Wine Accessories Essential Tips
Why You Should Use A Wine Rack For wine to mature in the proper way, you’ll need to have the right humidity, temperature, light condition, and movement. Whenever you are storing wine for any amount of time, you’ll need to ensure that the wine is in a safe place. Even though there are a few ways that you can store wine, none are safer or smarter than using a wine rack When you choose your wine rack, you should always remember to choose one that will store your wine properly. There are a several styles to choose from, including those that stack, wall mounts, and side mounts. You should also pay attention to size as well, as the sizes range from storing a few bottles to storing hundreds. You’ll also have a lot of varieties and designs to select from, all of which depend on your needs and your space. Among the best types of wine racks are the horizontal racks. Contrary to what many may think, vertical racks aren’t a good choice for storing your wine. Wine that is stored on vertical racks are stored vertically, which means that the cork will dry out and eventually start to shrink, bringing air into the wine and ruining it. On the other hand, vertical racks can come in handy when storing wine for short periods of time, or wine that is best consumed young. Tilted racks are another type of rack you should avoid using, as they can dry out the corks or deposit the sediments too close to the cork. For your wine storing needs, you should always go with a horizontal rack. Horizontal racks will keep the cork moist, and keep unwanted air from making contact with the wine. The sediment will fall towards the side of the bottle, preventing spillage when you pop the cork. Horizontal racks are also very affordable and you can always add more racks to the design with little to no problem. The materials for wine racks are normally wood or metal. You can hang them from ceilings, mount them on the wall, or simply place them on the floor. Metal racks are the strongest, although wood is more flexible. Wooden racks provide a bit more storage, for the simple fact that you can always add to them. Wood racks are also visually appealing, durable, and provide plenty of strength. All in all, a wine rack is a fine investment for anyone who appreciates wine. There are various sizes to choose from, all of which are very affordable. The small to medium sizes work best for homes, while the large styles are best for commercial settings. No matter where you keep your wine - you can count on a wine rack to keep your wine stored for years to come. WineHomeBrewClub.com What You Should Know Before Buying A Wine Rack For some people, the storage and acquisition of wine is more than just a hobby, it is an art. Wine connoisseurs all know that the proper storage of wine is important to its final flavor. Once it is already bottled, wine will still mature and gain body and flavor. Proper care should be taken when handling wine, or else its potential for greatness will go to waste. To keep their wine well preserved, the discriminating connoisseur will choose a proper wine rack. How to Buy a Wine Rack The Build Wine racks can be made of so many different materials and styles. You should consider which material and style fits your needs and preference. You could have wood, glass, alloy, or metal racks. Some people try to choose materials that match their living rooms. There are a variety of styles of wine racks, find one that is convenient for you. The popular styles include counter top racks, diamond bins, cabinets and others. The Essential Elements A good wine rack will ensure that the following elements are strictly controlled. Light, humidity, temperature, stability. If you want to keep your wine well preserved and ready for ambush party, you need to make sure they are not exposed to light, moisture, extreme temperatures and shaking or vibration. Cabinet wine racks are good at keeping wine bottles safe. They can emulate the conditions at a wine cellar best. These condition include moderate humidity, cool temperatures, and little light We try to control the humidity so we can avoid getting the wine cork from accumulating moisture. This will lessen the chances that the wine will get contaminated or oxidized. Keeping the correct humidity or appropriately moist environment will keep the wine cork damp, reducing the chances of contamination and/or oxidization. Warm conditions will accelerate wine aging. You have to keep this in mind when you consider which wine rack to choose. Things to Remember Don’t place wine cellars above or near refrigerators. Refrigerators generate heat and this heat could ruin your wine collection. Buying and installing a good wine rack would be useless if that happens. Your rack has to be smooth enough that when the wine bottles are put and taken, they will not get scratched and damaged. Bottles and labels are also important parts of the overall value of wine. A wine cellar is great but not necessary to store your wine in the correct environment. But since not everyone can afford a wine cellar or has space enough for one, you could opt for a wine rack instead. Wine racks function a lot like wine cellars, but they are smaller and are more accessible. They are also a lot cheaper and easier to install. Believe it or not, ultraviolet light can affect and ruin wine. That’s the reason wine cellars are so dark and that’s why you have to keep your wine in a dark safe place. When you store your wine bottles, make sure they are stored sideways; this ensures that the wine is always in contact with the cork to keep it moist. Once again we cannot express how important it is to maintain the right conditions for your wine to mature nicely. Your wine rack system has to maintain the right amount of humidity and temperature to keep your collection going. Bear in mind that wine is something you keep for a long time. Keep your wine racks pumping a temperature range of 55-60° F. Also make sure the humidity is in the 50% to 75% range. Adjust these settings according to the needs of your wine. Start Planning for Your Wine Rack Now! Well, now you have pretty much gotten everything in order. When a party comes crashing through, you can whip out the grade A wine and celebrate to your hearts content. Pour out the good times to the tune of the compliments and admiration your friends will throw your way all because of your fine wine rack. Wine Cellar Cooling Units Building a wine cellar can create the ideal environment to store your wines. Temperature is always