A home built around wine

An unlikely combination, perfectly balanced

The design centerpiece of the upper level is a feature that required both creative ambition and precise engineering: two climate-controlled wine cellars positioned on either side of a fireplace, forming a single dramatic focal point in the room.

A 55-degree wine cellar and an open fire are, by their nature, in conflict. We took this challenge on board without hesitating. Extensive insulation was required on both sides to ensure the thermal integrity of the cellars remained, without compromising the warmth of the fireplace experience. The two had to coexist without interfering with each other, a problem of both physics and aesthetics.

The result is quietly impressive. The warm glow of the fire and the amber light of the wine bottles create a visual warmth that draws you into the space. It is a focal point that works on multiple levels: functionally, as two serious storage environments; and emotionally, as a centerpiece that makes the room.

Clean lines and considered detail

The design language across the project was set early: clean lines, no ornate details, and a material palette that felt contemporary without being cold. The homeowners and their designer were clear on this direction, and every material decision was made in its service.

Acrylic features throughout as a deliberate design element, as both supports and end panels that catch the light like jewelry. It adds a sparkle and something special to what could otherwise have been purely functional structures. Alongside acrylic, the palette includes aluminum, millwork wrapping, and low-iron starfire glass. Each material was carefully balanced with tile and stone work elements, and served a purpose within what are, in some cases, quite compact spaces.

Functionality was built into the aesthetic rather than bolted on. Service access panels are integrated into the millwork with deliberate gaps that read as part of the design. A panel at the top of each cellar that allows maintenance without disrupting the visual continuity of the installation.

The lower cellar introduces its own design details, including dedicated magnum box storage, accommodating the larger format bottles that a serious collector inevitably accumulates.

Engineering five cellars in a home built into a mountain

The largest challenge on this project was not aesthetic; it was logistical. The house is built into a mountainside, and with five separate climate-controlled cellars requiring individual cooling systems, the placement of condensing units became an exercise in problem-solving that required numerous iterations.

Line set length, the maximum distance a condensing unit can run from the cellar it serves, was a particular challenge. In a standard residential project, this is rarely a factor. Here, with the home's unusual topography and the sheer number of systems required, it shaped the entire mechanical design.

The solution for the lower cellar was unconventional: the condensing unit was placed under the stairs, a configuration Heritage Vine had not used before, but which became the only viable option given the constraints of the space. Each of the five cellars has its own independent cooling system, allowing separate temperature controls and genuine flexibility for the collector.

Maximum capacity, minimum visual noise

With five cellars and a combined capacity approaching a thousand bottles, the storage design had to be as efficient as it was beautiful. The guiding principle was minimalist: not a lot of variation, maximum capacity from minimum space.

The racking system used throughout is designed three bottles deep rather than single depth, a decision that dramatically increases bottle count without expanding the footprint. The system also accommodates larger format bottles natively, meaning champagne and magnums can be stored in the same configuration as standard bottles without requiring a separate bespoke solution.

This approach reflects a core Heritage Vine principle: practical wine storage and visual impact are not in competition. Rather, the right system, executed with discipline, delivers both.

What makes this project stand apart

After ten years of building wine cellars, Heritage Vine had never delivered five climate-controlled cellars in a single home. Red Rock Cellars is, by any measure, a landmark project.

What makes it stand apart is not just the scale; it is the sustained quality of decision-making across a project that ran for years, involved multiple trades, and required Heritage Vine to coordinate with millworkers, tile installers, glaziers, and mechanical contractors across numerous on-site meetings.

The low-iron starfire glass used throughout, a crystal-clear glazing that avoids the green tint of standard glass, saw significant price fluctuations over the course of the build. Managing material costs, storing components safely over extended periods, and maintaining design integrity through changes in pricing and supply require project management capabilities that few installation businesses can offer.

For the homeowners, the budget was secondary to the outcome. These cellars are pieces of art as much as storage environments, and Heritage Vine treated them accordingly. The result is a home where wine is not stored out of sight, but celebrated at every turn.