Designing Distinction: The Art of Elevated Wine Storage with North Fork Wine Cellar Designs

Long Island wine country is known for its exquisite vineyards and a dynamic local wine industry. Driven by its affluent population, it is also a significantly growing market for wine enthusiasts and collectors.

According to a 2024 WineCap Wealth Report, a new generation of high-net-worth individuals have included wine to diversify their investment portfolio.

There is a marked shift from traditional financial markets and “wine emerges not only as a stable asset but also as a leader in the collectibles market,” according to the report. Consequently there is an upsurge in demand for well curated cellars and personalized areas dedicated to wines, often along with a tasting area.

Peter Cimino, owner of North Fork Wine Cellar Designs, has been delivering on the promise of designing completely personalized cellars on Long Island and across the tri-state area for the past 18 years.

Living in the North Fork, he observed a rising demand for cellars owing to an increasing number of travel enthusiasts who would return with several magnum bottles. The growing vineyards, emerging wine clubs and growing appeal of luxury wine experiences has further contributed to increase in demand for personal and professional cellars.

Every year, Long Island produces 500,000 cases of wine and is a valuable economic resource considering a discernible shift towards experiential luxury among millennials and Gen Z.

“Not many people collect large bottles,” Cimino notes, but when you are investing in numerous magnums, it makes the collection truly unique, and demands specialized storage.

Cimino attributes his success to his uniquely personal approach, emphasizing the significance of knowing his clients’ needs before designing a cellar that reflects their personality, while keeping abreast of current trends.

“Some people want to keep up with the Jones and some are serious collectors and want to be able to store it properly and use it later,” says Cimino and his job is to find the perfect solution for everyone.

From bringing manufacturers and customers together to create a cellar from scratch and installing refrigeration to simply delivering custom racks, his company caters to every need.

There is demand, with the majority of his clients in the Hamptons, North Fork and Shelter Island, alongside occasional restaurant projects in Jericho and New York City.

The right kind of cellar design also means addition to the collection in the future and bigger and better wine tasting gatherings. At North Fork Wine Cellar Designs, Cimino likes to keep up with the traditional tastes and contemporary spaces.

He has built large spaces to store 1,500 bottles in the basement of newly built houses and created more compact areas in the wall to store 500 bottles or less, that has onlookers dreaming.

Some enthusiasts require substantial bulk storage while others prioritize accommodating their larger-format bottles. Cimino offers just that, and as every product he offers is custom made, he employs manufacturers from all across the country to fulfill specific demands.

All his products are sourced and customized within the US.

“I do not buy existing racking,” emphasizes Cimino. “Every piece is custom, produced right here in the country.”

He is largely protected from the ongoing tariff battles which have had no implications on his pricing.

While the business is profitable, it has slowed down due to the changing economy. During the past periods of strong economic growth “people were buying houses and renovating. I was really busy during that time,” says Cimino. But, “It is hard to gauge now because it is such a high end product and has a very high end clientele.”

North Fork Wine Cellar Designs Custom Wine Cellars, Southold, Contact: 516-967-7890, northforkwinecellardesigns.com