What was your “Epiphany” wine?
It was a 5 Puttynos Tokaji from the Royal Tokaji Wine Company. I have always had a bit of a sweet tooth and this wine sent me over the top! Dessert wines are still my favorite to this day.

What is the most memorable Wine Cellar you have built?
The custom wine cellar in our Wine Enthusiast showroom. It is something I had envisioned doing for many years, even when we were in our original location. Once we moved to our new headquarters, I was able to take the space from a simple floor plan to the lavish cellar that you see today. It’s wonderful to have our customers come through the door and marvel at this cellar while envisioning something similar in their own home.

What is your favorite Wine Storage Product and why?
I love the simplicity and efficiency of the Silent Wine Refrigerators. They are a perfect gateway for the novice collector into the world of wine storage. Also being close to NYC we have many customers who live in apartments that don’t have the room for the bigger units and are looking for the quietest solution possible.

How do you store your wine?
I have a modest collection that I store in our N’Finity Wine Racks with an N’Finity Cooling Unit. What I love about this system is that as my collection grows I can simply add on racks to my current cellar. It’s also fairly easy for me to assemble/install and I do enjoy the process.

If you had to give 1 wine storage tip, what would it be?
Whether it’s a basic wine refrigerator or a custom built wine cellar with all the trimmings, having a temperature-controlled environment for your collection is an invaluable investment. We have many customers who have lost wines over the years because they thought their basement or pantry closet would suffice. The truth is there are few places in the world that can maintain a steady 55 degree temperature year round without the use of some form of temperature control.

What have you drank lately that wowed you?
I have always been a Dolce fan, so one of my colleagues (Marshall) introduced me to Moshin Vineyard’s Moshin Poshin. It is another Sauternes-style dessert wine from California and it is simply delicious. It’s my new go-to after dinner treat.

What was your “Epiphany” wine? 
Historically my frame of reference has been homemade Italian red wine. Shortly after joining the Wine Enthusiast, I had the pleasure of joining our team at a famous New York steakhouse for dinner and a bottle of PETRUS was opened and I was mesmerized!

What is the most memorable Wine Cellar you have built?
I built a 1,300-bottle wine cellar complete with racking, artwork, custom doors and cooling. I was elated when I heard these words from the happy owner: “It exceeded all of my expectations, and I can’t help but smile each time I enter the room.”

What is your favorite Wine Storage Product and why?
Of course I love custom racking! The building environment for wine excites me! I especially enjoy creating a cellar that reflects the homeowner’s style and taste.

How do you store your wine?
My Eurocave is 12 years old and in mint condition. I am so proud to sell our products and I am reminded of this each and every time I walk up to my unit.

If you had to give 1 wine storage tip, what would it be?
It will taste better if you store it right and storing it right will change your life and passion for wine.

What have you drank lately that wowed you?
I adore big reds, particularly from California, but I make it a priority to be wowed each time I drink wine !

Announcing our new series: Meet our Wine Storage Consultants. First up, is Marshall Tilden. Marshall has been at Wine Enthusiast for over 6 years. You may recognize him as the star in many of our product videos. Marshall also has a great blog called Westchester Wine Guy, it’s worth a read!

What was your “Epiphany” wine?
I actually have two of them…and both were from the same vintage. The first was a 1996 Gevrey Chambertin that I had at Spark’s Steakhouse in NYC. Never had I experienced a wine with such texture and intense flavor. The other was the 1996 Jordan Alexander Valley Cab which was one of the best California wines I can remember tasting to date.

What is the most memorable Wine Cellar you have built?
It is actually a Wine Cellar that is currently under construction. It is going to be a 10,000 bottle cellar for the new R’evolution Restaurant located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the heart of New Orleans. This is Rick Tramonto’s latest venture and the cellar should be nothing short of spectacular.

What is your favorite Wine Storage Product and why?
As I think you will find this same answer from most of our Wine Storage Consultants, it would have to be the EuroCave line of Wine Cellars. Quite simply they provide the best storage climate for properly aging your wines when considering all the enemies of wine (temperature fluctuation, humidity, light and vibration). They are also super quiet and last forever, plus the flexible shelving system allows you to store any size bottle…literally!

How do you store your wine?
EuroCave Performance 283…I have about 180-200 bottles including a 6 Liter of ’04 Chateau Tabolt and a 3 Liter of ’04 Oracle’s Miner.

