Sub Navigation

My Blog

Wine Coolers for Wine Collectors

Well, with the holiday season among us we thought it would be fun to talk about some of the gifts at the top of our holiday wish list. Wine, obviously, is our truest passion and there are a score of items out there in the marketplace that are amazing for any true wine lover. Of course there is a whole slew of different wine glasses for quite literally every occasion and we love Riedel's selection; An individual could fill their whole house with just red wine glasses and still not even come close to having all the designs currently available. Reidel is a great place to start any wine glass collection.

 

Our focus today though is really on wine storage. Again, there are more manufacturers and types of wine coolers available on the market today than we could write about in an encyclopedia, but we have one particular unit in mind that is at the top of our wine wish list. Vinotemp International first caught our eye while staying at the Bellagio a while back. The really nice rooms there are retrofitted with gorgeous wine coolers, no expense spared. After doing more research on the wine storage industry it was clear that the overall leader in manufacturing was Vinotemp. It was also fantastic finding out that they are an american company; It's always great to support the local economy in such a globally trying time.

 

Our wine collection just continues to grow every year. Back when my fiance and I were younger we were perfectly content with our little tiny 12 bottle wine fridge. It sat on the counter and did it's thing for us day in and day out. When we ran out of wine, we would just buy more for the wine cooler we got from http://www.whichwinecooler.com/Haier-Wine-Cooler.html. Then came the point where a wine bottle down was a wine bottle refilled. Our wine storage at that point stopped cutting it. We then make a big jump up to a 32 bottle wine refrigerator. That was officially the start of the high life; Parties at our house were never the same. We never feared running out of wine on any given night no matter how many guests we had over. It was always fun to watch the looks on our friends faces as they perused our collection and chose the perfect next bottle for all of us to enjoy.

 

Now though, it's just not the same. We have moved beyond the mere need to entertain and entered the realm of true wine collectors. When we see an expensive, exclusive bottle of wine at a winery, we just have to have it. We have started to study techniques and methodologies for aging wine; There really is a great mix of art and science when deciding what wines to invest five to ten years in. And with that, we really need a great wine storage unit. There is an insulated wine storage cave from Vinotemp, I believe it is the VT-Cave G, that holds about two hundred and seventy bottles that we have our eye on. It has a solid, lockable door so that our wines will stay sheltered from UV rays and from accidental loss. It's also a thermoelectric wine cooler so that our wines won't be subjected to the normal vibrations of compression based wine coolers. And above all, it is well known for being able to withstand a wide ambient temperature range; This means no matter how much the temperature outside the cooler sways up and down, the internal temperature can remain constant. If we are going to continue to invest thousands in our wine collection, we want to make sure we equally invest in a quality wine cellar to protect our investment.

By admin Tagged: , , , ,

Commercial Wine Coolers

Recently, after a long week of working overtime, I invited a friend to a classy happy hour at a well-known steak and seafood restaurant. When we walked into the establishment and up the stairs toward the elegant bar area, we were greeted with a wall of wine bottles beautifully lit and displayed behind double paned glass. I turned to my friend, who is virtually a wine cooler expert, and asked if that was indeed a massive wine cooler. We inspected the wall closely and decided that it was a custom made commercial wine cooling unit. There are many styles of commercial wine coolers and the majority of the time, these are built to the specifications of the establishment they will be serving.

Commercial wine coolers that are not custom made but available for anyone to purchase range in size and capacity. A smaller bar or restaurant might need a wine refrigerator that holds 20 to 40 bottles of wine. In contrast, major hotels might possess wine coolers that can accommodate hundreds of bottles of wine. Commercial units also range drastically in price; costing anywhere from $200 to several thousand dollars.

Another important feature of a commercial wine cooler is dual or multi temperature zones. It is almost guaranteed that a food service business will not exclusively attract customers who like red wine. Because of the variation in wine varietals and personal taste, a multi zoned wine cooler allows you to perfectly chill red and white wines at their individual optimal temperatures. Moreover, many models of wine refrigerators are engineered to withstand a wide ambient temperature range. Ambient temperature refers to the condition outside the wine cooler that could have an effect on its functioning. A wider ambient temperature range allows a wine cooler to maintain its internal settings even when it is placed in a more extreme cold or hot location.

