You have a GREAT web site! I have enjoyed looking at peoples cellars and at the other stuff you two do. I thought I would share the pictures and saga of my cellar which you may use if you like.

I've been racking my wines in a walk-in closet for years. I recently decided to create a temperature controled cellar because my collection has grown recently (stock piling the '94s) and we recently moved to a nicer home in a nicer neighborhood that the only walk-in suitable had two outside facing walls. This would be far too warm, so we decided to do it right.

The closet is 46 inches deep, 80 inches wide and 8 feet high. I used construction foil covered foam boad, one inch thick, sealed the seams and corners with aluminum tape. I covered the insulation with mahogany panneling. I purchased the "opticool" unit from IWA which is rated for 300 cubic feet, I have 144 cubic feet, so the unit never strains to do its work.

Although it is not huge, I wanted the mystique of being able to walk inside my cellar, I think it will hold around 700 bottles if it comes to the need. I have about 300 bottles with plenty of space to grow.

Here are some pictures of the process:

1: needacellar - most of our inventory out in the room while I constructed the cellar.

2: - insulation is installed

3: - mahogany panneling is installed

4: - from outside, you see the vent from the "Opticool" unit

5: - Jake inspects for cellar rats

6: - straight in view, a few larger formats

7: - view from left angle

8: - looking down from above in the left rear corner

9: - inside right rear, a display plus temp/humidity guage

10: - inside looking to the left

11: - inside looking left and up

12: - a pleasing sight inside our cellar

If you have questions about his cellar .. your can reach Chuck at criley1@ix.netcom.com.

We thank him for his great pictures. These go to show that you can really have a fine collection in a very economic amount of space ... and it looks like his Scotty Dog approves also !!

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