When you are passionate about wine you begin collecting it … and when you begin collecting it you need a place to store it.
A closet can easily be turned into a mini wine cellar to store your growing wine collection.
Before you construct your wine cellar consider the position of the closet in relation to the rest of the house.
Avoid converting a closet against an outside wall into a wine cellar. The outside walls of your house or apartment can be subject to wide fluctuations in temperature. Choose an internal closet where your wine can be stored in a more stable atmosphere.
The degree and the speed of the temperature change are critical to successfully storing and aging wine. A gradual change of a few degrees between summer and winter won’t matter. The same change each day will harm your wines by ageing them too rapidly.
The most important rule when storing wine is to avoid large temperature changes or fluctuations. You’ll notice damage of this nature straight away from the sticky deposit that often forms around the capsule. Over time the continual expansion and contraction of the wine will damage the integrity of the cork. It’s like having the cork pulled in and out again every day. When this happens, minute quantities of wine may be pushed out along the edge of the cork (between the cork and the bottle neck) allowing air to seep back in. Once the air is in contact with your wine the irreversible process of oxidation begins and your wine is ruined.
At 55º to 58ºF the wine will age properly, enabling it to fully develop. Higher temperatures will age wine more rapidly and cooler temperatures will slow down the ageing process. Irreversible damage will be done if your wine is kept at a temperature above 82ºF for even a month.
The most difficult part of converting a closet to a wine cellar can be finding other places to store the original contents of the closet! Be ruthless … sell / give away / move all the present contents and start with a blank slate!
Purchase some inexpensive wine racks from a hardware store, online retailer or storage shop and you’ll have a simple but very effective mini wine cellar.
Wine rack designs will vary in bottle density; Price variations are more to do with aesthetics than efficiency.
Individual racking is the most convenient for selecting bottles. If you have racks against only one wall of the closet you may still have floor or shelf space available for wines that you purchase by the case.
By: Christopher Miley
Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot, oh my. Understanding the complexities and variety of red wine can be daunting, especially when it comes to choosing the correct wine for a dinner. Here are some wine selection tips for five of the most popular red wines for the beginner.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Considered the “King of Red Wine Grapes”, Cabernet Sauvignon originated in the Bordeaux region of France and established itself in the California wine markets to become one of the world’s most popular red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually matured for 5-10 years to create a mellow-flavored wine. It is often blended with other grapes, most notably Merlot, to create a soft wine with lively fruit tones. Cabernets are medium to full-bodied wines high in tannins which carry rich berry, tobacco and sometimes even green pepper flavors. Cabernet pairs well with lamb, red meats, hearty red pasta dishes, strong cheese and dark chocolate.
Pinot Noir
The Pinot Noir grape is very difficult to grow demanding climates with consistently warm days and cool nights. Nonetheless, it is grown in regions including Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Italy. Due it’s strict growing requirements, Pinot Noir is produced in lesser quantities than many other popular red wines and tends to be a little pricier. It is a lighter colored and flavored red wine with sweet undertones of berries, tomatoes, cherries, plums and earthy or woody flavors depending upon where it is grown. Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines and pairs nicely with poultry, fish, lamb, pork, ham, spicy seasonings and cream sauces.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel has been a mainstay of the Californian wine market since the mid-1800s. Originally from Italy, this robust grape has found a good home in the Americas. The Zinfandel grape produces two varietals: the red Zinfandel, and the White Zinfandel (also called White Zin) which has become a popular wine for the beginner. The basic Zinfandel is a rich, dark red wine with flavors of sweet berries, plums and black pepper and undertones of oak. White Zinfandel is made by removing the grape skins shortly after the grapes are crushed. The result is a rose to pink colored wine with a lighter flavor. Red Zinfandel pairs nicely with red or white meat, hearty fish, burgers and spicy dishes. White Zinfandel is suited to a large rage of foods including Cajun and Asian flavors, BBQ chicken and heavy seafood dishes.
Merlot
Merlot originates from the Bordeaux region of France and is a soft and lush, medium-bodied wine. Its juicy fruit flavors and low tannin content makes Merlot a popular wine for the beginner. Merlot has a wide range of tones including plums, cherries, blueberries, blackberries and black pepper. Merlot is often blended with other wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to soften their flavors and gain more structure and definition. Merlot is a versatile red which pairs well with pork, red meats, pastas and salads.
Shiraz
Known as Syrah in France, Shiraz is a bold, spicy wine which has become very popular in Australia where it gained its alternative name. It is a medium to full-bodied wine with firm tannins that give it a fuller body than most younger reds. Shiraz has an impressive range of flavors including black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, licorice and even dark chocolate and smoked meat. Shiraz stands up well to hearty foods including grilled meats and vegetables, wild game, seasoned red meats, beef stew and meaty pizzas.
By: Michael Fenwick
My wife and I have always had a keen interest in gastronomy and moved towards becoming experts in the field. We both became chefs and dedicated most of our time and life to good eating and drinking. Furthermore, our purpose has always been to create a tool or environment that can make a difference in people’s lives.
In keeping abreast with the news and conducting regular research in the food and wine industry, we observed an interesting common denominator among many food and wine enthusiasts. We discovered that when it comes to wine most people do not have a clear idea of what wine to buy at a market or order at a restaurant, and often times they’re disappointed with their choices.
Obviously, with the number of choices of wine out there, it is not always easy to know what wine to purchase when you go to the market. But our research concluded that the problem or challenge isn’t always the fact that there are too many choices. The problem comes from the ego of the individual. We saw people going up and down the aisles looking here, and looking there and end up either not buying anything or just pick up a bottle with an unsatisfied look on their face. Not one, not two, not three but dozens of people at a time. Many times I couldn’t help myself but walking up to them and suggest a couple of wines. One time I helped 4 customers in a store to buy 37 bottles of wine. They were so relieved that somebody who knew about good wine was there to help them out. It was interesting and even funny, because right after these bottles were bought, the staff was there, very surprised, to quickly fill the empty spaces.
So, to make life a little easier, we decided to create a comprehensive wine guide called “The Right Wine For Your Food,” that informs the public of what wine goes with what food, how it tastes, and even where to buy it. This way the person that is planning to go to the market or a restaurant knows exactly what wine to buy or order with confidence, and feel good about it.
When we make someone feel good, we know we have accomplished our purpose.
By: Mike Samii