Commercial wine coolers are generally found in restaurants, bars, wineries, tasting rooms, hotels, luxury boats and yachts, and in personal homes. We love looking through the photos of custom made storage on winecellarinnovations.com. With the ability to custom design and install wine coolers, there is almost no limit to the style and creative possibilities. There exist companies that can even create entire wine cellar rooms in a business. Next time you are dining out, take a look at the establishment’s wine storage choice and perhaps splurge on a perfectly chilled glass of your favorite vintage.
By admin Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Wine Cellar In Your Home

At some point, after gradually gaining wine knowledge and experiencing the great enjoyment that is sharing wine with friends and family, you decide you need your own wine cellar. This is after you have systematically increased your monthly expenditure on wine because the bottom shelf bottles just don’t cut it anymore. You have honed your wine tasting skills to the point where you can easily differentiate between a cheap wine and a complex fine wine. You’ve read articles on wine making and the intricacies of production and you have adequately explored the tasting rooms within a hundred-mile radius of your home. This is the moment that you decide your love of wine will only deepen and you’re ready to manage your own vast wine collection.

Many homeowners have reached this point and wine cooler manufacturers often offer custom building possibilities. A simple Internet search will generate thousands of photos of wine cellars all over the world. It is incredibly interesting to see what other wine lovers have designed and built in their homes. Some have turned their basement or entire lower level of their home into a high class wine aging room. This room stays permanently at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, like smaller wine storage units, and houses thousands of bottles of wine. Nooks and crannies are built in for wine tasting sessions with guests. Fancy lighting and hand picked wine accessories further demonstrate the dedication of these wine enthusiasts.

Others, take the full plunge into wine obsession and decide to operate their own vineyard and winery. This passion requires a slightly greater investment but rewards with the satisfaction of wine production featuring your name on the label. There is almost no greater satisfaction than watching those you care about savoring something you have worked so hard to make yourself. This satisfaction is fermented in every wine vintage and released with every wine bottle cork. Once you have mastered your wine making methods, you simply enjoy your hard work and pass down your winery legacy to the next generation.

Explore wine storage and wine refrigerator possibilities. This will allow you to make an educated and well-researched decision when you have reached the level of wine addiction described in the opening of this article. Wine coolers come in all shapes and sizes, from units that cool one bottle to personally designed and engineered wine cellars that display hundreds or thousands of perfectly chilled and aging wines. Enjoy the satisfaction of walking into your very own home wine cellar and greeting friends with a delicious bottle of beautifully chilled wine.
By admin Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Top 5 Wine Cooler Features - What you need in a wine fridge

Wine coolers are designed with many beneficial features and components. Some of these useful characteristics include blue interior LED lighting, hygrometers, wine ledger, and dispensing function. But if we had to choose 5 features that wine lovers can not do without when contemplating a personal wine storage unit, what would they be? Here are the top 5 wine cooler features that we feel are must-have.

Lock and Key
Wine is a delicate liquid and if you invest in a fine vintage with premium aging capability, you want to protect your investment as you would a Ferrari or large diamond. With either of the latter items, a person generally equips a complex alarm system or heavy vaulted lock. Well, when protecting your wines, you would expect a similar measure. One inclusion to look for when wine cooler shopping is a locking door. This will prevent unwanted disruptions and harmful fluctuations in the internal precisely controlled climate. Moreover, it will keep tiny hands from playing where they should not be.

Door
Another consideration is the door of the wine refrigerator. Many cheaply built wine coolers will come with a standard single paned glass door. But the qualities of a fine wine refrigerator or cellar will be more sophisticated. Preferably, the glass door should be dual paned or simply a solid door devoid of glass. If you purchase a wine cooler with a glass door, the glass should be tempered, which is glass that has been thermally or chemically treated to increase its strength. This will ensure that it’s resistant to shattering and also creates more insulation for the interior environment. Another helpful attribute of a wine cooler glass door is glass that protects against UV lighting. Of course with glass, you will not completely eliminate light from entering the interior, but glass that reduces this UV lighting will help protect the wine against changes that can influence its flavor after the aging process.

Vents
The method in which the wine cooler vents hot or warm air is an important aspect to consider. The difference between a front venting exhaust system and a rear venting exhaust system can affect much more than just how the hot air is dispelled. It directly impacts where you are able to place the wine cooler in your home. A rear venting exhaust system cannot be built-in under a counter top or placed flush against a wall. In contrast, a wine refrigerator equipped with a front venting exhaust system can be either installed or left as a freestanding unit. Either way, the warm air will be properly moved out and away from the wine cellar.

