A wine cabinet is a piece of furniture designed to store bottles of wine and sometimes glasses and decanters within the dining room or drawing room. It may take the form of a small cupboard fitted with racks or divisions, a side cabinet with bottle compartments or a freestanding case on legs.
The tradition of keeping wine within easy reach of the dining table dates back to the eighteenth century, when Georgian households used cellarettes, wine coolers and sideboards with lined drawers. Larger Victorian and Edwardian dining rooms brought purpose-made cabinets in mahogany or oak, often with lockable doors to protect valuable contents from servants, alongside pedestal sideboards with lead-lined cellaret drawers. In the twentieth century the cocktail cabinet, frequently in walnut or with Art Deco styling, adapted the idea for spirits and mixing. Collectors check that interior fittings, racks and locks are original and that the cabinet has not been converted from another piece. Signs of damp or wine staining are common inside. Antique wine cabinets are now popular in dining rooms, kitchens and drawing rooms, combining practical storage with the character of fine cabinetmaking.
