Well.. Its finally done. At long last I finally have the wine cellar - or "The Man Cave" as the wife calls it - finished. The final capacity is about 550 bottles with two overstuffed chairs, and direct-to-outside ventilation to whisk away the cigar smoke. The folks at Grottocellars.com where a tremendous help, adjusting the plans as needed and making some key suggestions that truly show the years of experience they have. A local winery supplied me with a gorgeous barrel that sprung a leak after one vintage, and after a quick trip to the glass cutter, it stands as a wonderful table holding all of our mementos
from the various tastings we attend. The cellar is in my basement, and is 'Au Naturale', with no air conditioning at all. It stays between 60-65 degrees year-round, but varies in humidity from 65% to over 80% in the summer. This is definitely a cellar made for the short term enjoyment rather than long term investments. With the exception of some 40 year old ports, most of the wines are 10 years old or less, so I'm not overly concerned about the temperature/humidity of the room. I will admit that I did have the air conditioner framed out when it was built, so if I ever do change my mind, it will be simply having the A/C installed.
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