A sleek trend has cropped up in homes new and old alike over the past few years: wine collections, once banished to a dim wine room underground or stashed away in a closet-turned-cellar, are receiving their time in the spotlight. No longer are wine connoisseurs keeping their prized possessions hidden away. Instead, they turn to custom, glass-enclosed wine rooms and let their esteemed collections serve as a beautiful focal point that is equal parts form and function.
“People want to see their wine and have easy access to it,” says Tom Basile, owner of Precision Glass in Eatontown, N.J. “They’re moving their collections from the cellar to the main viewing room. Wine is no longer being buried in the basement.”
Glass-enclosed wine rooms are a modern statement piece. Built from tempered safety glass, they can be made-to-order to fit spaces of all dimensions. “I find them in every manor, from small houses to large estates, in rooms of all sizes, from great rooms to dining rooms. Some people even create a dedicated wine tasting area in their house,” says Basile, who designs around 100 units a year at Precision Glass.
Of course, there are a few considerations to be mindful of before installing a glass-enclosed wine room. First, you have to assess how much space you can actually dedicate to it. “Oftentimes, the space will dictate what you can and can’t do,” Basile explains. For example, rolling door systems, where a door slides smoothly across a track, requires more space than a hinge door system, which can be built into any room. Precision Glass specializes in wine rooms of all sizes, from small cases that showcase a few choice bottles, to striking rooms that hold hundreds of vintages.
Then come the features. For the recreational wine drinker, a minimalistic, unadorned glass display case may be the right fit, while serious oenophiles may consider investing in climate control and a safety lock system. The wine racks themselves become a part of the visual experience, too, Basile explains, and range in materials from acrylic to wood. Additionally, the tempered glass has the option to be tinted, making the wine room fully customizable to your vision.
From the creation of the original template to installation, a glass-enclosed wine room takes one to two weeks at Precision Glass. And one thing’s for sure: your glass-enclosed room will age like a fine wine, adding style, sophistication and functionality to your home for years to come.