Arctic Metalworks has created exceptional designs for home wine cellars. In this recent project in Orange County, we transformed space into an impressive modern glass wine cellar. We added features that make this wine room stand out. The combination of metal and glass components create an eye-catching wine display with a dramatic lighting system.
How We Designed this Glass Orange County Wine Cellar
Designing an Orange County glass wine cellar requires expertise, creativity, and knowledge. To get everything right, Arctic Metalworks works closely with its clients. We make a careful assessment of all their needs. We always want to exceed their expectations and have a masterpiece they can show off to their guests. In one of our recent Huntington Beach projects in Orange County, California, we constructed a home wine cellar with a wow factor while also ensuring that every component was installed correctly.
Wine Cellar Preparation and its Impact on Proper Wine Storage
One of the requirements in building a refrigerated glass wine cellar is to prepare it for the installation of the wine cooling unit. With many years of experience in the construction industry, we have extensive knowledge in proper wine cellar construction.
Before putting up the walls and the components, we insulated the walls with polyurethane, added a vapor barrier, and installed the drywall. We know the crucial role of insulation in proper wine storage. When done correctly, it will create an airtight seal in the cellar, preventing extreme temperature changes and wine faults. A lack of or poor insulation will result in unstable conditions and cause condensation to build up inside the glass wine cellar.
The vapor barrier is also a vital component of a wine room. Its function is to separate the cooler environment in the climate-controlled wine cellar from the warmer environment outside. It helps achieve the optimum conditions needed by wines to preserve their desirable characteristics.
Sophisticated Metal Wine Racks
We installed label-forward metal wine racks on the left and right walls. With this type of bottle orientation, there is no need to pull out the bottles from the racking and flip them to see the wine label. Looking for a specific type of wine will be more convenient. Keep in mind that flipping the bottle will disturb the sediments settled on one side of the bottle, affecting the texture and flavor of the wine.
For structural integrity, we created plywood backing for all of the VintageView metal wine racks so they could bear the weight of the wines.
Wine Cellar Cooling Unit: Choosing the Correct Size and Proper Installation
Heat is the number one enemy of wine. It is the reason why wines should be kept in a dark and cold environment. A well-built refrigerated wine room should have temperatures ranging from 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. For this glass enclosed wine cellar in an Orange County home, an industrial grade split system cooling unit was chosen.
The wine cellar refrigeration system is a significant aspect of wine cellar construction. It must be sized and installed correctly by a professional. At Arctic Metalworks, we always perform a heat load calculation to determine the BTUs required for a wine cellar considering the amount of glass used, size, and location of the wine room, and nearby heat sources.
Installing a climate control unit that does not suit the requirements of a wine cellar will result in wine storage problems. A wine cooling unit that is too small for a wine room will not be able to perform its function to create the optimum conditions needed to age wine. High temperatures will degrade the quality of the wine by altering its chemical composition.
On the other hand, when the size of the refrigeration system is too big, it will speed up the aging process of the wines stored in the modern glass wine closet. When this happens, the wines will have an unpleasant taste.
In this project, we installed a 1/3-horsepower wine cooling unit. The afternoon sun faces on one side of the wall, and we installed non-insulated glass for the door, so we decided to utilize a wine refrigeration system with a stronger capacity. These are the factors that affected our choice for the size of the unit.
If setting the wine cooling unit at 55 degrees causes condensation build-up, the owners just have to adjust the temperature. In this Huntington Beach modern glass wine cellar, we placed the evaporator above the racking on the left wall. We concealed it in a wooden grill cover that can be removed easily for cleaning.
The climate control system we used in this project is a commercial-grade unit. It is the hardest working and the best refrigeration system in the industry that we can buy. We added a pump that catches the water and pumps it to another outdoor location. The condenser is located outside the house. It removes the heat from the wine cellar, blowing it outdoors. We ran the refrigeration lines and drains to the outdoor area where the condenser is located.
Proper wine cellar maintenance is also an important part of owning a home wine cellar. For a system like this, we recommend maintenance from a technician at least twice a year. Regular service visits can help you protect your wine and can reduce more costly repairs down the road.
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Build Your Own Modern Glass Wine Cellar. Work with Our Experts in Orange County!
Arctic Metalworks has been building safe and beautiful wine rooms for many years. We are composed of creative designers and licensed HVAC technicians dedicated to creating wine storage facilities intended for long-term storage and displaying wines attractively.
We are proud to be able to showcase this modern glass wine cellar in Orange County, California. If you need help designing, building, or repairing your Huntington Beach custom wine cellar, or if you have any other questions, please talk to one of our specialists at (714) 936-3905.