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• Have Wine, Will Travel
• Varied Varietals
• Bring on the Beer
• No Gift Receipt Necessary
• Coming Uncorked

Gathering around the wine tasting table is a favorite pastime, especially during the holidays, for Dr. Larry and Marcia Cordell and Dr. Steve and Louise Laster, homeowners and wine lovers who celebrate the revelry of the season by hosting wine tasting parties in their very own respective wine cellars. These connoisseurs not only enjoy sharing a bottle of wine over a romantic dinner for two, but they also love inviting a few friends over for sipping and conversation at the spur of the moment. 

That's because wine cellars aren't dark, foreboding spaces like their predecessors in medieval Europe. Today's upscale cellars nurture wines like five-star hotels.

Michelle Holbrook, owner of Michelle's Wine Cellars and a designer of the Cordell's wine cellar, believes that wine cellars are replacing kitchen islands and pool tables as a focal point for parties because homeowners prefer entertaining guests with a casual, Napa-style hospitality. "My business has more than quadrupled this year after building 18 cellars. It's a popular way to showcase people's joy of wine," she says.

The extra bells and whistles that make a cellar an entertainment destination are reflected in the Cordells' and the Lasters' interior design applications. Where the Cordells have integrated their wine tasting bar inside the cellar, the Lasters have created an exterior dining alcove outside the cellar. But either way, the two couples can satisfactorily toast to the New Year with wine from their personal collections, indulging in the good tidings with fine food, laughter and camaraderie.

An All-Inclusive Approach

When Larry and Marcia Cordell built their Southwestern-themed home in LionsGate last year, they included their dream wine cellar in the sunlit lower level of their home. With the help of Holbrook and Marsh, the chamber radiates a charming "south of the border" décor. 

Larry has collected nearly 2,000 bottles of fine wine, his favorites being red cabernets and pinots; Marcia prefers lighter wines, like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. The cellar features double shelving to maximize storage space. There, the wines lie on their sides to keep the cork moist and prevent air from destroying fermentation. "I'll give my wines ample opportunity to mature into extraordinary flavor until its time to uncork," Larry says. Many bottles will stay that way for several more years, maybe 10 to 20. But in the meantime, there are plenty to choose from for everyday and special occasions. "Owning a cellar gives us a great excuse to invite friends for a little wine libation before dinner, followed by a port after the meal," Larry says.
Marcia says they ceremonially swirl the wine in special glasses and then hold them up to the light. "Men tend to be more tactile and like touching the bottles, while women prefer to sip while eating appetizers served on our bar. I keep a collection of dishes down here for convenience," she says. The dishes are in addition to extra sweaters kept on hand to keep warm in the cooler environment. 

Aesthetic style points support Larry's role of playing sommelier. A miniature waterfall cascading down a rack over the tasting table relaxes guests. Lucky invitees sit on four carved, wooden and leather cushioned bar stools imported from Mexico. Curved walls are lined with rich redwood and stone, which complement the granite tops and pewter racks (taken from the Cordells' previous home). Other highlights are the floor-to-ceiling, double entry doors with grapevines intricately etched into the glass. The door reads "Vin et Vie" (wine is life) and a carved wood cabinet door reads "In Vino Veritas" (in wine there is truth). A replica of a peg studded oak floor from a vineyard in California with a wood plank ceiling give a rustic quality to the chamber. A metal manhole cover from the streets of Aspen, where the couple own a second home, serves as a welcome mat. Halogen lights on dimmers create an elegant and illuminating backdrop.
"Marcia and I have filled the racks from shopping at vineyards throughout northern California. When I'm in Denver I buy Australian, Californian and New Zealand wines and ship the bottles home. Since import laws are changing, it'll be easier to ship directly from the winery to my front door," Larry says. Otherwise, he keeps his wine catalogs computerized with a coding system in an antique roll top desk, above which gleams a handmade stained glass window designed by one of Larry's patients.

Holbrook says the most important elements of successful cellars are keeping the humidity high and the temperature between 55 and 60 degrees. Specially designed air conditioning units are also a must. "A good cooling system like the Cordells' is called a dedicated split refrigeration. The air is ducted directly into the cellar so it's quieter than the portables that fit like a window unit," she explains. "There's a financial commitment for serious wine enthusiasts of spending between $2,000 to $50,000, depending on what you want. Lower-level insulated walls made of redwood resist mildew and decay. In addition, mahogany doors and trim really dress up the space."

Holbrook adds that other focal points for cellars include leaded glass doors, tables made of tile or granite, lockers and fountains. Cigar humidors are also popular, she says, but stainless steel racks don't sell as well as wood ones.

A Collection Concept

Louise Laster enjoys cooking and she often sips wine while preparing the family dinner. Her hobby is made easy with a collection of wines in a downstairs cellar. A tasting area outside the cellar allows her — and others — to taste wines comfortably. "Our tasting area is outside the cellar so we don't freeze when we're enjoying the wine," she says. "My husband Steve and I create a whole ceremony of wine tasting to entertain our friends and family downstairs in our tasting alcove." The surrounding scenery features yellow faux painted walls that reflect a vibrant mood, a refrigerator to keep cheeses and other appetizers on hand, and a big screen television for the adults or the kids.

Steve says the wine cellar concept became necessary to meet the demands of a burgeoning connoisseurship. "I acquired a taste for red wines and we kept collecting huge amounts that I'd store downstairs. Finally, as we ran out of space, we realized the more expensive wines required proper storage. I envisioned my cellar should hold 1,000 bottles," he says.

So the Lasters hired Al Felman, owner of Mission Kitchen and Bath, to design their award-winning wine cellar while they were remodeling their lower level. Felman's ambitious techniques, including drilling into 9-feet of concrete under the back porch, earned him an award from the local chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).

"We helped Steve finish the space in redwood, which is resistant to bugs and mildew. Steve then finished the challenge of installing his own racks. The coolest mahogany and glass engraved front cellar door was ordered from a wine website called The Wine Enthusiast. The door is specially made to resist moisture and cold temperatures, plus its unique beauty makes it the focal point of the cellar," Felman explains.

Steve and Louise painted the walls a gray color to complement the maple finish and racks. A ceramic tile floor resembles slate, with hues of red and gray. And as a bonus, according to Steve, the natural insulation from the partial underground concrete foundation makes the room naturally cool in winter. "Our refrigeration unit is built into the wall and vents heat to another room. In winter we can turn it off, and in summer it keeps the temperature at 58 degrees," he says.

Presently, the Lasters keep the cellar half full, at around 500 bottles. "I'll go down every evening and pick a bottle from the cellar for us to enjoy." As a cardiologist, Steve knows that the healthful effects of antioxidants in red wine are a great excuse to indulge in drinking two glasses every day. In that case, everyone should have their own wine cellar!


Resources:

The Cordells

Racks and Redwood Paneling: Michelle's Wine Cellars

Wood Floor: Acme Floor Company

Wrought Iron: Chet Redmond

Light Fixtures: Western Chandelier

Cabinetry: Overland Cabinets

Stone Mason: Fuendling Stone


The Lasters

Remodeler: Mission Kitchen & Bath

Door and Accessories: WineEnthusiast.com

Tile Floor: Daltile

Electrical: Steve's Electric