Category Archives: wine storage solutions

A Successful Newport Beach California Wine Closet Conversion

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Closet conversion is becoming popular in the design and construction industry.  Many home owners are considering having a vacant small or large space in their home converted into something useful.

One residential owner in Newport Beach contacted a California wine cellar builder to request help in converting his closet into a custom wine cellar.  The client wanted a wine storage and display space that was both functional, and elegant.

Newport Beach California Wine Closet Project Site

Newport Beach California Wine Closet Project Site

Vintage Wine Cellars, the California wine cellar builder that the client contacted, came up with a gorgeous custom wine cellar design.  It featured a stunning wine rack design to store and display wine bottles, a wine cellar cooling system to cool the wines, a glass wine cellar door, and matching wine cellar flooring.

Wine Rack Design Features

The wine storage and display racks are a combination of several different wine rack designs, including:

  • Single bottle storage wine racks
  • Horizontal display wine racks
  • High reveal display rows
  • Arched tabletop
  • Diamond bin cases
  • Rectangular bins

 

Single Bottle Storage Racks and Rectangular Bins

Single Bottle Storage Racks and Rectangular Bins

The single bottle storage wooden wine racks store 750 ml wine bottles individually, in cubicles with 3 ¾ inche openings, which are perfect for easy bottle access.  The bottle holders on each cubicle are hand sanded, to protect wine labels from scratches.

The horizontal display storage with a high reveal display row runs on the entire length of the walls.  This feature angles the wine bottles at 15 degrees, keeping the corks moist and the bottle tightly sealed.  An LED lighting fixture was also added, to illuminate the angled wine bottles on the display row.

At the center of the wine closet is a tabletop with an archway, where wine pouring or decanting can be done.  It features a lovely art piece, which is highlighted by a puck lighting.

At the bottom of the tabletop are solid diamond bins, which store wine bottles one on top of the other.  Diamond bins are ideal for bulk wine storage.

At the side of the wine closet are rectangular bins, which maximize the small storage space.  This wine racking style gives the wine collector an option to store wines by group (by variety, origin, size, age, etc.). This wine rack design is a wise option for storing 1.5L and 3L bottles.

The wooden wine racks are made of Premium Redwood, one of the best wood types used in the wine racking industry.  A dark walnut stain was applied to the wooden wine racks.  The natural aesthetic appeal of the stained redwood adds beauty to the wine cellar.

The total storage capacity of this wine closet is 840 wine bottles.

 Efficient Cooling using a Fully-Ducted Wine Cellar Cooling Unit

Wine Cellar Cooling Unit Installed in the Attic

Wine Cellar Cooling Unit Installed in the Attic

This Newport Beach California wine closet is highly functional, as it is equipped with a wine cellar cooling system.  This maintains the right balance of temperature and humidity inside the wine closet.

Vintage Wine Cellars installed a fully ducted wine cellar cooling unit from Wine Guardian.  It is a self-contained wine cellar cooling system, and it can be installed either indoors or outdoors.

For this Newport Beach California wine closet, the cooling unit was installed indoors, in the attic located just above the wine cellar.  The wine cellar cooling system is assembled in a platform with a drain pan.

The duct system of this wine cellar cooling unit supplies cool air into the wine cellar and exhausts hot air outside. A louvered grill that matches the wooden wine racks covers the cooling unit.

Wine Cellar Entryway and Flooring that Attractively Matches with the Wine Racks

Barolo Glass Wine Cellar Door

Barolo Glass Wine Cellar Door

The cellar door used is a Barolo style dual-paned glass wine cellar door.

This entryway has two door openings, and it has certain features that ensure a tight seal to the room, and these include weather stripping and a concealed door bottom.

The wine cellar door was coated with a Chestnut wood stain, creating a beautiful contrast against the Premium Redwood wine racks.

To enhance the look of the wine cellar, the owner chose a unique tile flooring. The color scheme of the flooring matches charmingly with the wooden wine racks.

Get Started with your Own Wine Cellar Design!

Vintage Wine Cellars did a great job completing this Newport Beach California wine closet renovation project, considering the limited space their team had to work on. Vintage Wine Cellars specializes in wine cellar design, installation, renovation, and even maintenance, for both residential and commercial locations.

If you have a custom wine cellar project in mind, whether in Southern or Northern California, just contact Vintage Wine Cellars California Wine Cellar Builder for a free design consultation. Visit their page at http://www.vintagewinecellars.com/.

New Component for Wine Cellar Refrigeration Systems Improves Performance

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US Cellar Systems, a California based wine cellar manufacturer that we work closely with recently announced an important new innovation in one of their commonly used components. The LRC Expansion Valve is now externally equalized. Learn how this is to be installed and some of it’s performance advantages.

The Expansion Valve by LRC

The Expansion Valve by LRC

New Expansion Valve

The LRC Expansion Valve looks almost like a pressure regulator, mounted inside one of the US Cellar Systems refrigeration system for wine cellars. It is a common component in all of the series offered by US Cellar Systems, except for the CC series.

Wine Cellar Refrigeration Technical Update – New LRC Expansion Valve Saves Time and Effort
This valve is now externally equalized. This gives the system better performance on all of the systems and makes it more convenient to adjust.

Installation of the New System by LRC

When installing, add a T with an access shrader. This has a key advantage. You will be able to measure your evaporator coil pressure at the evaporator, instead of having to go all the way out to the condensing unit to look at your gauges. This makes adjustments to your system much more convenient.

Wine Cellar Refrigeration System Adjustment

Adjusting Your Expansion Valve by LRC

Adjusting Your Expansion Valve by LRC

Use a 3/8” nut driver or a ratchet and a 3/8” socket.

You can adjust the valve by turning the head on the top of the regulator. To increase pressure you turn clockwise. To decrease pressure you will turn counter-clockwise.

