“His wine cellar feels very warm, intimate, cave-like. All you can see is the glimmer of the bottles,” says Burke’s designer Reena Sotropa of Corea Sotropa Interior Design (http://www.coreasotropa.ca). Recently, Sotropa spoke to New Home Living about the emergence of Calgary wine cellars and rooms.

“The wine cellar isn’t a dusty, old place under the stairs anymore,” laughs Sotropa.

“A traditional, old world wine cellar where you open the creaking door and blow off the dust, there’s nothing showy about that.”

Calgarians are becoming more sophisticated in their collections, she says. Their wine collections are too large to house in the kitchen so they have to dedicate an entire room in their house. “Wine collecting becomes a passion for people and it’s really nice they can display their collections,” says Sotropa.

Her firm’s projects have ranged from basement wine cellars like Burke’s to smaller, main floor wine rooms to closet-sized spaces. Wine rooms are typically 80- to 100-square-feet, the size of a small bedroom. Although wine cellars and rooms are smaller projects, lots of trades are involved including millworkers and heating and cooling specialists, she says.

Approximately three years ago, Sotropa first noticed a marked increase in wine cellar and room projects. City collectors, some whose collections boast 2,000 bottles of wine plus, now request special tasting areas for occasions and parties. For many, they require clear, layout, work space in their wine rooms so they can catalogue and organize their collections. They’re choosing fine finishes, custom cabinetry, and higher-end wine storage units.

“In higher-end homes, wine cellars and rooms are almost an expectation,” she says. “Absolutely, for sure, wine rooms and home theatres are almost becoming standard.” A lot of Sotropa’s clients are retrofitting their kitchens. While they may have renovated five or seven years ago, now they want to incorporate wine coolers or storage systems.

“Now, the wine cellars and rooms are more of a display with glass windows in the door and light inside,” explains Sotropa. “We capture the old world look with a shadowy ambience. It’s the old wine cellar feel but it’s totally high-end and slick. People are asking for transitional styling and paying special attention to lighting.”

She advises her clients to make invaluable Calgary wine collection contacts, for example at Metrovino (http://www.metrovino.com). The 11th Avenue S.W. store offers a myriad of excellent wine buying services like the “Case of the Season.” Each quarter, Metrovino will propose a selection of cases of 12, each tailored to the season and budget. If you seek assistance planning and stocking a new cellar or strengthening your existing cellar collection, Metrovino can provide cellar planning consultation.

One of Sotropa’s favourite wine cooler and storage systems suppliers is Jerome’s Appliance Gallery (http://www.jeromesappliancegalleryinc.ca), whose showroom has 25 wine coolers on display. “All of a sudden, after the kitchen, people are really focussed on the big, beautiful wine cellar,” says Jerome Curran, owner and president.

In the last several years, he observed an incredible increase in Calgarians opting for wine coolers and storage system units. Since then, Curran says customers have become more informed and aware about products on the market. “The wine cooler is no different than the washer or dryer now … I’ve seen them incorporated in the kitchen to the master bedroom.”

He estimates wine coolers and storage systems account for 10 per cent of the store’s sales. In luxury appliance packages for higher end homes, 20 per cent is usually reserved for a type of wine cooling system. Some serious wine collectors purchase two or three wine storage systems at $7,500 per unit.

The Sub-Zero wine storage systems, which can cost up to $10,000, remain Jerome’s bestseller. “Sub-Zero units preserve expensive wines for a longer period of time,” explains Curran. “It’s the highest end wine storage system.”

New this fall at Jerome’s will be Sub-Zero wine storage systems without vibration. Curran expects more integrated, design options with new wine storage systems finishes and stains matching surrounding cabinetry and other household appliances. Essentially, he sees the newer wine coolers and storage systems as decorative, all-round pieces of furniture.

Bottomline, Curran advises spending at least $999 for a wine cooler or storage system. “Realistically, if you spent $399-$499, you’re buying a refrigerator with shelves in it. You risk waking up with your wine frozen!” he warns.

KoolSpace Wine Cellars (http://www.koolspace.ca) services range from installing free standing cellars to building warehouse-size storage systems for clients needing over 5,000 wine bottles of capacity. The company’s wine room products include racking—modular and custom; cooling; free standing cellars and wine accessories.

“Everyone’s building a new home or renovations are being done and they’re including the wine room,” says KoolSpace owner Arnel Marchand. Currently, KoolSpace is working on 30 to 35 Calgary wine cellar or room projects. Since 1999, his company has completed an estimated 200 to 300 city wine cellars or rooms.

“For us now, it’s the perfect storm with the economy, the access to good wines and the strong dollar.”

