What do you do if you have just a crawl space and have an incredible love of wine? Well of course you have to hand dig the basement out (or pay someone to :) and then build an incredible bar, tasting area, and of course a 1,000+ bottle custom wine cellar!
The wine cellar consists of two windows and a wrought iron mahogany door. As you enter into the wine cellar you are greeted by an original hand painted mural of the family home in Tuscany. Custom wine racks consist of display rows, individual diamond bins, horizontal display for Magnums, and mill work to conceal a small storage area.The room is warm and yet serves the greater purpose as the main focal point of an incredible basement.Lets catch up with Dan, the home owner:
How long have you been collecting?
About 4 years
What if any was your epiphany wine?
Nothing specific, maybe a Rhone Valley CDP
What was your first wine cellar or fridge?
SubZero, two zone under-counter fridge
How big is your collection?
Approximately 900 bottles
Favorite region?
Tuscany or Rhone Valley
Any region or varietal you are exploring?
California Syrah, Rhone rangers, Paso Robles
Your trophy wine?
Sassicaia
If the house is burning and you can only grab 3 wines what would they be and why?
3 magnums, 2006 Sassicaia, 2006 Ornellaia, 2004 Soldera Brunello, great vintages from 3 great producers
Favorite food and wine pairing?
Veal Chop and Brunello
Favorite region to visit?
Tuscany
Favorite restaurant for wine dinners?
Fiorino, Summit NJ
Greatest value in the market today?
Australian Shiraz
Where do you see your collection growing to?
Probably not much larger than 1,000 bottles
Do you acquire wines by auction?
No
How often do you use the tasting room/wine cellar?
Twice a month on average
What is your favorite part of the cellar?
The mural of my father’s house in Italy
Please describe your wine cellar.
Light mahogany racking, tile floor, I have mostly Italian, French and California wines with some Spanish mixed in
Anything else you would like to add please do?
Joseph and Curtis are the best