For those who have trouble finding the space to store big wine collections - and a more than passing interest in wine - a new apartment block in Tokyo with an in-house cellar and a visiting sommelier could be the perfect place to live. The aptly named Wine Apartment, a 10-story building in Tokyo's posh Shibuya district, features a temperature-controlled room in the basement for 10,000 bottles. On top of that, each of the 18 units also comes furnished with a wine fridge for 26 bottles and a rack for glasses. "We wanted to create a residential space that gives joy to your life, and that's why we created this Wine Apartment. We hope this new apartment can fulfill the desire of those crazy wine-lovers who praise wine, wine and wine all day long," said Takayuki Suzuki, the president of property developer Inovv Inc. A popular bistro will open a branch in November on the first floor of the building, where residents can bring and drink their own bottles for a 2,000 yen ($20.38) corkage charge. They can also order food to be delivered to their apartments. The monthly rent of the two types of space, 42 or 46-square-metre (474 or 495-square-foot), runs from 239,000 yen to 258,000 yen ($2,400 to $2,600), about 30 percent higher than the market price in the area. About a third of the units have been taken, the developer said. In addition to the rent, tenants pay about 20,000 yen ($200) a month to store up to 300 bottles in the basement cellar. A sommelier will come to the building on weekends to advise residents on how to pair food with the wine and can also be hired by the hour for parties. "Each wine maniac has their own countries and regions they're specially interested in, and we sommeliers help those wine connoisseurs build their own community, which helps them deepen their knowledge to a broader world of wine," said Wataru Iwamoto, the visiting sommelier to the apartment. "There's only a limited number of sommeliers available in Japan, and it's almost impossible to call a sommelier in your house to get a professional service. But, that is very possible in this Wine Apartment," Iwamoto said. Residents wanting to play with how they present their wine can borrow glasses from a collection of 100 types displayed in the lobby. Innov, which plans another Wine Apartment with 30 units in 2015, has also built residential blocks that musicians can use as studios because of heavy sound insulation. With increased demand in prime property expected in Tokyo after it won the bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, developers hope it will be a good investment for all. "As Tokyo hosts the Olympics, the values of mansions, land and apartments will all go up. In such a situation, we're waiting for an investor who will buy the whole block. I think the investor will definitely make a huge capital gain out of his or her investment in the future," Suzuki said.

• published: 03 Oct 2013
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