Aging wine requires respecting several criteria, but above all, collecting bottles requires a lot of space. In Montreal, companies offer to take care of it for you.
Léo Rabinovitch had a wine cellar built in his former house in Mont-Royal. The huge room could hold up to 2500 bottles. However, the businessman had to find a new place to store his fine wines when he sold his property.
“I’ve been collecting great Burgundies for 20 years,” he says over the phone. I’ve been waiting for them and now I’m ready to drink them. I didn’t want to get rid of it. »
A professional wine importer, he has equipped himself with built-in cellars. But the capacity was clearly insufficient. He moved part of his collection to a new location specializing in wine storage, Ogilvy Cellars.
This project is Marc Gaudry’s dream. Owner of the Vinum wine and alcohol accessories stores, he rented space in Pied-du-Courant for several years. These rental cellars were located under the headquarters of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ). When the Crown corporation moved its offices in 2018, it closed this storage location. More than 600 collectors then had to find a new place to keep their bottles. The other rental spaces managed by the SAQ, which are still in operation, were full.
“We found ourselves with our noses in the water, like many others,” remembers Marc Gaudry. That’s when we started thinking about a project, about creating an alternative solution. »
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Jean-Frédéric Laberge
After years of searching to find the perfect location and months of work, Celliers Ogilvy settled in the former TQS premises, very close to Jarry Park. They were inaugurated in December with partner Jean-Frédéric Laberge.
Inspired by Pied-du-Courant
Wooden doors follow one another in the immense corridors of Celliers Ogilvy. The 25,000 square foot space is huge. It brings together 250 cellars whose capacity varies from 384 to 4800 bottles. Behind secure doors, collectors’ treasures lie on wooden shelves.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Les Celliers Ogilvy specializes in the rental of private cellars for those who do not have storage space at home.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The cellars are easy to access at all times, for those who rent them.
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To build his offer, Marc Gaudry was inspired by the characteristics of the old cellars of Pied-du-Courant.
We wanted a beautiful space, easy to access, available at all times. We have thought of all the technical parameters such as air conditioning, air quality and security. Because there are people whose bottles are very valuable.
Marc Gaudry, owner of Vinum boutiques and founder of Celliers Ogilvy
Like Mr. Rabinovitch, most Celliers Ogilvy customers already have a wine cellar at home. While some opt for a rental cellar due to lack of space, others prefer to store their best wines in a safe place. They of course protect against theft, but they also ward off the temptation to open the wines too early since they are no longer within reach during a good dinner.
Strong demand
Les Celliers Ogilvy is the most recent offering of rental wine cellars in Montreal. They are also the largest, with the capacity to store a total of 340,000 bottles. However, they are not the only ones.
The company Dans ma cave à vin manages the rental of 280 cellars in Montreal and Sainte-Thérèse.
“Since 2010, I have always been expanding the rental spaces,” explains owner Eric Lacassse. It works especially in the city, where people in condos lack space. »
Sandrine Balthazard focused on this clientele when she opened Le Parloir in 2017. Her premises located in Griffintown not only serves as a wine warehouse, but also as a meeting place. The Parloir’s private club status also allows you to consume your bottles on site.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Sandrine Balthazard opened Le Parloir in 2017.
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PHOTO ARIELLE LIVERNOCHE PROVIDED BY PARLOIR
Le Parloir is also a private club where you can open your good bottles.
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People no longer have room to store their wine and they no longer have room to entertain at home. Having an external rental space to open your good bottles meets a need.
Sandrine Balthazard, president and founder of Le Parloir
Barely five years after its opening, Le Parloir has also expanded. New executive cellars, more spacious and glazed, a private lounge and a roof terrace were inaugurated last year.
As at Celliers Ogilvy, Parloir customers sign a minimum one-year contract. However, some people sometimes need a temporary space that meets all the conditions for care. This is what Michel Prince, owner of Cave St-Jacques in Montreal, offers. In addition to its 220 racks and 16 larger cellars, it opened a temporary section where the bottles are kept for a few months.
“It’s a good solution when collectors suffer a disaster or move,” he says.
Regardless of the location, storing your wine costs on average $3.50 per bottle per year.
Visit the Celliers Ogilvy website
Visit the Parlor website