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Tom Kuni’s Scope Creep
Not long after Tom and Barbara Kuni moved to Sedona in 2010, Barbara peeked into the crawl space underneath the house and proclaimed it a “great place to store wine.” Tom, who had worked in a wine shop while attending University of Dayton in Ohio and had begun collecting wine in the mid-’80s, didn’t need any further urging. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any custom wine racks that suited his needs. He casually asked Ken Skiby, owner of Skiby & Sons Custom Woodworking, if he would be interested in the project. Ken had been creating custom furniture for the Kunis, and he agreed to create a wine cellar with the help of contractor Todd Shreve, owner of Red Desert Develop-ment, and architect Don Woods. Eighteen months and 2.5 million pounds of material and backfill later, the 2,350-bottle cellar and adjoining tasting room and bathroom were complete.
“I had recently retired, so I had some time on my hands,” says Tom. “This was truly a labor of love for me. I’m proud of the camaraderie that went along with the design and construction. Everyone worked hand in hand, and I enjoyed the whole process.”
To access the cellar, Tom and Barbara exit the back of their home and walk down two flights of stairs. A vanishing-edge hot tub and table and chairs are located outside the alder door that leads to the cellar; they offer stunning views of the forest and red rocks. The cellar is lined with floor-to-ceiling, three-bottles-deep, distressed-redwood wine racks. Tom and Barbara access wines near the ceiling, which resembles a wine barrel, via a ladder that maneuvers around the room on iron rails. The cellar stays at a constant 58 degrees (with the help of hand-carved air vents, of course). Right now, Tom’s collection includes almost 1,800 bottles of wine – 92 percent of those bottles are red. He says he prefers big wines from the Stags’ Leap district in Napa Valley as well as wines from Italy and Australia. A small humidor nestled between the racks houses Tom’s cigar collection. An alcove displays 5- and 6-liter bottles of wine from California and the Barolo region of Italy.
Walk up three stairs and through a glass door, and you’re inside the tasting room, which is acclimated to the temperature of the house. Todd says wine cellars are the new media rooms for the custom-home crowd, and the attention to detail in the space is evident. A sign above the doorway reads “Kuni’s Kavern,” a relic from Tom’s late father’s home in New Jersey. Todd points out the hidden refrigerator and dishwasher that seamlessly blend with the cabinetry. Speaking of which, each cabinet door is comprised of 15 pieces of wood and iron handles that match the ladder rails in the cellar. The countertops are crafted from brown onyx from Turkey. There’s a framed flat-screen television and four barstools made from tractor seats surrounding a table supported by a Chimney Rock Winery barrel. Niches display the Chimney Rock bottles of wine that Tom and Barbara gave their wedding guests back in 1993. Each bottle is etched with the Kunis’ wedding date. A glass cutout in the table provides a glimpse of the top of the barrel. Not a wine drinker? Tom stocks the tasting room with beer, soft drinks, Scotch and bourbon. “You gotta have options,” he says with a sly smile.
For Tom, though, it’s all about the wine. The partially retired business owner divides his time between Sedona and New Jersey, where he stores another 700 bottles. He says he buys wine to be consumed with friends, not as an investment or to collect. Nevertheless, his health-conscious wife keeps his consumption in check. “There’s so little time for so much wine,” Tom sighs.
Tom Pitts says…
Tom’s taste becomes quite clear in the cellar. Serious wine collectors would recognize these labels and respond with a loud wow! These are big red wines, which should age spectacularly. Wines from California include old friends like Caymus, Opus One, Robert Mondavi Reserve, Phelps Insignia, Mount Veeder, Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve, Sequoia Grove and a collection of verticals from Tom’s favorite Napa region, Stags’ Leap. These include Chimney Rock, Clos du Val, Shafer Hillside Select, Cliff Lede (including the old S. Anderson vineyard and the “Songbook” blends), and, of course, Stags’ Leap Cellars, which won the famous 1976 Paris tasting, opening the wine world’s eyes to California’s potential. A restaurateur friend in New Jersey helped expand Tom’s interest in Italian wines, as evidenced by his selection of Piero Antinori’s great Super Tuscan Tignanello and Solaia wines and the 5-liter bottles of Oddero Barolo on display. They sit alongside musician Sting’s Sister Moon Tuscan wine. Add a few selections from around the world, such as the Velvet Glove shiraz from Australia’s McClaren Vale, and you have a collection designed for the long haul.