In free standing wine cellars, the Vintage Keeper Nuvo is KoolSpace’s most popular, selling 100 units a year. “It’s great for condos. You can get them into tight spots and they can be assembled and reassembled.” Marchand says the stand alone fridge that’s built-in is steadily increasing in popularity as many people move into condos.

While in racking, customers favour the custom Genuwine products and modular Redrack. Made from all heart red wood, Redrack is highly customizable and comes in seven-inch and six-inch sizes.

In cooling units, 70 per cent of KoolSpace sales are in ChillR units. These powerful cooling units cool and regulate humidity in rooms ranging in volume from 100 (cubic feet) up to 1,800 (cubic feet). The ChillR series uses the air from an adjacent room to cool and maintain the humidity of the wine room.

“Budget (for wine cellars and rooms) is a huge thing,” admits Marchand. “Basically the sky’s the limit.” KoolSpace residential projects can range from modular systems that can be installed within one to eight weeks to full custom construction and design that can take 14 weeks. He estimates a lower end budget for a custom wine cellar or room at $20,000.

KoolSpace Wine Cellars also features ongoing cellar management services; assisting clients in setting up their wine storage system and helping them fill it up. Certified Sommelier Jackie Cooke manages clients’ cellars by establishing cellar software programs, organizing their collections, creating an inventory system for insurance and/or personal use, wine purchasing and conducting wine tastings.

“Definitely, the newest trend is (towards) cellar organization and management,” says Marchand. “Software is (being used) to track wines, purchases and values because the values of cellars are going up so much.”

“(Another) newer trend is the main-floor wine room,” he says. “The wine cellar is coming out of the basement!” NL

DESIGN TIPS
Creating your own wine room/cellar?   Calgary interior designer Reena Sotropa offers these additional tips:

Plan for the future. “We can build and outfit your current collection. People tend to want to grow their collections.”

Shop at smaller appliance showrooms.  “The wine cellar or room is a huge investment. In smaller showrooms, (salespeople) can be huge vessels of knowledge.”

Consider quartz-based countertops. “Slab granite and marble countertops are porous so if wine is dropped or splashed it stains easily.  Try non-porous materials, like some heavier granites and quartz-based countertops.”

Go windowless. “Choose a windowless corner of the basement for security and to maintain temperatures.”


Wine Making 101
“Wine making is easy, easy, easy! Each one of our wine concentrates comes with an excellent set of easy-to-follow instructions, including diagrams and tips for customization,” says Ken Pettitt of Winning Wines Plus (http://www.winningwinesplus.com )     “The process mostly involves pouring the concentrate out of a bag, adding water (if necessary),adding a couple of labelled packages, and waiting patiently.”

Since 1984, Pettitt has been in the wine making industry. Winning Wines Plus now has stores throughout Alberta.

He answers some common questions about wine making:

What do I need to get started?
“First, you’ll need a winemaking equipment package. We carry several options, from the most economical, basic package to the five-star everything-you-need-and-more winery in-a-box.  Think about what you need, how much space you have, and what kind of budget you’re planning on working within. 
Second, you’ll need a wine concentrate. Most people start with a wine that doesn’t require much aging, as most novice winemakers tend to want to start drinking their first batch quite soon after they’ve made it.”

How much room do I need?
“That depends entirely on how ambitious your wine making gets.  The most basic set-up—a carboy, a bucket, a siphon, a hydrometer and a hand-corker—will require a little bit more than a square metre of space.”

How much does equipment cost?
“Our most basic home winery can be had for less than $40, and includes much of the essential equipment needed to make either wine or beer. It’s possible to produce your first 30 bottle batch of wine for less than $100—or about $3 per bottle—including your equipment starter package, a wine concentrate, and some extra trimmings.”

Can I make a Merlot?
“Absolutely, we carry a very wide range of wine concentrates, ranging from heavy, meaty reds to light, fruity whites.  We continually add more varieties to our year-round selection, and release special, Restricted Quantity wines every year.  We carry the standards, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Riesling, as well as different, lesser-known styles.”

How long does it take to make a wine?
“Strictly speaking, you can process a wine in roughly four to six weeks, depending on the concentrate.  That said, your wine will almost always benefit from extra aging time, which depending on your patience level, could involve cellaring your wine for two weeks, two months, or two years.”

How many bottles is each batch of wine?
“Twenty-three litres is the standard batch size for all of our normal wine concentrates. That works out to approximately 30 standard, full-sized 750 ml bottles.  The total number of bottles that you get depends on how much sediment settles during primary and secondary fermentation, as well as how good you are at getting every last drop of sediment-free wine from the carboy.”

Is it legal?
“Absolutely, as long as you don’t sell the wine that you make. You may certainly give your friends and neighbours bottles of your wine as gifts, but selling it is strictly illegal.”