Time for Wine

If you remember those ubiquitous expanding wooden wine racks from the 1970s, you’ll be thrilled to hear that things have moved on apace. Storing your favourite tipple has now become an art in itself.

For wine storage that sits proudly on display, you could do worse than talk to ASH Ironworks, based at Powderham Park near Exeter. These are serious wine racks, made from mild steel, burnished and satin-lacquered.

ASH Ironworks has two standard racks available from stock in small and large sizes, which will grace any kitchen, whatever the décor. Blacksmith Andrew Hall says the forge also creates bespoke racks to order. “We made one recently for a property in London to fit into an archway at the side of a fireplace. For the archway on the other side, we made a bespoke log store.” The company also makes a charming stand that holds two bottles of wine and four glasses, ideal for an evening in by the fire with friends.  

If you’re into natural stone, check out the free-standing wine racks from Ardosia Slate of Gunn, North Devon. Managing Director Steve Pugsley explains that these wine racks are made from slate sourced from Brazil. “They’re cut from 100mm thick slabs so they’re superb for maintaining a consistent temperature.”

They look attractive perched on a kitchen worktop and there’s a choice of sizes, holding between three and 12 bottles. Racks holding up to nine bottles are kept in stock, with larger sizes custom-made. The benefit of a custom rack is that you get to choose the colour and shape of slate to complement the feel of your kitchen. And you can even have one made specially to fit in your barbecue area – plan now ready for next summer. If you’re posh enough to have a family crest, the Ardosia team can arrange for this to be engraved into your rack. In fact, any special message can be etched – a great idea for a wedding gift.

Homeowners contemplating a new kitchen are increasingly likely to include a wine cooler in their spec, says Matt Stirling of Yealm Kitchens in Newton Ferrers, who have been designing, manufacturing and fitting kitchens for 23 years. “They’re a nice option added to the end of an island, and with internal lights included, they really add an ambience.” Matt says that over recent years he’s noticed an increase in demand for dual zone coolers. “These are the ones that allow you to keep some of your wines slightly chilled – some customers like their reds a little cooler than room temperature – and others very chilled.” Matt highly recommends Caple, which offers a quality, well-priced range in black or stainless steel.

At the slightly higher end are Miele wine units and cabinets. With ‘positionable’ shelves for different sizes of bottle, these are just right for chilling those magnums of Champagne. You can personalise each rack via a magnetic strip coated with blackboard paint, useful for chalking up how many bottles you’ve got through, perhaps…

If you really want to impress your friends, you might consider installing a wine cellar. These days this doesn’t mean digging out the foundations of your house and building vast areas of wine racks. Instead, you could opt for a funky in-floor ‘pod’, such as that from Wine Cellar Pod.

Sales Manager Mark Sarginson explains: “While wine cellars are a great idea, many people don’t need storage for huge numbers of bottles. We came up with the concept of a unit that is neatly installed in the ground.”

The pod is not a refrigerator as such, but takes on the temperature of the ground, keeping wine nice and cool. It holds a convenient 81 bottles – which should keep you going for a week or two. Incorporating a thick Perspex lid, and cold, remote-controlled LED lights, this super little invention will create a focal point for any room in the house, and will certainly prove to be a talking point.

For the last word in wine storage, talk to Alto Interiors of Tavistock, who will create your very own wine room for you. Owner and designer Les Armstrong says a wine room is highly insulated and sealed, so it can be kept at optimum temperature and humidity to create cellar conditions. So, start saving – a recent project by Alto Interiors cost £45,500 including building work, furniture and interior works including a cellar conditioning unit. But for perfect wine storage? It’s got to be worth it.

“Storing your favourite tipple has now become an art in itself“