Fequently Asked Questions

Why build a wine cellar?

That is a very personal question. For some it comes from their passion for wine. They have found a variety of wines they love and want to build a home for them so they can enjoy those wines for years to come. Some have built a wine cellar as an investment. They purchase high end wines that are cellared properly and then resell them at a later date for a profit. For commercial applications it is so they have the proper wines cellared for their customers.

You can also find more information in the book written by Richard M. Gold PH. D. which can be purchased at a variety of locations.

How to build a wine cellar?

The question most often asked is, "Can I put a wine cellar anywhere in the home?" The answer is yes, but the location that you choose will have a future impact on the cost of maintaining your cellar. A wine cellar should be placed in the coolest and most humid place in your home.

Learn more on how to build a wine cellar on our How To Build A DIY Wine Cellar page.

To answer the question on how to build a wine cellar we will save you from reading lots of text and you can watch this video from Whisperkool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAmVgY23jxE

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Wine Cellar

The answer to that question is going to be influenced greatly based off your vision of what that wine cellar is going to look like. There are customers who feel they can have a passive cellar based off their local conditions. You can build a room in that space and put some very inexpensive wine racks in it. You can build that space for well below $10,000. Most people prefer to go with a more traditional route and have a temperature and humidity-controlled space so let's go thru what that entails.

• You need to frame the room. So get the current price of studs in your area. Most rooms are build with studs 16/” on center.
• You need to insulate the room and most people choose closed cell foam insulation.
• You need to use greenboard as a minimum for the walls and ceiling. You could use tongue and groove as well, which will add to the cost.
• You will need to paint the walls if you use the greenboard.
• You need to seal the floor. Your choice of flooring option will be a factor in the cost.
• You need to purchase a wine cellar cooling unit. You will choose from a self-contained, ducted or ductless unit. Your choice of unit and options for that unit will determine the cost.
• Some units require you to hire an HVAC installer and others do not.
• Your choice of entryway will add in to the cost factor. You need to use an exterior grade door, but that can be made of wood, fiberglass, glass, metal and glass.
• Your lighting choice will be a factor in the cost. If you use can lights you will need to use IC can lights.
• You will need to have an electrician to run electric as needed for the space.
• Will you be designing the room and building it? If not you might need to hire an architect, builder, and\or remodeler to assist.
• You will then need to choose the racking. You can choose from wood, metal, or acrylic wine rack options. If you choose wood wine racks you will have to decide what wood you want for the wine racks. Then determine if you want to use a stain and\or lacquer finish on the wine cellar racking. You will have similar decisions to make with metal or acrylic options.



Based on your answer to those questions you can be looking at spending under $10,000, spending $500,000 or anywhere in between.