I wouldn't want to store wine above the frig specifically because of temperature concerns. How much wine do you tend to have on hand and how long do you tend to keep a bottle?

Lax is right, but let's state the form-vs.-function subtext clearly. Do you want this strictly for show or will you really store your wine there? If purely for show, do whatever you think looks nice, and put a few bottles of two-buck Chuck in it. If for function, I personally don't think the kitchen is a good place to store wine at all.

My KD suggested a wine cubby next to my range, and I almost burst out laughing! (I had previously built a small closet in my cool basement to hold a few cases.)

Cool is a lot better for anything decent.

Heat and vibration are the enemies of wine, so I would not store anything I cared about above the fridge or next to any other appliances. I agree with Angie that if it is just for looks, go with what looks best, but store any good bottles in a cool, dark place.

Unless you open bottles daily or many times a week, it is best to store unchilled wine down low and preferably out of the kitchen.
Depending on the time of year, ours is in the attached garage or in the basement.

Agreed about the wine, but to address the decor issue, how about using the space for something more colorful? Niches for vases? Narrow shelves for cookbooks?

Not having seen your kitchen, however, I hesitate to make a particular recommendation, and will instead offer a few rules of thumb. In a small, low ceiling kitchen, the more "interest" you add, the smaller the kitchen will look. Many small kitchens profit from having the hood be the eyelevel focal point and the range as the lower level focal point. That's why you see that so often. It looks good. If your stove is on the other wall, making a feature of your sink area with your glass cabinets should look fine. Leave it at that.

I guess it was really for looks. I typically have 2 cases on hand (reds only) and just store them in in unused bedroom actually. I'm not that particular nor a collector. I open a a bottle or two a week. I thought a vertical shelf would just add a little something to break up the upper cabinets. I agree on the over-the-frig thing being wrong. I am seeing it more and more in magazines or books. I dont cook much, house is 200 yrs old, I plan on some shade of white shaker inserts cabs, a couple glass cabinets for some great pottery i keep on open shelves now, character grade hickory floor (stained, not natural). Maybe I will just go with one vertical rack and skip the second and use it for something more practical (like a bigger caibinet). Thanks.