With over 40 years of experience designing and building custom wine cellars in Denver and nationwide, we specialize in creating optimal conditions for storing, aging and displaying fine wine collections. We design custom wine cellars and manufacture Le Cache wine cabinets and CellarPro cooling units, combining extensive industry expertise with advanced engineering resources. Our team is ready to help you build a properly constructed cellar that can withstand Denver's low humidity and cold winters.
Proper temperature and humidity control are essential for preserving wine, especially in dry climates like Denver. Humidification may need to be integrated into the cooling system to keep corks moist and prevent them from shrinking or becoming crumbly.
Cool, constant temperatures in the range of 55-60˚F are ideal for storing and aging wines. Specialized wine refrigeration equipment is designed to maintain correct temperatures and conditions in hot, cold and temperate environments.
Refrigerated wine cellars should be built with a vapor barrier and exterior-grade doors to ensure that the cellars are airtight when the doors are closed.
As the air becomes less dense, altitude can reduce the performance of refrigeration equipment above 4500 ft, and should be considered when sizing the equipment.
To compensate for intense winter weather, Denver wine cellars need to be constructed as a highly insulated, airtight space with a flawless vapor barrier wrapped around the exterior.
Once the sealed environment is ready, a climate control system needs to be properly configured and installed for optimal efficiency. It is important not to rush through construction, since the performance of the cellar must be stable long-term in a challenging climate.
To counteract Denver's cold winter temperatures, wine cellars should be constructed with the best and thickest insulation available. This reduces the cellar's thermal load, which in turn decreases the cooling unit's runtime, power consumption and energy bills.
Correctly sizing the cooling unit is especially important in climates that drop below 55˚F. Along with the size of the cellar, factors such as the type and amount of insulation, the desired cellar temperature and the surrounding exterior temperature all significantly impact the cellar's thermal load.
Display your bottles with sleek, label-forward metal wine racks that can be mounted on walls or installed as free-standing columns attached to the floor and ceiling. Add LED lighting to highlight display rows and backlighting to set the mood inside your cellar.
For a classic cellar vibe, nothing compares to the warmth of wood wine racks. Available in a variety of species like mahogany, redwood, alder, and oak, wood wine racks can be finished in a choice of water-based stains, and sealed with lacquer to protect the wood.
We share your passion for wine! With over 40 years of experience designing and building custom wine cellars, we understand the care and dedication required to preserve fine wine collections.
Whether you're converting a closet, renovating a basement, or adding a glass-enclosed wine cellar to your living room, we've done it all—and we're ready to bring our expertise to your project.
We source only the highest-quality components through our network of leading suppliers, ensuring your dream cellar is built with the best materials. If you encounter any challenges, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Will my cellar require a cooling unit in Denver?
Denver's cold weather and dry climate make it difficult to maintain a stable temperature (low to mid-60s) with stable humidity year-round. Therefore, a wine cooling unit is necessary in most custom wine cellars in Denver.
Will I need to add humidification to my cellar?
Denver can get quite dry, so an integrated humidifier may be needed, especially in larger wine cellars. Because they can be expensive and require a water line, humidifiers may not be feasible for smaller cellars. Instead, increasing the temperature setpoint, maximizing the (evaporator) fan speed, and adding thermal mass inside the cellar will reduce the cooling unit’s runtime and help increase humidity.
Should I account for altitude when selecting refrigeration equipment for my cellar?
At higher altitudes, the air becomes less dense because fewer molecules are packed into the same volume of air. Above 4,500 feet, this reduction in air density becomes significant enough to impact the fan’s cooling performance, as less air mass is available to transfer heat. Therefore, an altitude correction factor should be included when selecting the refrigeration equipment.
How do I find the right cooling unit for my wine cellar?
Many factors influence the correct sizing and selection of a cooling unit. The size of the cellar is important, but other factors are equally important, including:
For example, a 100-cubic-foot cellar with R19 insulation will have different cooling needs than a 100-cubic-foot cellar with glass on three walls.
If your unit is too small, it will struggle to maintain the desired temperature in your cellar, and will burn out sooner than desired from being overworked.
For accurate sizing, we recommend using a sizing calculator provided by one of the major cooling unit manufacturers. (TIP: Use the sizing calculator of the manufacturer whose cooling unit you intend to purchase. Different manufacturers have different sizing conventions, and they don’t necessarily cross reference.)
Our resource article Choosing the Right Cooling System provides further information on this topic. If you are building a wine cellar within a compact space, visit Small Custom Cellars to learn more.
I have a basement, is that the best place for a wine cellar?
If you have a basement, it typically will have cooler and less variable temperatures as compared to above-ground spaces. The cooler temperature will reduce the size of the cooling unit required for the space, all else being equal. Remember that concrete walls will need a vapor barrier and insulation, because concrete is porous and has poor thermal properties. Learn more in our article about Building a Basement Cellar.
