At all levels of French society the same importance is given to the different wine flavours as to wine culture. The diversity is great and there is something for everyone. This is what a great majority of foreigners settled in France have come to experience in this country: the world of wine as part of a gracious lifestyle.
Apart from the extreme pleasure of selecting these wines, maintaining the bottles in good condition to be enjoyed one day within the family or together with friends makes a part of the French basic lifestyle and culture of wine consumption. But storing them in a harmonious place and showcasing them to be admired for many years before savoring has now become a must in luxury homes!
Why reduce a wine cellar to a pure technical and functional storing place while your treasured wine collection can also be showcased like in a showroom? In order to guarantee the success of a wine cellar, different technical aspects and environmental conditions need to be met, such as constant temperature, maintaining air humidity, good ventilation, poor lighting, absence of mechanical vibration as well as the right degree of inclination of the bottles. Some purists even say that the right exposure of the bottles relative to the poles may increase the quality of the wine. Of course, the aesthetic appeal of a wine cellar, splendid as it may be, can never substitute the above conditions: wine must in the first place be of excellent quality, have a good taste and mature in the best possible conditions.
The latest equipment and building technology solutions combined with good design now allow to meet the above prime requisites in a less eccentric location of the house. There is no further obligation to hide your cellar at the bottom of your basement! A directly visible wine cellar also provides a feast for the eyes every day and represents pride for many people. The aesthetic part of the wine cellar then becomes as much important as the technical aspects.
This is where the design of a wine cellar becomes a significant part of the process. Volume, style, material, color and atmosphere, lighting and lay-out, all these aspects are supervised by the designer in accordance with the client’s taste and goals, it’s location in the living area, the required storage space and, of course, the budged. The options are endless…
As far as building materials are concerned, wood is frequently used for its nobility and traditional appearance and it also allows natural regulation of humidity. It is an excellent building material for the construction of racks, shelves and drawers in view of storage of wine accessories but also for the execution of decorative elements, such as moldings, carvings, cornices and pilasters. Wood can give any desired appearance to your cellar allowing all kind of different shapes and finishes. Natural stone is also frequently used as dressing material on floors and walls in order to give the cellar an authentic appearance. What about a stone sink giving an ancient appearance to the wine cellar tasting room?
Just a tip: trough a beautiful glazed, wooden or iron front door the inside of the cellar can be admired every day in a single flash. The use of glass and metal as building materials also open many possibilities in terms of modern decoration: transparent smoky glazed walls and glass shelves, showcases, and stainless steel dressed basements. Together with a polished concrete finish on the floor.. and success is guaranteed!
Lighting, primarily designed to meet the storage requisites of wine, can also be modified to create different types of atmosphere in the room. The fine tuning of the background lighting produced by recessed retro light within the cabinets will highlight the bottles all around the room. Enjoy the effect of a light beam on a bubble glass. It will also enhance the edges of the shelves in an elegant way, recessed floor lights will enhance the effect of volume….there are so many possibilities to increase the decoration of a wine cellar through lighting and make you enjoy the wonderful sight.
An endless number of solutions are available to realize a splendid custom wine cellar, either as a part of a larger project, or as a single project. FG DESIGN is specialized in the design and execution of different kinds of high-end turnkey wine cellars for private clients as well as in the luxury hotel and restaurant industry. FG design are specialists in French Riviera interior design, architect services and renovation. They are one of the members of Ellisium partners, the Luxury French property concierge company based on the French Riviera.
If you are looking to install a wine cellar or you want any help or advice regarding your french riviera property, contact ellisium partners today and we will put you in contact with the professional best placed to help.
