# Limited space cold room / wine storage build



## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

Like many, I was in need of a place to keep wine _(both finished and in process)_ in an appropriate temperature controlled environment, especially since I live near the Lodi CA AVA where temps in the summer often exceed 100F but can also go below freezing during some winter nights.

The issue for me, however, was space. Since I don't have a basement, and I don't have enough land to dig a cave _(even a small one)_, that meant I had to look to our house for a place to put the wine room/cold box. We already have 2 wine refrigerators, one filled with whites/champagnes (~120 btls) in our large storage closet _(minus the door for improved ventilation)_ and the other for the reds (~225 btls) in our "office." 
So, with no spare room inside, it meant that any cold box I wanted to build would need to be done in our garage. Problem with that remaining option, was that we park 1 of our vehicles inside and the rest of the 3 car garage is filled with lots of other stuff that had already been pared down. 

If I wanted to build in the garage, the space I would have to work with would be very small.

After doing some research, which started in 2016 with design ideas from The Homebuilt Winery by Steve Hughes, I began to buy supplies for the build in the summer of 2017 so that it would be finished in time for our first harvest of grapes from our backyard nano-vineyard.

It became apparent to me in the beginning that since my location was going to be tight, I would have to find an alternative to the typical door_ (or barn door)_ style entry that swings out. I would go with a pocket door instead. 

Here is my version of the ubiquitous "cold box" for which I store the wine I'm making _(& will store what is eventually bottled)_...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

The space...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

Had to be stepped if I wanted to take advantage of every inch towards the garage door I could...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

The look out towards the street showing width...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

The 6,250 btu window A/C unit with the sensor out _(eventually placed back through the wall outside the cold box)..._


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

The cold box finished, just in time for harvest/crush 2017...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

Inside, before crush...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

Inside, after crush. This was taken early last fall, I've since added several 6 gallon glass carboys for the 4 wine kits I'm making...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

Views of the pocket door, and close proximity to the garage door...


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## we5inelgr (Feb 7, 2018)

I'll be making a few minor changes, probably sometime this spring. One will be installing larger, more recessed pocket door handles and the other will be to add another shelf along the back wall. I'm also thinking of switching out the automatic LED lights I have mounted inside for some LED's that are a little more powerful. The current LED's are adequate, but something brighter would be better.

Cheers!


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## mainshipfred (Feb 7, 2018)

Looks like you made the best of what you had to work with. Nice job.


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 7, 2018)

Looks good! Well done.


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## we5inelgr (Feb 11, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> Looks like you made the best of what you had to work with. Nice job.



Yeah, thanks. It's a very limited space.

Our next house...definitely going to need space to dig/build a cave


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## NorCal (Feb 11, 2018)

Nicely done! Will you be able to fit a barrel in the future? I’m up the road from you and made a similar box that is going on it’s 5th season and going strong. (search wine box) I just noticed that due to photobucket changing its policies, the pics don’t show.


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## mainshipfred (Feb 12, 2018)

we5inelgr said:


> Yeah, thanks. It's a very limited space.
> 
> Our next house...definitely going to need space to dig/build a cave



I designed and built a wine cave for a winery. If you need any direction let me know.


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