View all newsletters
Latest in Luxury - Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Beyond the Door: Innovative Wine Solutions by Spiral Cellars

Spiral Cellars’ previous projects include a disused elevator shaft, a broom cupboard, a guest shower room and a swimming pool.

By Samantha Coles

No matter our age, discovering a concealed trapdoor or a secret entrance always evokes a childlike thrill. Even more thrilling if, behind that very door, lies a veritable treasure chest of fine wine. Spiral Cellars is a UK-based company that creates bespoke wine cellar designs — some of which cost around the half-million-dollar mark.

The company’s creative director, Mark Dickens, is an avid wine collector himself and has dreamt up some fantastical cellar designs for yachts, ski chalets, lodges, boutique hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and grand ancestral seats.

But Dickens is not exactly what you’d picture when thinking of a classic wine collector. He was formerly a pink-haired bass player who toured with ’80s rock stars, studied art with the famed Damien Hirst, and held a position as a gamekeeper. Perhaps Dickens’ varied past helps with the whimsical design process, as there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to creating a cellar.

[See also: The Best Wine Hotels in The World]

spiral cellars wine cellar
The cellars create the optimum environment for wine storage / ©Darren Chung Photography Ltd

Some of Spiral Cellars’ previous projects include a disused elevator shaft, a broom cupboard, a guest shower room and a swimming pool. Along with the cellars, the company also creates bespoke wine rooms and display walls.

Not just visually impressive, the cellars create the optimum environment for wine storage; as Dickens explains, a wine room without the correct temperature and humidity is just a room. He declares: “There are plenty of cellar designers who can push the boundaries of art, but often this is at the expense of the wine.”

Client confidentiality is of utmost importance, so Dickens remains tight-lipped on any specific commissions (but previous clients include heads of state and a number of famous faces). As for his dream project? “One that allows me to go above and beyond the realm of cellaring creativity, to marry both the art and the science of wine storage.”

spiral cellars wine storage room
There is no one-size-fits-all when creating a cellar / ©Darren Chung Photography Ltd

spiralcellars.co.uk

Content from our partners
Explora Journeys Takes You to the Heart of the Monaco Grand Prix
The Best Luxury Hotels Throughout Spain's Regions
Indulge and Delight at Resorts World Las Vegas

This article appears in the 05 Sep 2022 issue of the New Statesman, Fall 2022

Select and enter your email address Be the first to know about the latest in luxury lifestyle. Get the latest news on hotel openings and in-depth travel guides. Get insider access to exclusive promotions and special offers from our luxury partners.
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thank you for subscribing to Elite Traveler.

Websites in our network