A Mysterious Wine Cellar Hidden Inside A Cave

This small and mysterious opening into the hillside marks a really cool project that was completed in 2019 by the architects at studio Clayton Korte. This place nestled into the beautiful and rugged landscape of Johnson City near Austin, in Texas.

This is the entrance into the cave, beautifully camouflaged by the boulders and vegetation

It’s quite close to the owner’s ranch but also sufficiently far away to be its own structure. Peeking through the windows that delineate the indoor and outdoor areas gives a glimpse at this space’s purpose: it’s a private wine cellar.

The bar is placed along the left side of the cave, facing an exposed stone wall

The entrance into this space is carved into the solid limestone hillside and features a small courtyard-like area decorated with boulders that have been excavated from the site. There’s also a layer of concrete which ages and gains a natural patina over time as moss and ivy grow on it. This helps the entrance to look organic and to camouflage this place really well.

Tall oak and elm trees mark the entrance into this magical space

The stylish wooden ceiling in the bar and lounge area creates a warm and welcoming ambiance

The wine cellar at the back of the cave has a beautiful arched ceiling made of stone and concrete

Inside there’s a tasting lounge, a bar, a wine cellar and a restroom and all these spaces fit into an existing tunnel that’s only 18′ tall (5m) and 70′ deep (21m). The walls of the original cave have been left exposed to give these spaces lots of character. The tasting lounge, bar and restroom areas are very warm and welcoming thanks to all the oak and reclaimed cedar that has been used for the furniture and decorations. The wine cellar is impressive in a different way: it’s home to a private collection of around 4000 wine bottles beautifully stored and organized in temperature-controlled area at the back of the cave.