The cellar was once an outdoor porch area and access would have been from outside. Miguel Leonis enclosed the back porch and created separate rooms. This side of the house remained cool because it received the least amount of sun, making the space ideal for storing and preserving food. Vegetables, wine, and brandy as well as dairy products like milk and butter were kept in the cellar. Beef and pork were hung here and cured with salt. The small room, directly across from the cellar, which functions as the staff and prep kitchen today, was once the Leonis family pantry used for storing dry goods. Almost everything consumed by the family and residents was grown on the rancho.