Part of the joy of the yachting experience is enjoying the chef's culinary creations. To complement the work of these galley gourmets, one must have the right wine pairings at the ready. Enter the superyacht wine cellar, which simply cannot be overlooked when designing a yacht. Here is a sampling of the best superyacht wine and spirit cellars around.
The 85 metre Amatasia features plenty of space throughout her interiors for entertaining, and a meal in her elegant beautiful dining room that seats 18 would not be complete without the perfect wine pairing. Launched by Lürssen in 2017 with styling by Winch Design, a unique wine presentation and storage area faces the dining room on the main deck and displays in full splendour the selection of vintages kept on board for owners and guests to enjoy.
The glass-clad wine cellar in in the main deck lobby of 49.9 metre Rossinavi yacht Aurora was a key focus during the design phase, described by her interior designer, Achille Salvagni, as "the heart of the yacht."
“Originally the layout had the wine cellar elsewhere, but every time we reviewed the layout [the owner] focused on the wine cellar, so I said: ‘Listen, this is too important to be relegated to the side.’ You have different light effects, according to the kind of wine, and because wine can be affected by light, we had to install a computer that can be codified according to the wine," says Salvagni.
Entertaining friends and family is a high priority aboard 49.9 metre Delta Marine motor yacht Endless Summer and, accordingly, considerable attention has been devoted to food and wine. As would be expected, the galley is spacious and well equipped but the extensive wine collection has been afforded special status.
Ascending the stairs to the upper deck, you immediately come across the collection housed behind a glass wall in a climate-controlled cellar. Softly lit, the dark wood tones of the wine racks and the symmetry of the bottles in serried floor-to-ceiling ranks create a striking impression. Along with the paintings and sculptures that appear throughout the boat, the wine collection strikes the eye as a handsome art piece.
“This was a custom feature introduced by the owner,” the captain says. “Typically, this is a hidden room, often used as a butler’s pantry. The owner felt he had a better use for it to store his wine. It fits the space and purpose well and creates a very attractive feature in its own right.”
The ruggedly handsome 107 metre Andromeda might be known as the toughest toybox on the water but her explorer yacht exterior belies an interior packed with creature comforts. This includes the wow-factor of a wine cellar. It's not simply a space for storing wine away, but also where guests can be invited for intimate wine tastings.
The wine wall on board Tankoa’s 69 metre superyacht Suerte, launched in 2015, is as much a work of art as the installation hanging from the ceiling above it. This beautiful on board wine storage solution stands out in the yacht's art-filled dining room, which is one of the best interior design features of Suerte.
The 47 metre Heesen superyacht Asya has wine storage with sensible racking and glamorous lighting. Launched in 2015, Asya features exterior design by Omega Architects with interiors by Bannenberg & Rowell, who describe her styling as simplicity in the ultimate form of sophistication. Asya was the second yacht to be launched in Heesen's restyled 47 metre class and features Far Eastern-inspired motifs throughout the interior.
Chic glass and chrome panels show off perfectly organised wine – and a humidor – on 49.9 metre Overmarine Mangusta yacht Apricity. This fast planing hull yacht can host 10 guests for an on board wine tasting and also proves that a high-performance Mangusta yacht can carry a complement of wine safely and stylishly while cruising at speeds of 35 knots.
The 60 metre motor yacht Paraffin has space on board for up to 400 bottles of the best vintages, with 200 stored in a beautiful display case near the formal dining area. The myriad wine bottles serve as a perfect complement to the stately and serene dining saloon.
The Feadship yacht features a classically styled interior by Lisa Kittredge. She also has a full bar in dark wood with plush leather stools, providing an ideal place to sample one of the many vintages on display in the yacht's dining room.
Launched in 1986, the famed Feadship Highlander might be known for her exterior design by Jon Bannenberg, but she also hides some intriguing interior features, such as this ample wine cellar. Highlander has been used extensively for entertaining in her lifetime, hosting everyone from Heads of State to Royalty and the Forbes family. This wine cellar surely has come in handy for such soirees.
Gimballed storage spheres on 47 metre A2 are not just an artistic touch: they help protect the wine from cracks and bumps at sea. The clever and good-looking spherical wine storage on the beautifully rebuilt Feadship is just one of the classic yacht's many charms.
The owner wanted the looks of a classic Feadship with the benefits of a modern build, and post-re-build, she also features a much larger main saloon, better headroom and enhanced performance thanks to new MTU engines.