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This manufacturer will customize wine units for just about any location in a home, even under the stairs, with state-of-the-art cooling and humidity systems and décor-matching door fronts. "Send us a sample and we could match it," says Hynes.

BSH sibling brands Bosch, Thermador, Siemens, and Gaggenau offer ready-to-install 18- and 24-inch-wide-by-84-inch-high modular columns designed and priced for a gamut of buyers.

"At first glance, the wine units will look similar because they are built-in with stainless or custom panels," says Chuck Bryant, BSH senior product manager of refrigeration marketing. "We use different types of lighting, shelves, storage and display options, extension shelves, and profiles to differentiate the brands."

At Electrolux, the Icon Absorption wine cellar was engineered for freestanding or built-in installations and is said to have zero-vibration operation due to a compressor-free cooling system. Miele's first foray into wine storage, at 24 inches by 84 inches high, features easy-install height-adjustable rear wheels, three independent cooling zones for up to 100 bottles, and a proprietary wireless remote monitoring system.

As trends go, Leuthe doesn't see residential wine storage waning. Quite the contrary, he notes: "Wine is in the upswing, and we see consistent growth by our numbers."

Pittman couldn't agree more. "With the perception of wine becoming more accessible and more of an everyday indulgence rather than a luxury reserved for dining out and special occasions, specifying wine storage units will only become more frequent and standard in spaces I design." --BUILDING PRODUCTS

Best Cellars

GE. Engineered to install in one day, the approximately 8-foot-by-8-foot Walk-In Wine Vault (above) is comprised of an insulated stainless steel chamber sized to maintain close to 1,100 bottles of wine at a cave-like humidity level and temperature of 55 degrees F, optimum for long-term storage. Oenophile-friendly perks include a computerized inventory management system plus redwood interiors and halogen lighting for informal tastings. 800-626-2000. www.geappliances.com.

If square footage and budget allow, the luxury of a true wine room is hard to beat. However, cautions Vinotemp president India Hynes, when you're dealing with a whole wine room you've got to coordinate numerous variables such as insulation, ventilation, noise, cooling systems, and humidity.