The formal Apartment entry.

I have to admit that this project, now completed has to be one of the most challenging of all my projects despite it’s size!

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When it comes to design for any of our projects,

While some of us enjoy wines from around the world and the flavors and aromas they reveal, some add the mentality of collecting and others for the purpose of investment, but all true lovers of wine share the same passion!  The passion of flavor being the primary driving force, but do not forget aroma, the second part of the puzzle.  For without aroma, our sense of flavor would only be half fulfilled.

Memory is an important factor when it comes to flavor.  Stored deep in our brains is our memory back which is constantly being recalled upon to compare a new flavor to one we have had in the past.  The comparison is instantaneous and a selection is identified or a new one is registered.  It’s this memory that we call upon to understand the many flavors that exist in nature.

Cigars and their flavor

A good friend of mine and fellow Architect, Jeffrey Matz, whom I consider to be a very esoteric, when it comes to project analysis and design execution, asked me to explain why people enjoy cigars?  At that moment, I realized he did not understand the flavor component!

I explained that people smoke cigars for many reasons.  Some smoke to pacify some deep seeded psychological need.  Others to fulfill a need for nicotine buzz.  But for me, it’s all about the passion of the flavor along with the aroma.  I had to explain that my grandfather Harry enjoyed a fine mild cigar.  He loved his Macanudo’s.  And, my dad was a pipe smoker.  I can still remember the smell of his Borkum Riff, Cherry liqueur flavored pipe tobacco smoke wafting in the air of our family room, as I inhaled the smoke……..ooops!  But know one knew how bad second hand smoke was back then!

The tobacco leaves themselves have a unique bouquet even while being unlit.  In fact, the aroma of tobacco is part of the flavor wheel, when describing some wines.  One must understand that tobacco yields a terroir because it is a product of the earth.  The aromas and flavors that tobacco has are a derivative byproduct of the soils and locations where they are grown.  The organic flavor of terroir is mostly derived from the soil as well as the microclimate conditions where the tobacco grows.  That’s why a Nicaraguan cigar tastes different from a Cuban cigar.  The Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua produces its own unique terroir flavors while the Vuelta Abajo, of Cuba produces quit another special terroir.

Jeff now understood that cigars are more than the process of smoking and he nodded with acknowledgement.  And don’t forget to pair a fine bottle of Port when trying your next cigar!  The two were made for each other.

It all began in 1993 when my brother-in-law asked me to design and build a wine cellar in a basement renovation project.  What started out as a simple request has evolved into a major portion of my design/build firm’s work since the first.  Now, after designing and building 900+ projects all over the U.S., the evolution of my projects continues to grow.

My area of study was Architectural Design and I graduated from the New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY with a five year Bachelor’s of Architecture.  Residential design was my area of focus, but soon found out that I loved building projects.  Having been exposed to construction management working in my first architectural firm out of college, I found the enjoyment of being hands-on in the field and solving everyday problems.  Most designs are far from perfect, but the synthesis of taking what’s drawn and turning it into reality is an art.

Around the same time I was introduced to wine.  Being made aware of its many tastes, colors, grape varietals, regions, processes, styles, nuances, I decided to become a follower and student once again.  My journey from being an Architect and Wine Lover drove my personal passion to create one project after another, but each time evolving the process through not only design, but also with engineering.  One summer job while I was still a junior in high school, took me to a mechanical engineering office where I was taught how to understand the flow of air and the sizing of ductwork to properly distribute air.  Never did I think I would ever use this knowledge in the future.

The synthesis of wine storage and how each project relates to the Architecture of not only the room itself, but to the adjacencies to the other spaces drives each design of each project in a very unique direction.  The refrigeration for each project is carefully engineered not only for correct size and function, but specifically for how the air will be distributed within the room.

This commentary that will be contained in this Blog will relate to many different problems that pop up on each project, but will also discuss the solutions to those problems.  As a dear client and friend of mine would say, “Wine is a journey, not a destination.”