Caution! Remember to make small adjustments. Never go all the way in with the adjustment. If you go too far in you can damage the diaphragm and then the expansion valve will no longer adjust. This damage will not be covered under warranty, so be very cautious when making adjustments to prevent such harm to the system.

Contact US Cellar Systems for Support and Advice

US Cellar Systems (Logo)If you’re in need of technical support for your wine cellar refrigeration system, contact US Cellar System here: +1(562) 728-5774.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of their systems, feel free to contact sales and customer support: +1(562) 513-3017.

This new expansion valve has important advantages; they can give you more information about it if you’re interested in learning more.

Converting of a Small Restaurant Wine Storage Space into a Beautiful Vancouver Commercial Wine Cellar

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commercial wine cellar Salam BombaySales growth in a restaurant business can be challenging, but is not impossible to achieve. If you sell wine in your restaurant, it is important to dedicate your time and effort in creating an attractive modern wine display. Find out how a Vancouver restaurant with a small wine storage space was converted into a beautiful and effective commercial wine cellar that will surely bring increased revenue and profits for this business.   

Commercial Wine Displays Contribute to Profit Generation

A boring presentation of wine means that your restaurant is losing money; it’s losing money in potential wine sales, a huge part of a restaurants profitability.  In addition to great food, excellent service and quality wines, the way you display your bottles matters a lot.

Beautiful commercial wine displays is one of the keys to achieving increases in wine sales. You’re not going to encourage customers to purchase your wine if you keep the bottles in the corner of your restaurant, on boring shelves or standard cabinets.

commercial wine displayOn the other hand, making an effort to make your storage display as stunning as possible is an effective strategy in drawing people’s attention.

A restaurant with good wine presentation will tell customers that you have excellent wines to offer, as well as provide them a relaxing atmosphere while they’re eating their favorite meal.

For these reasons, many restaurants in Vancouver, Canada are investing in a climate-controlled commercial wine cellar. When designed and installed by an expert, your wine room will not only showcase your wines beautifully, but it will also maintain a stable environment for proper preservation of your vintages.

Having a well-built wine room in your restaurant creates a relaxing atmosphere for your customers, and allows you to provide quality wines, which will make your customers happy, and lead to increases in sales.

The Salam Bombay Wine Cellar Design

In Vancouver, British Columbia, you will find the Salam Bombay, an Indian restaurant that offers excellent food and great selection of wines.

The owner, Jose Madappilly, recently had his old wine storage system converted into a functional and appealing Vancouver restaurant wine cellar.

Located adjacent to the bar area, the wine storage area is small. The Champagne, reds, and whites were all displayed in modular wine racks, with some bottles stored vertically, and some on top of each other.

Although ideal for limited spaces, the modular wine racks were not perfect for a contemporary restaurant that aims to increase sales. They are plain and unnoticeable. So, the client talked to Blue Grouse Wine Cellars, and requested a more effective commercial wine storage solution that fits the small space.

The Modern Wine Racking

commercial wine racks Salam Bombay

Modern Wine Racks from Vintage View

Small wine rooms are a challenge to builders. For this project, the room only measures 6 feet wide, 5 feet deep and 9 feet high. As always with limited spaces, Blue Grouse Wine Cellars designed a modern wine racking system that maximizes storage capacity.

Metal wine racks from Vintage View were installed. Floor-to-ceiling and wall-mounted racks were installed in the Salam Bombay wine cellar. Designed to fit narrow spaces, metal racks are in demand in restaurants and other commercial establishments. They also display wines like they are floating in the air, making the wine cellar look more elegant.

Prior to the conversion, the client used modular wine racks which stored the bottles on top of each other. With this bottle orientation, finding a specific vintage required removing one bottle after another to check the labels.

With the label-forward design of Vintage View metal wine racks, wine labels are not hidden. Locating and serving wine is not a difficult task anymore.

Custom wood components were incorporated in the racking. The display shelf was added to showcase the restaurant’s featured wines. A cabinet was also built by Blue Grouse to hide the cooling unit.

The Door and Walls

wine cellar doors and walls Salam Bombay

Glass-Enclosed Restaurant Wine Cellar

The owner wanted a frameless look in their commercial wine storage space. To achieve this, Blue Grouse used single-pane glass for the wall with the door. Other walls were constructed with insulated glass, except for the back wall, which is made of wood.

Glass enclosures are perfect for restaurant wine cellars because it gives your customers the opportunity to enjoy the commercial wine display visually from outside the storage room. It also creates an illusion of wider space.

The Cooling Equipment

In addition being unattractive, the restaurant’s old storage system was not cooled by a commercial-grade wine cooling unit.  The air conditioner used in the restaurant could not provide the wine the ideal temperature and humidity that would prevent their wine from being damaged.

The worst thing that can happen to a restaurant that sells wine is for a customer to buy a bad bottle or glass of wine from your restaurant. This will create a negative impact on your business’ reputation, and might make customers decide not to come back to your establishment again. Keep in mind also that wine presentation, quality, and service all contribute to customer satisfaction.

In this project, Blue Grouse used a wine cooling system suitable to the limited space intended for modern wine display. The self-contained refrigeration equipment is a product of ONAM, a brand of cooling units trusted by Vancouver commercial wine cellar builders, because of its efficiency, flexibility, and easy installation.

Let Blue Grouse Create a Sales-Generating Wine Cellar for You

Blue Grouse Wine Cellars – an Wine Storage Expert in Canada

Allow Blue Grouse Wine Cellars to help your business boost wine sales. With our team’s passion and craftsmanship, we can transform your small space into an effective and aesthetically pleasing wine cellar. Contact them now at +1 (888) 400-CORK (2675) or request a 3D custom wine cellar design for FREE!