If you had to give 1 wine storage tip, what would it be?
Not all wine is meant for aging. So make sure you do your research and drink your young wines early and give only those better bottles the time they need to fully evolve.

What have you drank lately that wowed you?
My latest obsession is the 2007 Donnachiara Taurasi DOCG. I am totally amazed by the complexity and versatility of the Aglianico grape. I also thought the 2008 Rodney Strong Alexander Valley Cab was possibly the best value of the vintage.

Follow Marshall on Twitter @WE_Marshall !

Just a week into January, I wouldn’t be surprised if plenty of folks had already abandoned their New Years Resolutions. This is the time of year when we promise to be at the gym at 6AM and eat more vegetables. But how about some fun resolutions that may last the whole year and beyond?
We asked some of the biggest oenophiles here at Wine Enthusiast, for their New Years Wine Resolutions. Check them out for inspiration! And share yours!

“To store my 100+ bottles in one central place (that’s safe from my son’s curious hands!) instead of in various wine racks scattered in our dining room.” – Christine, Internet Marketing Manager

“To take a crack at making some wine of my own. After learning so much about the process and having seen it done, I’m itching to get my hands a little dirty and seeing what I can produce…and also to continue my wine education.” – Marshall, Sales Manager

“To learn how to use my waiter’s corkscrew with finesse, despite the fact that my lever-style faux Rabbit is so much easier to use!”—Danna, Copywriter

“To take more notes – even just quick ones in my phone at dinner – to get back into using the lingo and so that I can build a greater memory of specific wineries, varietals and regions. “ – Jacki , Manager of Communications

“To try a new wine every week, especially from lesser-known-regions.” – Richard, Marketing Analyst

“Mine is to utilize my aerators more often. I’m embarrassed to say that usually I’m too excited to dive in to the bottle, that I don’t take the time to maximize the wine’s full potential!”—Erika, Director of Internet Marketing

“To drink more Cru Beaujolais. The QPR is through the roof! And I like the style.” — Josh, Wine Director WineExpress.com

“To bring out my Riedel Sommeliers and uncork a world class Cab or Bordeaux – no special reason – on a Wednesday night perhaps. Life is too short to wait for a special occasion!” – Mike, Business-to-Business Manager

“To update my inventory and have some people over to drink what needs to be opened!”- Todd, Wine Storage Consultant

We welcome you to our new Mount Kisco, New York home with our Showroom Grand Opening sale, taking place this weekend (December 5th, 6th and 7th).

Join us in the celebration at 333 North Bedford Road between 9AM and 6PM from Friday-Sunday and enjoy:

• 50% Off Merchandise
• A Free VIP  Wine Tasting
• Free Wine Cellars with Purchases Over $350
• Le Cache Wine Cellar Auction
• Coupon Giveaways, On-Site Demos and More!

We are located just 45 minutes north of Manhattan in Mount Kisco which is in Westchester, NY. Find easy directions from your house here.

We hope to see you for this fun-filled day!

I’m also looking forward to our annual Breast Cancer Walk, which takes place in Purchase, NY on October 19th. It’s always a lovely time when the company gets together on a beautiful day for some exercise and charity. Here’s a shot of some of us, on the right. If you’re interested in donating to this great cause, check out our team’s page here. We welcome all donations!

Where do these products come from? It all starts with an idea. Very often the idea is from customers who chat with our wine cellar design specialists, communicating products they’d like to see. Our Wine Enthusiast Design team then sees if the idea can come to fruition by working with our team of engineers and developing a prototype. An example of one such development is the Vino View, our now popular Wine Display Refrigerator.

Our customers described the appeal of showcasing the artful labels adorned on their wine bottles. The problem with most wine storage units is the wines are laid down on their side, so they can properly age. Though this is healthy storage for aging, bottles may be kept upright if you plan on drinking them soon. So why not show off their beautiful labels? We designed the VinoView with a special convex door to hold bottles of wine or for optional preservation systems. We enhanced it with special lighting and kept it small and affordable so it suits any sized home. A star product was born!

It is fascinating how many unique ideas we hear from customers every day. What products would you like our Wine Enthusiast Design Team to test out? Tell us what you’d like to see more of, and perhaps we can make that dream a reality. Leave a comment, and let us know!