Page 18 - CMA PROfiles Fall 2018

FEATURED SHOP: SAVANTÉ WINE CELLARS

That’s a big no-no of wood containing
because the VOCs natural tannins. The
(volatile organic “There’s something powerful about building something final color of the
compounds) in the with your hands and seeing it afterward.” fumed wood will
stain and lacquer — Darryl Hogeback be determined by
could off-gas for the strength of the
years, even though ammonia and how
you can’t detect long the wood is
the smell when you qualities make it a good match for wine fumed. In white oak,
walk in. cellar construction, too – and it’s fitting fuming produces a taupe color.
“In an enclosed environment like a wine to have a cellar constructed with the very Clients who go with white oak in their
room – sealed off so you can keep the materials used to perfectly age the wine cellars can choose from four final colors
temperature and humidity at the right that graces its shelves. — natural; oiled; fumed; or both oiled
level – it’s even more important to avoid White oak is also great for furniture join- and fumed.
VOCs because they will be trapped in the ery, which is key to Savanté’s creations. “I don’t really know anyone else in the
room and can be recirculated through the “All of our racking is constructed using
cooling system.” wine cellar industry who is doing the
heirloom-quality, furniture-grade joinery,” fuming and oiling,” he says. “We also use
MATERIALS AND METHODS Hogeback says. “We build with mortise walnut, mahogany, cherry and other hard-
Savanté’s go-to material for its projects and tenon construction without using woods that you can leave natural or oil in
is white oak. nails, staples or screws to assemble our order to get a different color. But most of
racking systems.” the time, people like the white oak.”
The wood of choice for winemakers’
barrels, white oak is significantly stronger Clients can choose to leave white oak In addition to eliminating chemical
than redwood, has the same decay- natural, or Hogeback can use safe finishes, Savanté has committed to
resistance rating, and is also a great methods to color it. Savanté uses other “green” practices, including using
option for both the butcher-block-type fuming, a coloring process invented in recycled materials, certified American
oil and fuming processes that are best the Arts and Crafts era that uses the sources of renewable hard-woods and
for long-term wine aging. All of those fumes of ammonia to change the color formaldehyde-free sheet goods.

16 PROFILES FALL 2018