a major consideration in wine storage and the ideal wine storage temperature is between 55ºF and 58ºF (13ºC–15ºC), although any temperature between 40º–65ºF (5º–18ºC) will suffice as long as it doesn’t fluctuate too much. Ideally, the humidity should be around 70%. If you can't achieve these temperatures in your passive wine cellar then you may require a wine cellar cooling unit. A standard home refrigerator makes a poor wine cooling solution for several reasons. It is designed specifically to store and look after food products, not to store wines. An atmosphere that works well for meat and vegetables is far too cold and dry for your expensive wine. The preferred temperature for home refrigeration is somewhere between 35ºF and 38ºF (1.7 to 3.3ºC) Home – or even commercial – refrigeration equipment is built to cool food quickly to prevent it spoiling. This is achieved by blasting cold air until the desired temperature is reached. Then a cycle kicks in whereby once the set temperature is reached, the refrigerator shuts off. When the temperature rises to a pre-determined point, cold air is again blasted. This continuous fluctuating temperature cycle isn't good for your wines. Standard refrigeration equipment is designed not only to cool but also to remove moisture. Wine gives off neither heat nor moisture so you end up with an environment that's way too dry for wine. This will cause wine corks to shrink, which will allow air to get in. Once the air is in contact with your wine the irreversible process of oxidation begins and your wine is ruined! Vibration can also be an issue with a home refrigerator. Wine requires a calm vibration-free environment in which to develop so any vibration will eventually destroy a fine wine. Similarly, home air conditioning provides a poor environment for aging your wines, as it removes the humidity from the air which can lead to corks drying out. Additionally, if air conditioning is only turned on at certain times during the day then the wine will become subject to wide temperature fluctuations, which will inevitably cause irreparable damage to your wine. To properly cool and humidify a cellar you will need a cooling system designed specifically for cooling a wine cellar. Wine cellar cooling units can be set at any temperature within the optimum range for successfully aging wines and they cool the air slowly and gently. They are designed to maintain humidity rather than dehydrating the cellar although sometimes additional humidification may be required in extremely dry climates. This type of wine cellar cooling unit is usually installed approximately 18 inches from the top of the room in order to achieve maximum cooling. The unit will also require an unobstructed airflow and adequate ventilation to dissipate the heat generated by the unit. It is also possible to install a split air system into a wine cellar although these units can be very expensive with prices running into many thousands of dollars. A split air system is installed outside the wine cellar and the supply and return air is ducted to and from the wine cellar. This wine cellar refrigeration system works like a central air-conditioning system and is similarly quiet. This system would usually include electronic controls and a digital display. There are many options available with split system cooling including humidifiers, dehumidifiers and alarm units. With the addition of the options, a split air system will provide you with total control of your wine cellar refrigeration, albeit at a large cost. If you find that your wine cellar requires a cooling unit it is worthwhile shopping around and comparing brands. There are few bargains, however, you should be able to save money with a little research. WineHomeBrewClub.com Wine Basics - Find Great Wine Values Ever felt discontentment and agitated after paying too much for a bottle of wine? Getting a good deal on this kind of product is like getting a good deal on any other. It feels simply good. In fact there is an air of satisfaction just knowing that you have found true wine values in your purchases. Wine values involve more than finding the least costly brand on the shelf. One must remember the less money you spend does not assure you the feeling of satisfaction that getting a good, open deal does. If that were the case, people would just buy the cheapest bottles on the shelves. Well this does not happen. While for some would argue that there are wine-snobs floating around who only like a brand if it costs an exorbitant amount of money. Now this can be the case for a select few who find their wines by the cost rather than the wine values. Despite the fact that it is more expensive it does not always mean more value. There are certainly more things to consider than the price. First in order to truly find wine values you have to look at the grand scale. You do not necessarily want the cheapest brand on the market despite the fact that you can find decent quality in the cheapest brand on the shelf. You also do not always find the best quality for the money with a high-priced purchase. Obviously the balance is getting the most bang for your buck. If you are faced with questions like; what is the finest quality product available for the most reasonable price? You may pay out a little more than the bottom-shelf brand but you will in fact appreciate the selection because of its superior quality. You will also value the idea of knowing that your snobby neighbor paid nearly twice as much for the same quality varietals found in your economically-sound wine values. Experimenting a little bit is definitely an excellent way to finding good wine values. Instead of automatically looking at the commonly more expensive Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon try looking into a Pinot Blanc or a Pinot Noir instead. You will be pleasantly surprised by trying less popular varietals as they can lead to great discoveries. You may also want to consider wines from different regions as well. Australia and New Zealand boast wonderful wines for fairly little money. Check out local winery, too.You can truly uncover some treasures locally and you can also choose to buy wines by the case. Often wineries give a discount if you buy in bulk. In any case, the best wine values are subjective in nature. You may love the simple boxed wine that many would avoid. Your enjoyment is primary in the value of your purchase. Wine Accessories At Kitchen Junkie Wine is more than an alcoholic beverage. It’s almost a way of life! There