In Summary...

This project was a thrill. With careful planning and the proper expertise it went without a problem. It took about 4 days spread over two weeks to complete, and cost approximately $1700 in materials to build. Of that $1700 I'll only be eating $500 when I move, given I can take the racks and cooling unit with me.

If I did it all over again I would have found a way to cover the pink foam with either wallboard or paneling, and perhaps I would have splurged on better lighting. We'll only be in this house for 4-5 years, so I'll have a chance to do it again with the benefit of this experience.

All in all I'm very pleased with how it came out. After two years of having my wine stash sit in a remote location, it's a treat to be able to just walk downstairs to pick out a bottle for dinner. Prior to this I would pull 6-8 bottles at a time, trying to guess which I'd be interested in drinking over the next few months, and hope that none of them cook too badly at room temperature before I get a chance to open them.

Have a wine room is not without it's philosophical angle. To me it's an investment in the future... a demonstration of faith that there are good times to look forward to... and a new way to measure and reflect on the passing of time.

Happy Wine Hunting!

Statistics

Interior Dimensions: 80"w x 60"d x 94"h
Interior Volume:     261 cubic feet
Cooling Unit:        KoolSpace 300
Racking:             Redwood, 2 corner units, 2 diamond bins, 1 bottle rack
Total Racking:       620 bottles
Total Capacity:      700+ bottles
Insulation:          R20+ on all walls, R29 on the ceiling
Insulation Type:     Fiberglass in walls, interior lined with 2" foamboard
Interior Color:      PINK! PINK! PINK!
Costs:               $500 bldg materials, $540 racking, $640 cooling unit

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