What a Custom Wine Cellar Is
A custom wine cellar is a room designed and built for one collection and one house: its size set by the bottles you keep and the ones you plan to, its conditions held at 55 to 58 degrees for as long as you own it, and its materials chosen so that it reads as part of the home rather than an addition to it. Everything on this site is about building that room properly.
This guide is the map. It explains what separates a custom cellar from wine storage, walks through the styles we build and where each belongs, sets out how a cellar is designed, built and delivered, and points to the detailed guides on cost, construction and choosing a company. Read it first, then go where your project takes you.
We have designed and built custom wine cellars for residences, restaurants and private clubs for three decades, and we speak plainly about what matters: the envelope, the cooling, the racking and the room they make together.
Ready to start? See how we design and build custom wine cellars for every kind of space.
What Separates a Custom Wine Cellar From Wine Storage
Wine storage is anywhere bottles are kept. A custom wine cellar is a controlled environment built to keep them for decades. Six things make the difference.
The envelope
Insulated walls and ceiling, a vapour barrier on the warm side, a sealed door. This is what lets the room hold its conditions, and it is the first thing money should protect.
Cooling
A system sized to the room and its glass, holding 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit and 55 to 70 percent humidity, quietly, with its heat rejected somewhere it does no harm.
No openings
No windows to the outside, no uncontrolled vents, no daylight. Every penetration sealed.
Racking built for the collection
Fitted to the room and the bottle formats, anchored to structure, arranged so the wines you reach for are where you can reach them.
Lighting that protects
Cool LED, low in UV, on scenes, off when the room is empty. Our wine cellar lighting guide covers the specification.
Controls you can trust
Sensors that read the whole room, alerts that reach you, and a controller that keeps the conditions steady without attention.
Custom Wine Cellar Styles
Every custom cellar belongs to a style, and the style decides most of what follows: the materials, the racking, the light and the room it suits. Five we build, with the guide to each.
Traditional wine cellars
Wood racking, individual bottle slots and diamond bins, a room that feels like a cellar has always felt. The most capacity per square foot of any style. See our traditional wine cellars, built on Sommelier Select and The Curve.
Modern wine cellars
Metal and cable racking, label-forward display, restraint in materials. Designed to be seen from the living space. See our modern wine cellars, including Label Link, The PEG System and Lumina.
Glass-enclosed wine rooms
A conditioned room with insulated glass on one or more sides, so the collection is part of the room it faces. See our glass wine cellars and Opus.
Spiral wine cellars
A cylindrical cellar beneath the floor, entered by a spiral stair, for homes with no room to give. See our spiral wine cellars.
Under-stair and compact cellars
The void beneath a staircase or a converted closet, fitted with racking that follows the space. See our under stairs wine cellars and wine cabinets and closets.
For the full comparison of styles, with the cost band and climate demand of each, read wine cellar design styles.
Planning a Custom Wine Cellar
The art of planning a custom wine cellar is to make the decisive choices early, so the later stages feel inevitable. Four decisions come first.
Location
Score each candidate space for temperature stability, distance from the kitchen and mechanical equipment, and how it will be seen. Below grade favours capacity; the living spaces favour glass. Our basement wine cellar ideas and underground cellar guides cover the first; our glass wine cellars page covers the second.
Most of our residential wine cellars start in a space the homeowner already has.
Capacity
Count what you own, then design for five years of buying. Label-forward metal systems reach roughly 10 to 12 bottles per square foot of racking face; traditional slots sit closer to 8 to 10; case bins trade visibility for density. Keep the wines you pour now at eye and arm height.
Budget
The envelope is the first thing the budget protects; a tight shell means smaller equipment, less noise and a longer life. The door and glass come next, then the cooling system, then the racking. Our custom wine cellar cost guide sets out the ranges by style.
Timeline
Design takes two to six weeks; a residential build runs eight to twelve weeks on site, plus the lead time on racking and glass. Order the long items at the design stage.
Our six-step planning guide takes each of these further.
How a Custom Wine Cellar Is Built
A custom cellar is built in a fixed order, and the order is what protects the wine. The full sequence, stage by stage, is in our wine cellar construction guide; the shape of it is this.
Design
Drawings of the room, the racking, the wall assembly and the mechanical schedule. This is where problems are found cheaply.
Envelope
Framing, vapour barrier, insulation and finishes, complete and inspected before anything else arrives.
Equipment
The door and glass seal the room; the cooling system is fitted and tested once it can hold air; lighting and controls follow.