Temperature Range
Certain wine coolers are advertised with two different temperature ranges. This is not a reference to a wine refrigerator with dual or multiple interior temperature zones. Those zones will most likely have separate temperature setting capabilities. The temperature advertising we are referring to is the ambient temperature and the overall interior temperature range. Ambient temperature is the degree level outside of the wine cooler that could cause the unit to work harder in one temperature extreme or another. If the wine cooler cannot handle a wide ambient range, this could cause the interior temperature range to fluctuate and harm the aging wines. The other temperature range is the interior setting. Obviously, you want to be able to set the internal temperature to a degree that is ideal for the vintage resting within.

Cooling
The final element to consider when purchasing a personal wine cooler is the type of cooling system used. Typically, you will find two options: compressor based cooling and thermoelectric cooling. A third option that can be found is hybrid thermoelectric cooling. One advantage of compressor based cooling technology is that it has been around for a while and is very reliable. Additionally, it is relatively inexpensive to operate and can function off hydro or electric power. One of the disadvantages, is that this type cooling can still release harsh chemicals that deplete the ozone layer. The wine cooler manufacturer will usually indicate whether their compressor based cooling is free of these chemicals. On the other hand, thermoelectric cooling technology is environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The technology is more recently developed and incorporated into cooling units. Additionally, thermoelectric cooling operates without a motor which means vibration free cooling with almost zero noise output.
By admin Tagged: , , , ,

Wine Glasses for Red Wine, White Wine, and Others

If you are striving to enhance your wine tasting knowledge, here is a tip: although you may not realize it, the wine glass you choose plays an important part in the development of flavor and character. Wine glasses come in a vast amount of shapes, sizes, and styles. But usually, the construction of the wine glass is specific and serves a purpose. Wine glasses and vessels have been used throughout history in ceremonies, for recreational purposes, and in homes for private use. Whether it was called a goblet, chalice, draught, grail, mug, stein, or tumbler, the goal was the same; to consume delicious wine.

Red wine glasses are made with long stems which serve two purposes. First, the long stem gives you ample room with which to hold the wine glass. Second, if you are holding the stem, you are not holding the bowl of the glass which means less body heat is being transferred to the liquid. This means that your perfectly chilled wine, right from the wine cooler, will stay colder longer. The bowl of the red wine glass is generally larger allowing more oxygen to reach the wine causing it to open up or “bloom”. A reasonable amount of oxygen can bring out the complex flavors and characteristics of fine red varietals.  Additionally, the larger bowl creates an area for the released aromas to gather and linger thus enabling you to sense the nose of the wine.

White wine glasses are designed slightly differently from red wine glasses but share some similarity. Like red wine glasses, white wine glasses have long stems to prevent or reduce the heat from your hands from transferring to the cold wine. During wine storage, white wines are ideally chilled at a colder temperature than red wines and, likewise during consumption, they are enjoyed more chilled than red wines. The bowl of white wine glasses are typically more narrow therefore reducing the amount of oxygen that can penetrate the wine. The flavor of white wines can be compromised or ruined with over exposure to oxygen. The narrow wine bowl allows for some blooming of the wine but not to the extent of red wines.

In addition to red and white wine glasses, there are sparkling wine glasses and wine glasses designed for sipping Sherry or Port. The sparkling wine glasses have the lengthy stem but a very narrow bowl that is typically long as well. This gives extra distance for the bubbles in the sparkling wine, such as Champagne, to travel and as a result increases the aesthetic appeal of drinking such wine. Sherry or Port glasses tend to be more stout and have fairly short bowls. The stems of Sherry and Port glasses tend to be shorter as well; it seems a little warmth is less detrimental to the sipped fortified beverage.

The holidays are fast approaching and for most people this means attending parties and gatherings. So, now you can impress your guests or hosts and demonstrate your wine knowledge by choosing the most appropriate and most beneficial wine glass for the type of wine you are drinking. On New Year’s Eve, make sure you have that sparkling wine glass in hand to ring in the new year. For even more wine glass information, read this article from the Huffington post.
By Tagged: , , , , , ,