Building a custom Adelaide wine cellar beneath one of the city’s charming cottages is a journey that reveals a hidden opportunity. We embarked on this journey to transform our under-house area from a simple storage space into a true, purpose-built cellar. This case study covers the development of our Adelaide wine cellar, from the science that guided us to the visual transformation the photographs reveal.
The ‘Before’: Potential for our Adelaide Wine Cellar
Let’s start with where we began. As you can see in the ‘before’ photographs, the space was raw and purely utilitarian, defined by necessity. The walls were exposed brick, the lighting was a single, harsh bulb, and wine was stored in a jumble of mismatched racks and cardboard boxes. It was a place for storage, but not for appreciation.
Yet, even in these raw images, the potential was clear. The brickwork had character and the subterranean location promised natural coolness. This was our starting point: good bones waiting for a considered design to create the perfect Adelaide wine cellar.
The Climate Challenge for an Adelaide Wine Cellar
The primary goal is to defeat the four enemies of wine: fluctuating temperature, low humidity, light, and vibration.
Temperature & Humidity
The most critical factor is defeating temperature fluctuation. The ideal for any wine cellar in Adelaide is consistency. Herein lies our secret weapon: geothermal data shows the subsurface soil temperature holds steady at approximately 16-19°C year-round. By heavily insulating the walls and, crucially, the ceiling, we isolate the cellar from both the volatile surface air and the temperature of the house above. This passive method does the heavy lifting, and also helps maintain an ideal humidity of 50-70%, which keeps corks from drying out.
Light & Vibration
UV light can degrade wine, which is why a windowless, subterranean cellar provides the total darkness needed. Furthermore, it isolates the collection from subtle vibrations which can disturb the slow, delicate process of sediment settling during aging.
Honouring a Local Tradition: Adelaide’s Cellaring Heritage
Building a cellar is tapping into a rich local history. In the pre-refrigeration era, cellars were an essential feature in the grand bluestone villas and larger homes of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Beyond these domestic spaces, our region is home to some of Australia’s most significant wine vaults.
- Penfolds Magill Estate: Located right in suburban Adelaide, it was here that Max Schubert secretly developed Penfolds Grange in the historic cellars.
- Henschke, Eden Valley: The historic stone cellars at Henschke are as iconic as the legendary Hill of Grace Shiraz aged within them.
- Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant: A stunning contemporary example in the Adelaide Hills, housing an award-winning list of thousands of bottles.
The Blueprint: Design, Construction, and Materials
With the climate controlled, the focus shifted to the interior build. This involved careful material selection and construction techniques designed for longevity.
A Tale of Two Timbers: Red Cedar and Tasmanian Oak
A careful selection of two classic Australian timbers was made: Red Cedar for the ceiling and Tasmanian Oak for all the cabinetry. The ceiling is lined with Australian Red Cedar (Toona ciliata), a timber prized since colonial times for its rich, warm colour and natural resistance to moisture and decay. Its lightweight nature makes it ideal for ceiling applications, and unlike more pungent cedars, its subtle aroma doesn’t interfere with the delicate environment required for aging wine.
For the high-strength racking, solid Tasmanian Oak was the clear choice. A 500-bottle collection can weigh over 700 kilograms, requiring exceptional strength. Interestingly, ‘Tasmanian Oak’ is the trade name for three distinct species of eucalypt, all known for their durability and stability. Its neutral character ensures no unwanted aromas are imparted to the wine, while its strength easily handles the immense weight of a full collection, promising decades of reliable service from this Adelaide wine cellar.
Insight: How to Calculate Your Cellar’s Bottle Capacity
A widely used rule of thumb is that one square metre of wall space can accommodate approximately 100 bottles. Here’s a simple formula:
Total Wall Area to be Racked (in m²) x 100 ≈ Max Bottle Capacity
Pro-Tip: This rule works for standard bottles. For wider Burgundy and Champagne bottles, you may only fit 70-80 per square metre. Plan accordingly!
The ‘After’: Our Dream Adelaide Wine Cellar Comes to Life
The final result showcases a complete transformation into a refined and welcoming cellar. This photograph allows us to break down the success of our design.
The Ceiling and Lighting: The first thing that draws the eye is the beautifully crafted ceiling, clad in warm Red Cedar with integrated downlights casting a soft, even glow.
Custom Racking and Storage: The haphazard shelving is gone, replaced with stunning, custom-built Tasmanian Oak joinery. Individual bottle racks create an organised library to manage our collection. It’s from cellars exactly like this that we source the rare and fine back-vintage wines you can experience at our special tasting events. To complement the individual racks, large diamond-shaped bins provide efficient bulk storage for full cases.
Materials and Textures: The rustic brick wall at the far end has been retained as a key feature, adding texture and a sense of history that contrasts beautifully with the clean lines of the new timber.
What these before and after photographs show is a journey from chaos to order. The selection of premium timber is not just aesthetic; it’s a structural and environmental choice. The layout isn’t just neat; it’s a bespoke system. What began as a raw space has been transformed into a technically proficient and beautiful environment, the perfect Adelaide wine cellar engineered to let wine evolve gracefully.