Wine cellars are the latest property trend

EuroCave Australia assisted Tim and Anastasia with the cooling system for their cellar on Channel 9’s ‘The Block’. This article, replicated below, was featured in ‘Domain’ on the use of Wine Cellars as the Latest Property Trend

Original Article From: Domain.com.au

During the past nine seasons, Channel 9’s The Block has embraced, accelerated and sometimes even been at the forefront of the latest interior and architectural trends.

And the unveiling of the show’s first wine cellars this season demonstrates it still has its finger on the pulse, with these oft-forgotten rooms an increasingly popular feature in luxury homes.

Gone are the days of keeping your wine in dusty boxes or at the back of a cupboard; temperature controlled rooms, wine racks and ambient lighting are now essential aspects of a top-quality home cellar.

The Block‘s executive producer Julian Cress said that the inclusion of wine cellars at the South Yarra apartments was a must for the type of buyers the contestants are trying to attract.

“Purchasers get really excited when they see where their wine collections can go and envisage themselves living in a place with a cellar,” he said.

Kay and Burton’s Nicole Gleeson agrees, saying that properties with a wine-storage facility have been popular among buyers at the top end of the market for some time.

Of the four cellars created on The Block this week, each had  a unique style, all sure to appeal to a range of wine buffs come auction day.

But Darren and Deanne’s cellar, along with their powder room and laundry, most impressed the judges, winning them their second room of the series.

Marie Bagnato, of Bagnato Architects, says  during the past eight years, wine cellars have become an increasingly common request in her client’s briefs.

“[Wine cellars are] a little bit more of a luxury item, so when people are doing large renovations or new houses and the budget is fairly expensive, it is something that they want as part of the overall package,” she said.

Traditionally, cellars were dug deep into the ground like the historic wine caves in Europe, but Ms Bagnato says the price can change drastically from a couple of extra thousand for a cellar above the ground, to an extra $100,000 to put it underground.

Tania MacPhee of EuroCave, which supplied Tim and Anastasia with the cooling system for their cellar, has seen all sorts of spaces turned into cellars.

“Almost any space can be converted into a wine cellar, such as a pantry, cupboard or spare room,” she said.

“Cellars can also be built in garages. We have even seen an old water-tank converted into a wine cellar.”

To create a wine cellar, Ms MacPhee says you need a dedicated room or space that has good insulation and is temperature controlled to 14 degrees with high humidity.

Ms MacPhee warns against using too much glass in cellar designs because it is a poor insulator.

“Any glazing in a cellar needs to be double glazed with a special coating and argon filled.”