Archive for the 'Wine Storage' Category

This week meet Alan Genee our Director of Sales and Customer Services who has been at Wine Enthusiast for 12 years.  Alan’s passion for building and carpentry along with his psychology background  made him a natural fit for sales and our wine cellar design department. Whether it be a single corkscrew or a 10,000 bottle custom cellar, Alan’s main focus is to enhance the customer experience.

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.

Last week we introduced you to Marshall Tilden, one of our expert Wine Storage Consultants who doubles as a Sales Manager here at Wine Enthusiast. This week meet Lou Ann Hesch who has been building beautiful wine cellars and helping customers here for 15 years! Lou Ann grew up in a very Sicilian family and developed a love for “the fruit of the vine” by selling tomatoes by the pound as a kid. She also enjoyed visiting her Grandfather’s grapevines.

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 !

For over thirty years, we at Wine Enthusiast have been building beautiful wine cellars for our customers. From speaking with hundreds of wine lovers a day, our team has unparalleled insight into what makes customers happy. Whether you are building a 2,000 bottle custom wine cellar for your home, have a 100+ bottle collection and need a freestanding cabinet to put in your garage or have 20 bottles you are looking to properly store, our experts are here to help.  It’s time to meet our Wine Storage Consultants! Or, as our Facebook audience likes to call them, “Masters of Coolness”, “Wine Angels” and “Liquid Happiness Storage Facilitators”!

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 !

As a wine collector, your method of cellar organization can either be a source of efficiency or confusion. There are many ways to categorize your collection and it may take years to perfect the system. Whether your collection is 12 or 12,000 bottles, everyone has their own method. We asked Wine Enthusiast employees how they organize their collection, and came up with plenty of answers! Let’s discuss some of the most popular ways, and our personal take on each.

BY REGION – This is the most common method people use to organize their wine collections. Each region has very distinctive soil and climate characteristics that influence their wines. So when reaching for a bottle to pair with a certain dinner, the region of origin is often a first thought.

My wines are organized by country, and I use Wine Enthusiast bottle tags to label and organize them. They are obviously also separated into whites, reds, desserts and fortified sections. Labeling and organization is important….anything that helps ensure I don’t have a moment of insanity when in a rush and crack into the bottle of Bond I was holding instead of the value Malbec I meant to open! – Susan Kostrzewa, Executive Editor

I organize my wines by country and then region, with each country assigned a different colored bottle tag. All my wines are also included in an excel sheet with all of the information (brand, vintage, variety, appellation, country, price, score, location in my cellar and proposed date to drink) so I can sort and find a wine based upon my mood. – Lauren Buzzeo, Assistant Tasting Director

I sort my wines by region and then by what fits the best side-by-side. Since there really is no exact science, it may take a few times to get your configuration the way you want it. I keep some vintage Champagnes and odd-sized bottles (Turley) on the adjustable shelves and my mags and splits of Port on the very bottom where the compressor is.  The ½ bottles sit nicely on the oversized ones (like a crib)-  David Moseler, Racking Supervisor

I organize my wine by country or region. I call my wines a “single bottle collection” and enjoy the wonderful convenience of the Eurocave rolling shelves that offer me full visibility and accessibility to all my wines. My favorite shelf has great names from California …you know , “I wish they all can be California! “  Big, Bold and Beautiful ! – Lou Ann, Wine Storage Consultant

BY COLOR AND TYPE- If you are a new collector, it may be simplest to separate just by color. Sometimes sparkling and dessert wines are separated as well. With a small collection, advanced classification systems may not be ready yet.

I have a credenza with two sections so I simply keep my reds on one side and my whites on the other. I find it easy enough currently to quickly peek at the bottles on each side to find something appealing. I do like to keep sparklers and dessert wine on the bottom though, when I have them. –Erika Strum, Internet Marketing Director

BY VARIETAL – It is very common for collectors to store their reds and whites in separate areas of their cellar or wine refrigerator. But some will take it further and group each grape variety in the same area. This way when they are specifically in the mood for a Chardonnay, they know exactly where to find it.

I have tried a few methods to organize my Eurocave Performance 283. At first it was strictly by varietal, but when it’s full, this eventually becomes more difficult. Say you pull a bottle of Cab and then the next bottle you get to put in the cellar is a Pinot Noir. Without a whole lot of shufflling, the only place to put it is with the Cabs, so over time a certain varietal ends up spread all over the place. So now I have a list that is organized by varietal and each shelf is assigned a number and the shelf number is noted on the list so I know exactly where to go.– Todd La Chance, Wine Storage Consultant

BY BRAND – If you tend to buy in bulk, then you certainly want to keep wines of the same brand stored together. Many folks will even have verticals of their favorite wines, which means they have bottles of the same wine from consecutive vintages.

I have shelves for each region, and for regions where I can break down varietal I do that by shelf as well. I group similar brands and verticals together and have one bulk storage shelf for the really long term stuff… whites go on the very bottom.– Marshall Tilden, Sales Manager

BY PRICE – Most collections will contain a variety of different quality levels of wine. Some are meant for everyday drinking, others meant for longer term storage. Typically the less expensive wines will be consumed early in their life, while the more expensive juice sometimes needs many years before it is ready to drink.

