Generally, flooring for wine cellars can come from many sources and complements the overall décor and ambiance of the space. What is hardly ever used is carpet because of the cool, humid environment needed for aging and storing wines. These conditions could contribute to mold or mustiness in the fibers of the carpet.

Super Tuscan wines can be expensive and, let's face it, with the Euro kicking the Dollar's butt, finding a Super Tuscan that doesn't break the bank can be a challenge. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend the best Super Tuscan "Value" wines: A Sangiovese-less Super Tuscan!?!? Specifically I suggest the 2003 Rocca di Montegrossi "Geremia". I know, I know. There’s no Sangiovese in this Super Tuscan! It’s 60/40 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, respectively. And truly, it is a brutish wine, filled with tannin and body and yet there is a substantial amount of finesse. The 2003 vintage was a beauty for Northern Italy, unlike 2002.

For those wine connoisseurs who want to designate a specific area for sampling, adding a wine service area is a good option. Here a table or two with chairs can allow you to offer your guests a special wine tasting in your cellar. Some of the choices for wine cellar tables range from elegant pieces of furniture that you would put into a dining room to small hand-made pieces of art. Some even incorporate function into their beauty.

One of the most dramatic touches you can add to your wine cellar design is architectural embellishment. The addition of a carved corbel or a pedestal base or just a wood turning along your racks can transform your cellar from a dark place to keep your wine to an elegant space. But with the vision of a creative designer and the infinite possibilities available from carved architectural manufacturers, your wine cellar can take on character and presence, becoming almost palatial.

Adding touches of art to your wine cellar can enhance not only your experience retrieving wines or managing your inventory by making your cellar a more welcoming place. But art can also help you create a tasting room or a special space where you may bring valued guests to share your wine enthusiasm. Art may also help increase your property's value.

Nothing says summer time like boiled lobster and drawn butter. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend the best wines to pair with boiled lobster: This is such a rare , special occasion dish for me that my initial inclination is that the wine has to be something special as well. For the richness and delicacy of lobster, I can’t imagine anything better than Burgundy’s greatest white wine—the world’s most magnificent rendition of Chardonnay—a Montrachet. The wines from this Grand Cru vineyard are very expensive, but if the occasion for a treat like lobster is a best friend or spouse’s milestone birthday, then why not pull out the world’s best white wine to celebrate as well? On a similarly celebratory note, a bottle of Krug Champagne and lobster would make for a very memorable occasion too.

With the economy in the gutter wine enthusiasts are on the lookout for exceptional wines for a good price with which they can sip away the summer. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend the best sauvignon blanc "value" wines: Sauvignon Blanc is widely planted around the world, and there are many great examples. Not surprisingly, the best values in terms of quality and price—terrific wines for under $20--can be found in the several regions that specialize in Sauvignon Blanc: New Zealand, Chile’s Limari Valley and California’s Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County. I am also including some great values from another up and coming region for Sauv Blanc—California’s Santa Barbara County. Unfortunately, I can’t find anything that I’ve rated 91 points or higher that is under $20 from the other great region known for Sauvignon Blanc, France’s Loire Valley. The absolute stars of this category, for both value and quality, averaging $12 each from U.S. retailers, are three Sauvignon Blancs hailing from New Zealand—the country where Sauv Blanc is the most heavily planted grape, by far—and one from Chile. The NZ choices are Makara Wines and Villa Maria Private Bin, both from Marlborough, and Wither Hills of Wairau Valley. The Chilean value is Tabali’s Reserva Especial. For a little more money, but still under $20, check out these great buys, taking in California high performers, as well as more from New Zealand. At an average of $14, Stoneleigh from NZ’s Marlborough and Woolaston from NZ’s Nelson region. For $15, look for Dry Creek Vineyard’s stainless steel fermented Sauv Blanc, The Girls in the Vineyard from Lake County, and Mt Beautiful from NZ’s Canterbury region. At $17, I recommend Saint Clair Family Estate from Marlborough, one of my highest rated Sauv Blancs last year; Mauritson Wines Dry Creek Valley; Rusack and Lincourt, both from Santa Barbara’s Santa Ynez Valley; and Man O’ War from NZ’s Waiheke Island. At the upper end of my value recommendations at $18, but still incredible deals for the quality, are Huia and Loveblock from Marlborough, and Star Lane from Santa Barbara’s Happy Canyon region. Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com.

Wine cellars don't have to be dark catacombs in the basement. With some stylish designer touches, you can make the place your store your wine a welcoming additional living space in your home. You can add art, custom design, and personal touches to your wine cellar. They can become tasting rooms that are also temperature and humidity controlled environments to store and age your wine.

Helping homeowners and wine connoisseurs create beautiful and tasteful wine cellars is Bob Guillen's passion. As a designer and outside representative for Wine Cellar Innovations in Cincinnati, Ohio, Guillen knows construction and has an outstanding eye for style.

The Jumilla DO has turned potential disaster into triumph. In 1989 – long after most Spanish wine growers had encountered phylloxera, lost nearly everything, and replanted – the insect finally arrived in Jumilla, with predictable results. As phylloxera spread, grapevines succumbed, and Jumilla's growers had to make some hard choices.