For most of us, learning about and appreciating wine is a slow and steady flow of discovery and experiences. If I remember correctly, I think my first experience with wine was with White Zinfandel and the 'jug' wine at our favorite Italian restaurant growing up in Kansas . We all have to start somewhere . . .

When I moved to California after college things began to improve overnight. When I could get away from my job in LA I would head north to visit the central coast wineries and especially loved the laid back areas of Paso Robles and Santa Ynez ( Santa Barbara ). I remember tasting my first Red Zinfandel at Pesenti, one of the oldest wineries in Paso Robles (since sold to a larger winery), and suddenly realized I had a lot of catching up to do. These modest folks were producing incredible wines for the money and would sit and talk with you for hours about how the grapes were farmed and produced into wine. I knew immediately I had found an exciting new hobby.

I began tasting varietals from all over California , and the world. And like most of us, when we find the ones we really like we buy 'a few extra bottles' to take home. Well, obviously the story continues to the point where I had more than a 'few extra bottles' at home and really needed a good place to store them. I began looking in the wine magazines and saw the uninspiring wine refrigerators that would cost me two months salary - I thought that was the rule of thumb for a wedding ring, not wine storage! I also considered designing a custom wine cellar but then I realized . . . I don't own my home. And besides, even if I had the money where would I find the space to install a wine cellar, we don't have basements in California .

So my next thought was to visit my new friends at my local wine shop who might offer other ideas. I admit they weren't much help with other storage options, but I did learn that a fully temperature controlled storage solution just wasn't necessary at this point for me with only 6-8 cases of wine that I would surely drink over the next year or so. Expensive climate control systems just aren't necessary unless you intend to store wines longer than 2-3 years, and then only for the more complex red wines. So why not just find an attractive cabinet that would look good in my Living Room or Dining Room where the temperature is a nice constant all year round and I would have easy access to selecting a bottle? I searched furniture stores for months and there were absolutely no appealing wine storage cabinets on the market. It was then that I realized it was time for a more sensible solution.

Today at Cellar Furniture, we design solid hardwood heirloom grade wine furniture for storage needs throughout your home. Our authentic pieces are also designed as the perfect alternative to the grid racking systems within your custom wine cellar. Our Wine Towers and Buffets can be used in multiple ensembles to complete a truly authentic décor within your Cellar, and that investment can relocate with you if you move. We sell our pieces factory direct to avoid the huge markups from furniture retailers. We also offer a courtesy to Wineries, Restaurants, and Interior Designers.

Now we can all be as passionate about our wine furniture as we are with our wine,



Steven Bell
President/Founder