I like to think that my ‘Cave has various zip codes.  There is a high-rent district at the top and a low-rent district at the bottom for the whites and freebies I have amassed over the years.  And there is a middle class where I keep my everyday drinkers. -Glenn Edelman, VP of Marketing

I also have a stack of bottles at the bottom of my unit that is a mix of things that are less expensive everyday stuff. Another reason for that stack in the bottom is that if I am not around and my girlfriend wants to have a glass, she can pull from there and I don’t have to worry about her opening my 2007 Mondavi Reserve.- Todd La Chance, Wine Storage Consultant

There is no best approach to organizing your collection, over time you may find yourself taking an integrated or hybrid approach. Start with organizing your wines by region, as they will probably feel more comfortable around their brethren. You can then segment based on red and white, and even further by specific varietal. This way your Napa Cabs are separate from your Napa Zins and your California Pinots are not mixed up with your Oregon Pinots.

Next you can get the vintages grouped together to make sure you are drinking the right wines at the appropriate times. Finally, make sure your brands are all grouped together and if you really want to go nuts, go for the alphabetizing. After all, an organized wine collection can bring you years of pleasure and fulfillment.

How do you organize your prized collection? Do you use one of these methods or do you have one of your own that you would recommend others to use? We would love to hear about it!

With all the different wine storage options on the market today, what is it that makes EuroCave the King of Cabinets, the Sultan of Storage, the Czar of Cellars, the… well I think you get the picture. As sales manager of our wine storage consulting team at Wine Enthusiast, I am often asked: “Why do I need a EuroCave?” To help shed some light on what makes these units so darn special, I have composed a Lettermanesque Top 10 List of why I recommend Eurocave wine cellars:

10. They offer a wide selection of sizes, options and price points to suit everyone’s needs.

9. All units are manufactured in Europe with both cooling and heating equipment that is built to last and have been for 30+ years.

8. You have outgrown your smaller wine refrigerator and need to step up to something that can really age some of your finer wines.

7. They look fabulous and will be the focal point of your dining room or bar area.

6. With their protective doors and super absorbent rubber compressor shock absorbers, they provide the most protective storage environment from harmful light and vibration.

5. Your neighbor just got one and you need to show him that you can hang!

4. The adjustable shelving system allows you to store ANY size bottle and gives you the option to bulk store for increased capacity, or to use only rolling shelves if you decide stacking bottles is just not for you.

3. It will be going in your garage and it is the only unit that can withstand those extreme hot and/or cold temperatures.

2.  You have lost enough bottles due to improper storage climate and you need a unit that can maintain the best temperature and humidity for ideal long term storage conditions.

1. Because EuroCave is simply the best !

As always, you can contact any of our experienced Wine Storage Consultants at 800-377-3330 for a full wine cellar consultation.

The aging process of wine can be a tricky concept to fully grasp, as wine itself is quite tempermental by nature. Wine has a handful of true enemies that can hinder its evolution into its greatest potential. Some of those enemies that will have the most adverse affect have to do with temperature range and consistency, humidity range and consistency, light, vibration and air cleanliness.

Proper storage temperature for all wine (red, white, champagne, etc) is between 53-57 degrees. Quite often people will ask if keeping wine at 60 degrees is bad for the wine, as their basement typically stays around that temperature. The answer is… it may be. At 60 degrees, the aging process is expedited. So a wine that should reach its peak in 8-10 at proper storage temperature may get there in 3-6 at 60 degrees. But more importantly is the CONSISTENCY of that 60 degrees in your basement.

While many basements may stay at 60 degrees for part of the year, it is very rare that the temperature stays consistently the same year round. So even a fluctuation from 58-70 from the coldest part of the year to warmest can be very harmful and is really what can ruin the wines over just a few years if it is not monitored properly. The same holds true for the humidity. While most basements may hold between 55-75% for part of the year, it is the times where it falls below or rises above those levels that the corks can either dry out or get over soaked and wreak havoc on your beloved wines.

Minimal light and zero vibration play very important roles in storage, however those are two variables that are fairly easy to control in your basement environment if everything else is optimal. But many people forget about the smells and odors that are inherent in their homes because we live with them everyday. Any kind of non neutral odor that passes through the cork and into the wine can interfere with the aromas and flavors that are evolving in your wines. This is the same reason we do not recommend using pine or cedar for wine cellar racks, as the aromatics can ruin an entire cellar filled with your prized collection.

So if you are lucky enough to live in a house that has an area that CONSISTENTLY stays between 53-57 degrees, 55-75% relative humidity, has little light, no vibration and no harmful odors….Congratulations! You have a natural wine cellar and you should load it up with as much great wine as possible, and maybe even charge your friends to store their wine in there as well. But if you are in the majority and have conditions that fluctuate on a yearly basis from these levels, then you may want to look into investing in a temperature controlled wine cellar or refrigerator. If you are not sure, place a temperature and humidity gauge in that area and take some readings as the seasons change. This way you can be sure that one way or another your wine is fully protected and ages exactly how it was intended.

