Additional information
by Al Fuentes (Author)
Spaces Built with People and Wine in Mind
Where wine cellars have historically been placed underground, Al Fuentes reinvents the way storing wine is viewed. This modern approach his company, Dragon Cellars, takes allows for custom, luxury wine cellars to be built above ground in a way that complements the owner's interior design and wine-curating styles, creating the perfect display. These custom cellars, cabinets, and walls not only display but preserve each bottle at the ideal temperature and angles, ensuring longevity. In creating a wine cellar that serves serves as the focal point for the room, each moment in this space--from selecting the bottle to drinking the last drop--is an experience one longs to share with others. The Taste of Ambiance reveals Al's design process, furniture selecting, construction, and backlighting approach for over eighty unique projects. His innovative designs have been featured in houses, condos, and restaurants in seven different countries.Author Biography
Alberto (Al) Fuentes is the president, master designer, and consultant of Dragon Cellars. He has been dedicated to making this unique company a success, culminating in seventeen years of providing demanding clients the most innovative luxury wine cellars and related furniture in the market. His projects have been sold in over seven countries, with more to come! Al was born in New York City in 1960 to immigrant parents from La Coruña, Spain. He lived back and forth between the US and Spain in his childhood and young adulthood, where he served as a US Air Force captain. He joined in 1979 and opted for an early retirement in 1995. During this timeframe, he worked mostly in the aircraft maintenance area, having been stationed in various bases, and left with the position of commander after serving in a training detachment in Georgia. Returning to Spain with his family as a civilian, he held numerous jobs related to human resources, headhunting, and worked as an associate professor for three universities, teaching over eight subjects in a ten-year span. In 2007 he decided to start up a company in Madrid for the design, manufacturing, and installing of custom wine cellars, focusing on new and innovative designs in the luxury market. In 2014 the company, Dragon Cellars, was established in Delray Beach, Florida, and has since created works of art for the display, storage, care, and enjoyment of wine in the most exclusive homes and restaurants. Dragon Cellars has completed more than 320 projects. Al holds an MBA from Albany State University, a master's in aeronautical science, a bachelor's in professional aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and a powerplant technology associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force.
