Wine Cellar Design: Custom Racking vs. Racking Kits
by Marshall T., Wine Enthusiast Companies
As a Wine Storage Consultant, we often have customers ask us, “I’m thinking of building a wine cellar, should I use the designer kits or is it worth it to move to the custom level?” This is a question that comes up quite often when customers are determining their desired wine cellar racking style. There is not a clear answer to that, as everyone’s needs differ, and so do budgets. But hopefully I can shed some light on the situation for you.
Custom Wine Racks 
Let’s start with custom racking. This option is exactly what the name states: custom to your needs. Wine racking that can be made to fit the exact dimensions of your space. Any type and style of racking can be used in any combination you desire, as long as it is structurally sound and will support the racking as well as the wine (which is obviously a top priority!). Custom racking allows for a greater variety of wood styles, stains, and finishes, each giving the room a different look and feel. Custom racking is also a great way to maximize your space and capacity, as it ensures you can go floor to ceiling with your racking.
Designer Wine Rack Kits
Designer racking kits are basically a pre-fabricated version of the most popular racks used in the Custom series. There are many options of different racks to choose from (Individual, Diamond Bin, Waterfall, etc). You can see them all here in our Designer Wine Racks section. However, unlike the Custom series the racks all have set dimensions. Each full height rack in the series is 72” high (there are half heights also) and 13 ½” deep, while different racks have different widths. Since the dimensions are predetermined, they may or may not fit perfectly in your space the way Custom racking would. There are options for different woods and stains, but they don’t vary as much as custom.
So how do you decide: should I use Custom or Kits? If you are looking for simple storage, a cost-effective option, and are not as concerned maximizing the room’s capacity, but still want a nice wine cellar, the designer kits are for you. If you intend your cellar to be an important showcase room in your home, need to maximize your bottle capacity and would like to set up the racking exactly to your needs, then a custom wine cellar would be more your speed.
If you are still uncertain, simply contact call our Wine Storage hotline at 800-377-3330 and one of our Wine Storage Consultants will be glad to help you decide which type of racking is most suited to your needs.
Do you have a wine cellar in your home? I’d like to hear your comments about how you designed it. Leave a comment, and let us know!
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One Response to “Wine Cellar Design: Custom Racking vs. Racking Kits”
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April 28th, 2008 at 12:04:41 PM
In addition, we like to use California Redwood on both kits and custom for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it’s environmently friendly. There are almost 2 million acres planted and 26% is preserved in national and state parks. The remaining acreage are being well managed by independant third-party forest certification programs and 650 million new trees are being planted each year. In terms of the actual redwood being able to hold up in wine cellar, have no fear. Redwoods best attribute is the ability to withstand the test of time. Redwood is raised in the cool, damp forests of Northern California. It is naturally resistent to the cool, humid atmosphere desired for long term storage. It requires no finish or sealant, and over time darkens to a lustrious cinnamon color.