WINE
Gone are the days of descending into the wine cellar, eventually emerging with dusty prized vintages to share with guests in the main living areas. More recently, cellars have evolved into tasting rooms for small-scale gatherings. Today’ s cellars, while still intimate venues, have been upgraded to host dinners, with the family’ s wine collection on full display.
LED lighting artfully shows off the bottles without the damaging heat. An indoor wall fountain or waterfall can provide needed humidity as well as serve as a statement piece. Dishwashers have been installed to clean stemware in situ, alongside heating ovens to keep each course of the meal warm. Some of the features of an outdoor kitchen, a trend of years past, are going underground.
Alternatively, wine cellars aren’ t necessarily even in the cellar anymore. Wines can now be displayed on the main floor behind glass wall, allowing a full appreciation of the scope of a collection— yet in a controlled environment— so that guests need not cope with the chilly temperatures that wines require.
“ Many of today’ s wine collectors are not only looking to maximize storage of their wines, they are also seeking out tailored décor to display their collection artfully while complementing their home’ s interior design. Wine cellars and tasting rooms are also increasingly an important aspect of the serious collector’ s home and may feature special finishes such as imported marble and decorative stone.”
Per Holmberg, Head of Wine, Americas, Christie’ s
SPIRITS
The boom in“ bespoke” cocktails and collectible spirits— bourbon, scotch, rum, tequila— breathed new life into the in-home bar as an entertainment centerpiece. Rivaling anything found in a six-star hotel in both size and popularity, meaning bars are bigger than ever before.
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