine cellar will have to do: I can’t even afford to keep that fully stocked (and it holds a lot less than 600 bottles). Instead of the custom-crafted redwood or polished glass and stainless steel that some high-end cellars can boast, I have a pair of wooden Ikea bottle racks. They may not have the look of the “good” racks, but they work just as well … and far less expensively.
