A fine vintage

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Wine cellars don't have to be hidden away. This cellar can be enjoyed from an adjoining library

View of contemporary kitchen with dark wooden flooring, countertop, dining room, interior design, kitchen, real estate, black — View of contemporary kitchen with dark wooden flooring, marble benchtops and exposed ceiling beams.

View of contemporary kitchen with marble benchtops, wooden countertop, estate, interior design, kitchen, real estate, red, orange

View of contemporary kitchen with marble benchtops, wooden countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, red, orange

This country house features a covered lanai designed ceiling, countertop, flooring, home, interior design, kitchen, lighting, room, brown

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View of wine rack and stone flooring. - ceiling, interior design, lobby, wine cellar, winery, red, black

View of wine storage with stone flooring. - ceiling, floor, flooring, hardwood, home, interior design, lighting, room, wall, wood, wood flooring, red

View of wine storage. - View of wine interior design, liquor store, restaurant, wine cellar, winery, brown, red

View of wooden floor, ceiling, walls and bookshelf. bookcase, cabinetry, furniture, interior design, shelving, red

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There is a long tradition associated with wine appreciation and storage. From the caves of Bordeaux to the underground vaults in the Chianti district of Italy, wine is treated with the utmost respect by true connoisseurs.

Today, many homeowners have cellars for their wine collections, which usually include a tasting area. But, more often than not, these rooms are hidden away in basements and they can be too cold to linger for long.

However, with modern climate-control systems, there's no need to hide a wine collection in the basement, as this project illustrates. The owners of the large, alpine-style residence, say they wanted to enjoy the full sensory input of the cellar not just the bouquet and taste, but also the visual aesthetics.

Architect Hamish Cameron of Archimedia, who worked on the project with Preston Stevens of 2 Arc Studio, positioned the cellar behind large glazed doors in the wood-panelled library. The wine is stored in Tasmanian oak shelving precision built by Andrew Bellamy of Wood Solutions.

In keeping with tradition, the wine cellar has a shallow vaulted ceiling with a decorative paint finish. There is also an arched door leading to a circulation passage that runs along the north side of the house. The arch form is repeated in a mirrored niche for wine tasting. Warm, rust-toned walls enhance the welcoming ambience. Schist flagstones a local material that features elsewhere in the house further reference traditional cellars.

In the library, the flooring is dark-stained French oak. Designed as an intimate reading room with a large fireplace, the library has no windows, except for two high dormers. But there are large doors opening to the glazed circulation passage. Furnishings in both the library and the rest of the house have sutble tones that reflect the colours of the local schist.