Racking and commissioning
Racking anchored to structure after the finishes are done, then the room run empty for a week at temperature and humidity before the wine goes in.
Choosing a Custom Wine Cellar Company
The company you choose decides whether the cellar holds its conditions in year ten. Four things to look for, with the detail in our guide to choosing a wine cellar company.
- Design and build under one roof, so the drawings, the envelope, the equipment and the racking are one responsibility.
- Racking made, not bought: a manufacturer of its own systems can fit the room rather than fit the room to a catalogue.
- A portfolio in your style, with projects you can visit or speak to the owners of.
- Warranty and service on the envelope, the equipment and the racking, with a maintenance path written down.
Our process covers all four, from the first consultation to the day the cellar is handed over.
Owning a Custom Wine Cellar
A custom cellar asks little once it is built, but it asks for it every year.
Service the cooling system
Annually: filters, coil, drain line and controller. A serviced system runs quietly for decades; a neglected one fails in summer.
Watch the numbers
Temperature and humidity, logged. A slow drift is the early sign of a seal, a door or a compressor that needs attention.
Keep the collection organised
Bin numbers that match your list, and above a thousand bottles, a simple inventory system. Our guide to what can be stored in a wine cellar covers what belongs in the room and what does not.
Keep the file
Drawings, equipment specifications, warranties and service records. They make the cellar serviceable, and they are what a buyer’s inspector asks for; see how a wine cellar adds home value.
Begin Your Masterpiece
Tell us about your collection and the room, and our wine cellar specialists will take it from there.
FAQs About Custom Wine Cellars
What is a custom wine cellar?
A room designed and built for one collection and one house: an insulated, climate-controlled space with racking fitted to the room and the bottles, holding 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit and 55 to 70 percent humidity for as long as the wine is kept.
What is the difference between a wine cellar and wine storage?
Storage is anywhere bottles are kept; a cellar is a controlled environment. The difference is the envelope, the cooling system and the racking, which together hold the conditions wine needs to age.
How much does a custom wine cellar cost?
It depends on the style, the size, the glass and the cooling system. Our custom wine cellar cost guide sets out the ranges by type of cellar; every project is quoted after design.
How long does it take to build a custom wine cellar?
Two to six weeks of design, then eight to twelve weeks on site for a residential room, plus the lead time on racking and glass. Complex glass rooms and commercial cellars take longer.
Which wine cellar style is right for my home?
Traditional for capacity and a classic room, modern or glass for display in the living spaces, spiral where there is no room to give, and under-stair or compact cellars for smaller collections. Our design styles guide compares them.
Where should a custom wine cellar go?
Below grade for the largest and most stable rooms, in view of the living spaces for glass cellars and wine walls, or in unused space such as under the stairs. The location has to support the cooling system and suit how the collection will be seen.
Do I need a specialist to build a wine cellar?
A general contractor can frame and finish the room, but the vapour barrier, cooling system and racking decide whether it works. Most projects pair a contractor with a wine cellar specialist who designs, builds and installs those parts.
How many bottles can a custom wine cellar hold?
Label-forward metal racking reaches roughly 10 to 12 bottles per square foot of racking face, traditional slots 8 to 10, and case bins more at the cost of visibility. A walk-in room holds anything from a few hundred bottles to several thousand.
Robb Denomme is the founder and CEO of Genuwine Cellars, North America’s leading designer and manufacturer of custom wine cellars for luxury residences, hotels, and commercial spaces. His entrepreneurial journey began at just 17, when he and his business partner launched their first wine cellar venture. Combining early construction experience with a deep appreciation for fine craftsmanship, Robb transformed a small local operation into a global enterprise serving elite clients across North America.
Under his leadership, Genuwine Cellars has become synonymous with luxury architecture, design excellence, artisanal precision, and innovation in climate-controlled wine storage. Over three decades, the company has pioneered bespoke cellar systems, integrated digital monitoring solutions, and cutting-edge materials that redefine the modern wine environment. Genuwine’s work now features in some of the world’s most exclusive homes, restaurants, and hospitality properties.
Robb continues to lead Genuwine’s vision for innovation and artisanal craftsmanship, shaping the industry’s standards for both technical performance, luxury, and aesthetic design. As a recognized authority on luxury cellar construction, Robb contributes insights on design trends, architectural integration, and advanced storage technologies.
Credentials & Experience
30+ years in luxury wine cellar design and manufacturing
Founder and CEO, Genuwine Cellars (est. 1995)
Featured in BDC’s Young Entrepreneur Awards and multiple national business publications
Collaborator with architects, builders, and designers across high-end residential and commercial sectors