Wine Cellar Shelving: How To Choose The Right One

Have you also reached an impasse in deciding what kind of shelving suits your wine cellar the best? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. In this short guide, we’re going to help you decide which type of wine cellar shelf is the perfect choice for your wine cellar.

Wine cellar shelving is an important piece of any wine cellar, especially when the goal is to highlight the beauty and elegance of a wine collection. Not only is it a good conversation starter, but it also reflects the owner’s enthusiasm and love for either wine collecting or wine drinking.  

Take note: you don’t need to be a wine connoisseur to build a beautiful wine cellar from the comforts of your home. Anyone who enjoys wine and would like to start a collection can have a custom wine cellar that serves their needs and looks beautiful at the same time. 

If you’re looking for wine cellar shelving and racking that’s made to preserve the traditional style of the old world, or if you’d rather implement cutting-edge and modern styles, such as metal and glass, we can take care of everything you’ll need.

An impressive custom row display wine rack with lighting in California

Choose the Material for your Wine Cellar Shelving

The first step towards choosing the perfect shelf for your wine cellar is by picking the right material that matches your chosen theme and fits in well with the décor of your home of business.

Wood is a popular choice for those who want to keep the traditional feel of a wine cellar, while metal and glass are the perfect pair if you’re going for a contemporary look. If you prefer something in the middle, with a transitional design you have the flexibility to mix them together to create something personal and unique

Many of our customers have custom wine cellars that combine wood with glass to take advantage of all the available materials and keep the feel of the old and the new. Although they’re not for everyone, when done right they can make a residential or commercial wine cellar stand out from the rest.

Choose the Style of the Wine Cellar Shelving that Suits Your Theme

Once you’ve decided the overall feel for your custom wine cellar, it’s time to choose a style and materials for the shelving. Among the many styles available, there are three that are the most prominent, namely full height, stackable, and wall-mounted. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages and we’re going to discuss them all.

Full-Height Wine Cellar Shelves 

Traditional classy wine cellar with full-height wine shelf

Full-height wine cellar shelves are very popular and come in multiple varieties. They can go as high as your ceiling for the maximum bottle storage capacity. This sort of wine storage shelving can incorporate a cork-forward or a label-forward orientation, whichever you prefer. 

Sometimes, wine cellar owners use the top half of a full-height wine shelf for other purposes, such as wine tasting nook, storage for wine boxes, or a display for wine glasses. We’ve even created wine storage units that also contain a cigar humidor. Whatever you’re looking for, we can design and build it! 

A full-height style gives you the option to be creative while still allowing for a maximum amount of wine bottle storage. It’s a nice starting point for first-time wine cellar owners, as they combine an elegant look and feel with efficient and effective wine bottle storage. 

Stackable Wine Cellar Shelves

Stackable modern glass wine cellar shelving

As the name suggests, you can stack wine cellar shelving units on top of one another for flexibility and optimum capacity in your wine cellar design. If you have a large wine collection with thousands of bottles, or if you want to reserve more space for future collections, this approach allows you to update and redesign your storage layout more easily.

The most common is the column stackable shelf. They can accommodate lots of bottles and are available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. You can also take advantage of curved corner shelves, making sure every space of the wine room is used, either for bottle storage or for displays of art or personal décor.

From the floor up to the ceiling, a stackable wine shelf can also feature diamond bins that further maximize the space for wine bottles. Many custom wine cellar owners use bins like these to store large amounts of a favorite vintage or varietal. “X-bins” hold a large number of bottles, but it can be difficult to access bottles on the bottom without moving the bottles on top. 
You can also build a display or a wine tasting nook right at the center of a wine cellar shelf if you want to add a personal touch to your storage. These nooks come in very handy if you enjoy opening a bottle with friends for a tasting.

Wall-Mounted Wine Cellar Shelves 

Wall-mounted wine racks can come in horizontal and vertical orientations

One reason why you’d want wall-mounted shelving is for the purpose of showing off a jaw-dropping display in a minimalistic way. They don’t occupy floor space, so they are also great space savers. Outside storage capacity, wall-mounting is an effective way to showcase the beauty of exquisite wine collections.

A wall-mounted wine shelving unit simply requires an empty wall or even a corner space. There are many styles and options available, and we can help you choose the right one for your own needs and desires. The different options allow for a huge amount of flexibility in design. These shelving units can be used in a kitchen or dining room, for easy access to your favorite bottles. They can bring life and utility to any empty space. 

Wall-mount wine cellar shelves are available in both metal and wood. Wooden wall-mounted units promote a traditional and classic feel of a wine cellar while still adding a touch of the 

Get a Reliable Wine Cellar Builder

There’s more to wine cellar designing and building than choosing the right shelves. Improper storage conditions can lead to moldy and spoiled wines when taking a few extra steps can ensure that your collection is housed and protected effectively for years to come. It’s definitely worth the investment to choose a builder that can provide you an effective, beautiful, elegant, and secure way to store wine bottles as they age. 

Coastal Custom Wine Cellars is an expert group of builders and designers that’s been in the wine cellar industry for many years. Whether it’s for long-term storage, entertaining friends and family, a commercial application such as restaurants or hotels, or something else, we have been at forefront of some of the famous and biggest wine cellars in California. We specialize in all elements of custom wine cellars, including wine cellar shelving. We are here to help design, build, service, and maintain all types of wine storage systems, including cooling systems, insulation, vapor barriers, doors, flooring, lighting, and lots more. 

We’re excited to talk with you about your ideas for your custom wine cellar, and we’re always glad to answer any questions you have about custom wine cellar shelving or any other aspects of wine cellar design and construction. Contact us today at +1 (949) 200-8134 or just click here to get started!