Canada-based CellArt is on the cutting edge of artisanal wine storage for residences, yachts and jets.
When 12 bottles of Château Pétrus 2000 returned from 14 months spent orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station, the only question oenophiles wanted answered was, “How does it taste?” Space wine, as it’s now known, entered the stratosphere with a global retail price of $6,488 per bottle, and returned in 2021 with an estimated value of $1 million. Such is the global intrigue around how light, movement, temperature and, in this case, the absence of gravity or the presence of microgravity affect the development of wine.
While circling the globe every 90 minutes at a speed of 17,498 miles per hour is a rather excessive stress test, the cost of high-end wine cellars that are finding their way into penthouses, superyachts and private jets has also gone intergalactic.
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk3MDYxMTQ1Njgz/closeup_v8-edit.jpg)
CellArt
“When we first began building bespoke wine storage, the price point was around $2 per bottle space,” says Jonathan Primeau, founder of Canada-based CellArt. “Today, we’re averaging around $3,000.”
Primeau left an 80-hour-a-week job in the corporate world to pursue his dream of owning a vineyard, but soon became sidetracked by an accumulation of clients wanting creative, sophisticated solutions for wine storage. His combined passion for art and wine led to a side hustle that, today, has morphed into an exact science.
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk3MDYwOTQ5MDc1/cws-iiia-rt.jpg)
CellArt
In the same way that German scientist Otto Schott discovered that borosilicate glass (you may know it as Pyrex) can endure sudden, uneven temperature shifts without shattering, Primeau, in partnership with Aston Martin, spent six months analyzing the vibrational impact that supercar engines have on glass-front garage wine cellars, to find the right type of tempered glass for the job.
“Turning on just one exotic car engine is enough to make the entire space vibrate, which is bad news for a coveted wine collection,” he says. “One client in Vegas has 13 cars parked next to his wine, and our last three projects involved glass-fronted garage wine cellars. They’re in big demand, so we’re trying to find the right glass components to ensure engine vibrations are absorbed rather than passed onto the wine.”
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk3MDYxMjExMjE5/resized_20221213_103706.jpg)
CellArt
When not in the garage, bespoke cellars tend to be the focal point of a room. The CellArt workshop in Boucherville, Quebec, has eight artisans from around the world, all skilled in various disciplines, from carpentry to upholstery. They handcraft every component. Once the first artistic impressions are drawn up, samples are shipped to the client to touch, feel and smell the material. Then, the renderings are fully engineered before moving on to drying and sanding the wood, which typically forms the main structure.
“We use marine plywood veneer that is matched in color, texture and grain with a hardwood,” Primeau says. “The veneer helps to prevent the hardwood from bending in high humidity levels, but finding an exact match is often the most time-consuming part.”
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk3MDYxMDgwMTQ3/jonathan-primeau-founder--ceo.jpg)
CellArt
The entire structure is then assembled. Pictures are sent to the client to sign off before painstaking disassembly to apply the finishings. The wood is sealed with a cloth that’s soaked in natural oil. For clients who request a more yellowish tinge, flower dye is used. The oil recipe was developed in-house using natural ingredients; Primeau is keen to avoid chemicals in the production process, and seeks out sustainable solutions.
“I hope to find a way to use harvested rainwater to cool the wine,” he says. “I’d also like to one day invite clients onto my land in Canada to select their tree. We already turn down any requests for the use of rare or exotic woods.”
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk2NzkyMzE3MjQ3/20221109_075227.jpg)
CellArt
His efforts to create top-notch storage put him in good company. The Romans kept their beverage in underground catacombs, while French Champagne makers in the 1600s used deep, underground cave systems. Wine cellars protect from potentially harmful external influences, providing darkness and constant temperature and humidity. As light-filled glass display cabinets elbow their way to the forefront of yacht design, the need for insulation, dehumidification and climate control measures are threefold.
CellArt’s custom-designed wine cellars monitor 13 elements, from noise and vibration to humidity and light. The company has installed wine walls on two superyachts in the past year (including one for the Las Vegas car client) and has more projects in the pipeline. For yachts cruising in rough seas, the need for “sea fastened” bottles, cantilevered shelving and an air-conditioning expansion unit are all considerations. “For most clients, aesthetics is the primary concern, irrespective of cost or practicality,” he says.
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk3MzI5MTIyMzg3/yacht3_cam1_v3_closed-2.jpg)
CellArt
Materials are also key. For a recent beach house project in Canada’s New Brunswick that perches high above the cliffs, the client requested a tangible link between his wine cabinet and his yacht. Primeau’s solution was a weatherproof, waterproof multifunctional cloth called “oilskin,” similar to what was once used in the manufacture of yacht sails.
“The wine sleeps on a bed of oilskin, which is resistant to high-humidity conditions, protects the wine from external forces and has a strong link with sailing,” he says. “We also incorporated stone from the cliffs into the base structure.”
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk3MzI5MTIyNjIz/wine_mode_cam2_v4_open2.jpg)
CellArt
Costing $150,000 to design and build, and housing a maximum of 65 bottles, the commission was mostly about an appreciation for artisanal artistry. Along with those types of custom orders, Primeau is working with a pool of artists to create a limited collection of 24 wine sculptures that clients can install in their homes or yachts.
“It becomes about finding a space to showcase art,” he says, “rather than fitting artistic wine storage into an existing environment.”
![](https://www.yachtsinternational.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTk3MDgzMTk2NzkyMjUxNzEx/angled_cam1_v3_hr.jpg)
CellArt uses marine plywood veneer that is matched in color, texture and grain with a hardwood for its storage solutions.
CellArt
For more information: cellart.com
This article was originally published in the Summer 2023 issue.