Jake Austad is one of the master designers for modern glass wine cellars in the Scottsdale area, and he has recently completed a project for a client and his team. This wine cellar is built in a transitional-style home combining modern and traditional elements to create an impressive display. The CWC Scottsdale team seamlessly blended these elements to create a unique and visually striking wine storage solution for their client. 

Modern Glass Wine Cellars that Add Elegance to the Dining Area 

glass enclosed wine cellar

Contemporary glass wine cellars like this one are perfect for residential and commercial settings.

Wood and glass elements are a good combination for modern glass wine cellars like this one, strategically placed between the client’s dining area and kitchen, with its entrance facing the dining room. The placement adds a touch of elegance while dining, as the owners and guests can easily access a variety of wine bottles that will pair nicely with their meals. The combination of wooden wine racks, luxurious glass walls, and doors creates a beautiful way of storing the wine bottles for the client. The central location of the wine room also makes it a convenient placement for entertaining visitors and hosting parties. 

LED Lighting Enhances the Visual Appeal of Alderwood Wine Racks 

Jake and his team utilized Alderwood in constructing the transitional wooden wine cellar racking system. Renowned wine cellar design companies like Custom Wine Cellars Scottsdale often use Alderwood in building wooden wine racks due to its natural beauty and grain pattern. They applied a dark stain to the Alderwood for this specific build, giving the wine racks a more sophisticated and polished appearance. The intricate grain pattern of the Alderwood stands out in contrast to the dark stain, producing a visually impressive effect. The overall look is impressive when the LED lighting illuminates the light tones of the wooden back panel. 

wood stained wine cellar racking system

CWC Scottsdale can mix traditional and modern designs for your wine cellar and racking system.

Maximizing Wine Storage in Modern Glass Wine Cellars 

The modern wooden racking of the glass wine cellar has a semi-symmetrical design that creates an organized and clean appearance. The left and right sides of the wine racks intersect at a right angle, and the horizontal racks are stacked on top of each other at both ends. At the center are the vertical racks with outward-facing labels. 

Above the wine racking system are square bis holding about ten bottles, each with a cork-forward orientation. Meanwhile, on the left side of the bins are single-deep, cork-forward racks. 

In addition to the racking system, a wooden center table made of dark-stained Alderwood is placed for decanting and enjoying the wines. The space below the table is used for storing wine cases as well. Despite the small area of the wine room, this modern wine racking system can hold up to 616 bottles, making it a highly efficient and striking storage space. 

Avoiding Condensation and Mold Growth in Your Wine Cellar 

Suppose you’re considering using glass for the walls and doors of your wine cellar. In that case, it’s vital to seek the expertise of professional wine cellar builders and designers like Jake Austad and Custom Wine Cellars Scottsdale. Not all types of glass are suitable for building modern wine cellars, as they can allow condensation to occur, especially if the cellar’s temperature and humidity fluctuate. 

A wine cellar environment prone to condensation is favorable to mold growth, which can compromise the sealing ability of the wine bottle corks, leading to oxidation and premature aging of the wines.  

To prevent these issues, they used ¾-inch insulated glass panels for the walls and doors of this wine cellar. A glass of this thickness can effectively block fluctuations in temperature and humidity from the outside, ensuring the wines are properly stored and preserved. 

modern wine cellar glass door and walls

The glass walls and doors for this modern wine cellar uses 3/4-inch thick glass panels to ensure quality storage of wines.

Noise-Free Wine Storage with Ducted Cooling Systems 

The team installed a split-type cooling unit from Wine Guardian for this project. This type of unit is composed of two separate parts: the condenser and the evaporating unit. The evaporator was installed on the ceiling soffit, while the condenser was ducted and placed outside the house. 

The Wine Guardian cooling unit is almost completely hidden inside the wine room, where the only visible component of the refrigeration system is the control panel for the thermostat. In addition to being discreet, the cooling unit operates quietly, with the ducting system efficiently muffling any noise from the motor and fans. This is a desirable feature for all wine cellar owners, as the noise from a cooling unit can be distracting while enjoying wine inside the cellar. 

To guarantee that the wines are stored and aging correctly, it is essential to maintain a temperature of 55°F to 57°F and a humidity level of 60%. These conditions prevent compromising the wine cellar and mold growth. 

Avoiding Mold Growth in Your Wine Cellar with Proper Construction Techniques 

Hire professional wine cellar builders. Working with experts when constructing modern glass cellars such as Custom Wine Cellars Scottsdale is crucial. Before beginning the construction process, our team of experts will first perform a heat load calculation to determine the appropriate refrigeration system for the wine room accurately. The calculation helps to identify the BTUs needed to cool the cellar space effectively. Skilled professionals will ensure that your wine cellar is built to industry standards. 

The application of spray foam is recommended in building wine cellars. Applying spray foam insulation to the cellar wall cavities helps prevent the formation of water droplets within the walls. The spray foam is very effective in shielding the wine cellar from heat exposure and mold growth.  

Use ¾-inches thick insulated glass panels. Our team recommends insulated glass panels at least ¾ inches thick for your wine cellar. It can be challenging to install the glass panels if the team handling your project lacks knowledge or experience building contemporary wine cellars with glass walls or materials. Jake Austad and CWC Scottsdale are seasoned experts in designing and building glass-enclosed wine cellars and know how to choose the appropriate materials and ensure proper installation. 

Bring Your Wine Cellar Vision to Life with Professional Wine Cellar Builders 

Constructing modern glass wine cellars with a transitional design can be demanding, but you can easily overcome any potential difficulties with the help of professionals. Our team at Custom Wine Cellars Scottsdale and their expertise will guide you through building your dream wine cellar with an effective cooling system. 

We offer a free 3D design service to help you get started in building a custom wine cellar for your home. Contact us now at +1 (602) 399-7220 and get started to create a unique and functional space for storing and enjoying your wine collection. 

One of the Best Modern Glass Wine Cellars We’ve Ever Built!