Custom Wine Cellars

What Custom Wine Cellars does

Custom Wine Cellars is a privately held, founder-operated design and construction firm founded in 1995 and headquartered at 10 Knapp Lane in New City, New York. The company designs and builds custom residential and commercial wine cellars for clients in the New York tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), and additionally services and repairs wine cellar cooling systems as a recurring aftermarket offering. Its core technical work spans site assessment, custom racking design, closed-cell spray foam insulation and vapor barrier installation, electrical and finishing trades, and integration of multiple cooling unit types including through-the-wall, ductless split, self-contained, and split air handler systems; one referenced four-room project accommodated 8,000 bottles with custom moldings, hidden cooling, and automated controls.

The business is led by two owners, Robert Silverman and Chris Kravitz, who collectively bring over 40 years of wine cellar construction experience and personally handle consultation, design, project management, and installation for each engagement — the firm does not use subcontractors. Project economics disclosed publicly include construction costs of $300–$600 per square foot, custom racking at $4–$12 per bottle, cooling units priced from $1,500 to $15,000+, and an average project value near $40,000; typical end-to-end timelines run 10–12 weeks with 3–5 day installations.

The go-to-market model is sales-led and consultative: owners conduct in-home consultations, and over 90% of new projects originate from existing client referrals. Marketing channels include an educational blog, a Houzz profile, a project gallery, customer testimonials, and earned media placements in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, and Terroirist. The firm has completed over 200 projects across nearly three decades of operation and discloses no funding, M&A, or external ownership activity.

Name

Custom Wine Cellars

Legal name

Custom Wine Cellars

Website

https://custom-wine-cellars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Custom Wine Cellars is a privately held, founder-operated firm founded in 1995 that designs, builds, and services custom residential and commercial wine cellars for homeowners and hospitality clients in the New York tri-state area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Wine Cellar Construction: One-time project-based revenue from designing and constructing custom wine cellars for residential and commercial clients. Projects include consultation, design, material selection, construction, and installation.
2. Wine Cellar Cooling Service & Repair: Ongoing maintenance and repair services for wine cellar cooling systems including inspection, cleaning, and component replacement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Custom Wine Cellars designs, builds, and services custom wine cellars for residential and commercial clients in the New York tri-state area. The company provides end-to-end services including on-site consultation, custom design with 3D renderings, full construction (framing, insulation, vapor barriers, refrigeration, electrical, flooring, and finishing), and ongoing cooling system maintenance and repair.

Product overview

Custom Wine Cellars is a full-service wine cellar design and construction company operating since 1995. The company offers three integrated service areas: Wine Cellar Design & Consultants (custom design, 3D renderings, and consultation), Wine Cellar Construction (complete build services including insulation, refrigeration, electrical, flooring, and finishing), and Wine Cellar Cooling Service & Repair (installation and maintenance of cooling systems). They serve both residential and commercial clients in the New York tri-state area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Cellar Design & Consultants Custom wine cellar design service including phone and email consultation, on-site visits by the owners, 3D renderings, and blueprints. The design team works with residential and commercial clients to create personalized wine cellar layouts that fit their space, aesthetic preferences, and collection size.
• Wine Cellar Construction Full-service wine cellar construction and installation including framing, insulation, vapor barrier installation, refrigeration setup, electrical work, flooring, wall finishes, lighting, and door installation. Available for both residential and commercial wine cellar builds, with average installation taking 3-5 days and racking delivered about 6 weeks after design finalization.
• Wine Cellar Cooling Service & Repair Cooling system installation, repair, and maintenance services for wine cellars. Services multiple cooling unit types including through-the-wall units, ductless split systems, self-contained air handlers, and split air handlers, with ongoing maintenance plans available to protect wine collections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of new business comes from referrals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Wine-Mate: Manufacturer of wine cellar cooling systems. Comparable on the cooling-system side of the business, representing both a potential supplier and a competing installation channel.
• WhisperKOOL: Specialty manufacturer of wine cellar cooling systems. Comparable as a technology supplier-partner or substitute that installers might use, intersecting with the cooling installation/repair revenue line.
• VintageView: Modern label-forward wine racking systems brand. Comparable for the racking component of custom cellars, offering a stylized alternative to traditional wood racking.

Broad incumbents

• Wine Enthusiast: Large wine lifestyle retailer and media brand that also offers wine cellars and cooling units. Comparable because it competes in the same product category, though as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Wine Racks America: Major US wine racking manufacturer with standardized and custom rack offerings. Comparable for the custom racking component of the company's offering, though it operates more as a product/manufacturing brand.

Direct peers

• Wine Cellar Innovations: Custom wine cellar design and construction firm serving residential and commercial clients. Directly comparable as a specialty contractor competing for similar affluent homeowners in the same product category.
• Vinotemp: Designs and manufactures wine cellars and cooling units, with a custom build division. Comparable because it offers both cellar construction and cooling systems, overlapping with Custom Wine Cellars' core offering.
• Coastal Wine Cellars: Custom wine cellar builder serving residential and commercial clients. Directly comparable in craft, project-based business model, and target customer.
• Cellar Masters: Custom wine cellar design, fabrication, and installation firm. Comparable as a specialty builder operating in the same niche with overlapping racking and cooling capabilities.
• Apex Wine Cellars: Custom wine cellar design and construction company. Comparable specialty contractor serving affluent homeowners with similar end-to-end project delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Custom Wine Cellars