are more wine accessories available than you could even imagine. From the necessities like corkscrews and glasses, to the not so necessary yet entertaining accessories like decanters, ice buckets, and pourers- there is more to wine than just drinking it. Corkscrews & Openers While there are hundreds of varieties of corkscrews, they all work in basically the same fashion. You screw one end directly into the center of the wine’s cork, and use a handle to life the cork out of the bottle in order to enjoy your bottle of wine. If you want something other than a corkscrew, you can find another style of opener that uses cartridges to “pop” the cork out of the bottle. The pop style openers tend to be a little more expensive than the traditional corkscrew, but image is everything when it comes to wine, and a specialty opener may be just the extra accessory you need for your dinner parties or restaurant atmosphere. Decanters Decanters are glass bottles with special shapes designed to encourage the heightening of wine flavors when you store your open wine in them. They also make for a nice presentation when you place the decanter on the table. There are literally countless different shapes and styles that decanters come in. Many resemble a glass flower vase. Certain wines should be placed in specific shapes of wine decanters in order to enhance the flavor of the wine to the fullest extent. Others can be stored in any of the fancy decanters. For an incredible display, you could find a decanter with it’s own base unit. These are highly stylish, and often hold the decanter at an angle, and suspended over the table. Some decanters come with glass ball stoppers to be placed on the opening of the bottle in order to keep the freshness in when the wine is stored. Air can have damaging effects to the properties of wine, and so it’s usually best to keep open wine in an airtight container. Additionally, some decanters are able to remove sediments from older wine and aerate younger wines to further enhance their flavors. Decanters are certainly not necessary to drinking wine (you can place the cork back in the bottle of a wine to keep the air out when you’re not pouring the wine) but they certainly make for a nicer presentation and can actually help the overall flavor of the wine. Wine Racks Where do you store your wine bottles? If you’re like most people, you keep them in one of your kitchen cabinets until you’re ready to use them, or maybe in the basement. If you drink wine often, however, you would probably enjoy having an elegant and functional wine rack in the kitchen or dining room that is designed to display and hold your wine bottles, glasses, and accessories. Some wine racks are mounted to overhead cabinet space, so that the bottles are placed lying down inside them, while the glasses hang from their stems. These are perfect for kitchens with decent space under their overhead cabinets. If you don’t have the room for this style of wine rack, there are wine racks that sit directly on the counter, and hold the bottles at arms reach. If your kitchen simply doesn’t have the space on the counter top or under the overhead cabinets for these styles, you can enjoy a wine rack that stands alone. These often have small base units, sometimes refrigerated, as well as space for glasses and accessories. They take up more floor space, but can really dress up a dining area. Wine Accessories - A Wine Lover's Mark The popularity of wine spreads all over the world. This drink loved by all, is perhaps one of the oldest alcoholic beverages available. A true wine lover not only loves to drink it, but also loves to serve it to other people. For a wine connoisseur, a wine rack is a must to have in his house. Wine racks are both decorative as well as utilitarian. It is for holding your collection of different wine bottles, and for many it is like a display which they always are proud of. Wine racks: There are so many different designs of wine racks you can find. Depending on your taste, whether you want an old classic look or a modern touch, you can choose the wine rack. Wood is still the most loved storage wine rack. There are a few wine racks that are even made for storing wine inside the refrigerator. Wine bottles have to be kept and stored with utmost care. These wine racks hold the bottles in contact with the cork, thereby preventing any loss of taste or smell of delicate liquids. Wine racks can be made up of wood, metal, wrought iron, etc. It is said that wrought iron racks are best, as they can not only be made into different artistic designs, but they are also sturdy, thus providing good support for your wine bottles. For a classic Victorian look, go for a wooden wine storage rack. This is also safe to use as it can go with any kind of furniture you have at home. You can also buy table top racks if you are short of space in the house. Things to remember: For those who have a large collection of wine, you can also go for a refrigerator wine storage rack, as the refrigerator will keep the temperature under control. There are a few things that you should remember while buying a wine storage rack: • Decide on the place where you want to keep the rack, be it your kitchen or your dining area. Depending on that, you can decide on what type of rack you want. • If you have a big space, you can have choices as to what type of racks you want, but incase you are short of space, you can go for a hanging one or a wall rack. • Check out the size, shape, and the number of bottles you want, and then you can decide whether you will need a big rack or if a small one will do. • Find out the different price ranges and compare prices from all different dealers. Buy the one that suits your budget. A wine rack cannot be complete without wine accessories. The most common ones include wine glasses, corkscrews, wine totes, coolers, wine stoppers, wine bottle holders, corkboards etc. A wine corkscrew is an important tool. There are many types of corkscrews available, though all serve the same purpose. One end has to be screwed directly into the cork's center, and then the handle is used to lift the cork out of the bottle. Now you can also find decanters for enhancing the look of your display. They are glass bottles with designs on them, and they are also great for maintaining the flavors of wine rather than to keep in open bottles in your rack. These wine accessories also make a perfect gift for someone who has a taste for fine things in life.
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