In this edition of our Cellar Sanctuary Series where we explore a fellow member's wine cellar, we meet Christian Zatorski and his inspiring family cellar in Victoria which houses many Cellar One favourites.

The Cellar
The cellar is a family cellar built beneath the garage by Christian's father in-law in 2000 as part of a larger renovation. The flooring is brick with a suspended concrete slab as the ceiling. Timber sleepers secure steel reinforcement bars to hold the wine in place. A shelf is dedicated to recycling unfinished wine into homemade vinegar. There is also a large unused section used for hanging salami and other cured meats. The walls are finished in shotcrete, with dirt thrown on the shotcrete during the curing process to give it a more rustic, underground feel.

Temperature & capacity
Christian says "Thankfully, I do nothing at all!" The temperature does fluctuate, but in quite a narrow band thanks to its construction and location underneath a brick house. He has enjoyed 40-year-old wines from his cellar which have been fantastic. There is enough rack space for roughly 1000 bottles, with the floor underneath the racks typically used for magnums and wine stored in wooden boxes.

When did you first get into wine
Christian worked in various restaurants during his secondary and tertiary studies and learned little by little along the way. Before completing his tertiary studies he was working in a semi-fine dining restaurant and was routinely tasked with stocking the cellar and assisting the sommelier. It was around this time that he met his wife and was introduced to her father and the family cellar – he was in awe.