Can the wine cellar sit on the dining-room wall?

The cellar can. The unit should not. Use a ducted Panthaire APEX unit in a conditioned back-of-house space.

Is R290 permitted in a dining room?

The refrigerant charge is sealed inside the unit, which is installed in the mechanical space, not in the dining room. The licensed contractor confirms local mechanical code for that space before the opening date is set.

Is Panthaire APEX a commercial refrigeration unit?

No. Panthaire APEX is designed for purpose-built wine cellars in residential and hospitality settings. Walk-in coolers, cold rooms, and food-service refrigeration are outside its design.

How long does sizing take for a hospitality project?

Send the room dimensions, glass area, kitchen adjacency, and opening date with the project. Panthaire returns a specification review within two business days.

For wine shops, bars, and restaurants

A display cellar that holds 55°F beside a kitchen

A hospitality wine wall is a display room, not a house cellar and not a cabinet. Glass, kitchen heat, and dining-room acoustics change the specification. The unit is installed in a conditioned back-of-house space.

Licensed HVAC · Wine Cellar Cooling Specialists

Reviewed · September 1, 2026

Panthaire APEX cools display cellars and wine walls in wine shops, bars, and restaurants. The unit is installed in a conditioned back-of-house space at 50–77°F (10–25°C); only supply and return grilles appear in the dining room. Glass area and kitchen heat raise the cooling load and are added before sizing. APEX uses R290 refrigerant, sealed at the factory. The target is 55°F (13°C). APEX controls temperature; humidity is maintained by the envelope. Panthaire APEX is designed for purpose-built wine cellars in residential and hospitality settings.

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On the job

Takeaways

01A wine wall is not a cabinet and not a house cellar. Glass and kitchen heat both raise the cooling load.
02Mechanical noise belongs in the back-of-house mechanical room, not beside the pass or the tasting bar.
03Panthaire APEX uses R290 refrigerant, sealed at the factory. The licensed contractor confirms local mechanical code for the equipment space before the opening date is set.
04Send the opening date with the project. Panthaire returns a specification review within two business days.
05Projects with two or more units qualify for project pricing on approved accounts.

Wine wall, wine cellar, or wine cabinet: which room is it

Wine wall

Display, extensive glass, adjacent to guests. Size after glass and kitchen load. Mechanical noise stays out of the dining room.

Cellar

A closed room with an envelope built to specification, held at 55°F (13°C). The same nine decisions as a residence, on a commercial schedule.

Cabinet

A furniture piece with an integrated cooling module. Panthaire APEX is not designed for that application.

Kitchen heat, humidity, and noise in a restaurant wine cellar

A line kitchen raises the load on a glass wall. A residential BTU figure does not transfer to a dining room. Measure the room, add the glass, and define where the heat is rejected.

Panthaire APEX controls temperature only. Humidity is maintained by the envelope. Moisture from an adjacent kitchen against an unsealed wall is an envelope issue, not a capacity issue.

Guests hear the dining room, not the mechanical room. The unit is installed behind a door in a conditioned back-of-house space. If no such space exists, the specification is not complete.

APEX uses R290, a refrigerant efficient at wine-storage temperatures. The charge is sealed at the factory inside the unit. Local mechanical code for the equipment space is confirmed by the licensed contractor before the opening date.

Opening-date default: 200 to 400 bottle wine wall

01Typical wall: about 12 ft by 2.5 ft by 8 ft (240 ft³, 7 m³).
02Glass is the primary load. Treat it as more than a door.
03Fully ducted unit in a conditioned back-of-house room.
04Send the opening date with the project.

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Definitions

Hospitality cellar:: A purpose-built wine cellar or display wall in a wine shop, bar, restaurant, club, or office, subject to the same envelope, ambient, and installation requirements as a residential cellar.
Wine wall:: A glass-fronted display cellar adjacent to guests, sized for glass area and kitchen heat, with the cooling unit in a back-of-house mechanical space.
Commercial refrigeration application:: Refrigeration of food, beverages, or process loads in walk-in coolers, cold rooms, or similar equipment. Outside the design of Panthaire APEX.

FAQ

Can the wine cellar sit on the dining-room wall?: The cellar can. The unit should not. Use a ducted Panthaire APEX unit in a conditioned back-of-house space.
Is R290 permitted in a dining room?: The refrigerant charge is sealed inside the unit, which is installed in the mechanical space, not in the dining room. The licensed contractor confirms local mechanical code for that space before the opening date is set.
Is Panthaire APEX a commercial refrigeration unit?: No. Panthaire APEX is designed for purpose-built wine cellars in residential and hospitality settings. Walk-in coolers, cold rooms, and food-service refrigeration are outside its design.
How long does sizing take for a hospitality project?: Send the room dimensions, glass area, kitchen adjacency, and opening date with the project. Panthaire returns a specification review within two business days.

Back to Panthaire Pro. Related: Before You Build, BTU calculator, Documentation.

Specification documents support the design team. Final sizing and installation are confirmed by the licensed HVAC contractor on site.