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Ray Thurston gave only two key instructions to Eddie Jones, AIA of Jones Studio, Inc. for this new creation. First, the wine-cellar-to-be was not to be square and second, the design was to include VintageView® wine racks. Fascinated by the lax guidelines, Mr. Jones took on the design while vacationing on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Sitting in a room overlooking the Mediterranean, Eddie created a design that Mr. Thurston approved at first sight.

This newest creation combines old-world construction with a modern flair that emanates an extraordinary degree of class. The cylindrical body of the cellar is half buried, providing much needed thermal insulation from the frequent triple digit external temperatures of the central Arizona desert climate. To draw down the operating cost as well as the temperature, 35 solar panels were added to Ray’s house to offset the electrical usage of the cooling system. The 2’ thick concrete block and adobe brick walls provide significant insulation, helping create the perfect internal environment for wine whilst housing it in a rugged, yet contemporary shell.

To enter the cellar, you must pass through a rotating gate on the right side of the building where the walkway flows around the external wall of the cellar and down several steps. The area opens into an entryway with cylindrical coves for candles or other ornamental items. On your left, a beautiful custom built beveled glass door invites visitors into the climate controlled cellar.

Once inside the cellar, your attention is immediately grabbed by the wine collection. The walls of the circular room are lined with bottles which appear to be floating. Only small diameter metal rods from the wine racking protrude through the light-colored wood walls to cradle the necks and bases of the bottles. This style of wine storage lays the bottle on its side and holds it parallel to the wall, placing the labels in full view, creating a mosaic of wine label artwork. Dark wood was used as an accent to the walls for the valence above the racks and case storage shelving below.

Once your gaze breaks from the wine, your eye is drawn to a round shaft jutting out from the ceiling in the middle of the room. Exposed steel I beams and support rods emanate from the cylinder in a spoke-like pattern. Light—filtered through a glass table top on the roof terrace—enters the cellar from the center of the hub, illuminating a glass-topped fiberglass table inside the cellar. The distal ends of the beams rest upon the simple adobe brick exterior walls contrasting the refined interior components such as the barrel-shaped wooden shelf at the far end of the cellar and contemporary accent lights. With a capacity of around 2200 bottles on the walls and additional case storage below the racking, this design offers more than just incredible style. In the words of many guests that have visited the cellar, “WOW.”