Many people across the country are thinking the same thing right about now …when did it get so hot?! Not only does this heat and humidity take a toll on our bodies, our spirits and our Con Ed bills, but it also can take a big toll on our wine. Whether you have a few bottles or a few hundred, heat can destroy those bottles that you have stashed away somewhere in your home.
The ideal condition for storing wine (whether red, white, Champagne, Port, etc.) is 55 degrees and between 55% and 75% relative humidity. This is why storing in a regular fridge (too cold) or just a wine rack in a room temperature area (too warm) can be detrimental to wine. The lesser of these evils is to put it in a regular fridge, as that will just dramatically slow down the aging process. But after longer periods of time, this will adversely affect the wine too.
 
 
There are hundreds of different wine storage options to choose from for different collections and budgets. The small wine refrigerators are perfect for those who have a few bottles to a few cases. Most of them are thermoelectric units, so they are very quiet and can go anywhere in the house. There are also bigger wine refrigerator units that typically have a compressor and a front vent, like the ones in your kitchen. Those can be freestanding units, or you can build most of them into your kitchen cabinetry or bar area.
 
 
Then there are the real deal, freestanding wine cellars. There are many different brands and styles to choose from. Some are just larger versions of the smaller wine refrigerators while others, like the Eurocave units, are true wine cellars. Eurocaves are made to mimic the conditions of the old French caves, so you can store your wines for decades in these units. Some prefer the furniture-style cabinets that have wine cooling conditioners installed in them, so they not only serve as beautiful show pieces for your home, but will protect your collection as well.
 
 
Of course if you want to go all-out, you can take a room in your home and turn it into a true wine cellar. This is a pretty large, and potentially costly, undertaking.  It involves building out a room with a vapor barrier, proper insulation and the moisture resistant sheet rock. Then there is the cooling unit and racking to select and install. However, once it is finished it certainly becomes one of the coolest, and most functional, rooms in the house. Just be ready for the all the neighbors to be spending a little more time in your basement ;)
 
 
Have you ever saved a bottle for that perfect occasion, yet when the time comes, you open the wine and the first sip tastes like something you should be putting on your salad? I have and it was such a disappointing experience that I went out and got my first 15-bottle wine fridge and I haven’t looked back since. If your wines are battling the heat and losing the fight, help them out a bit and look into one of these refrigerated wine cabinets.
We have the greatest selection and best prices for all of these wine storage units! If you are looking for more information, just leave a comment and I will be happy to get back to you. Stay cool out there!

After listening to the needs of some of our trade customers, we are excited to announce the launch of a dream wine service unit: N’Finity Wine Cellars.

What are the special benefits of an N’Finity unit?

As a restaurateur, wine retailer or wine maker you will be able to provide proper and convenient wine service for your customers with a unit designed to fit your needs.

•    The N’finity cellars allow easy access to wines by simply sliding out one of the many included rolling shelves to find a customer’s selection
•    The front vented technology enables you to place the unit in a corner of the restaurant, on your selling floor or in any storage room without occupying important floor space.
•    Smooth, elegant, blue interior lighting will add to the ambiance of your space, rather than taking away from it.
•    Reversible doors mean you’ll find an N’Finity unit that is perfect for your space
•    Two-zone digital temperature control gives you flexibility with storage and service temperatures for both reds and whites.

About 2 weeks ago, a client of mine in the NY metropolitan area was handling a major corporate event party. Unfortunately, they ran out of Chardonnay within the first hour of the event! Because of the dual temperature zones, the sommelier was able to re-stock the N’Finity’s top (cooler) compartment and chill the whites down to 44 degrees, making them ready-to-serve by the time the main course was out. A major fiasco avoided! The flexibility this unit has brought to that establishment has been huge.

Myself and the team are so happy to have this custom-built, dream wine service unit to offer, with many happy customers already putting them to great use. Any questions? Give us a call at 800.377.3330

This post launches an exciting new series here on Winston’s Wisdoms, “Wine Enthusiast Wine Cellar Design” in which we will feature real photos of our custom cellar designs, put to use! Today’s featured cellar is a Vintage View cellar utilized by one of our clients, Custom Millcraft at Ocean Prime restaurant in Orlando, Florida.

The vintage view style makes the labels easily readable and creates a gorgeous display. If you are interested in building a cellar like this or of a different style, simply call us at 800.377.3330 and one of our wine storage consultants will be happy to help!

“I’m wondering if I need to buy a Multi-Temp for my reds & whites?”
This is a common question I hear from customers looking to buy a refrigerated wine cabinet. There is really no wrong answer to this, because it is all about your needs and lifestyle. For optimal aging conditions, we recommend all wines (reds, whites, champagnes and even ports) to be stored at 55 degrees. However, if you entertain a lot and prefer immediate wine service, then a multi-temp dual-zone wine cellar is a fine solution as you have compartments to instantly enjoy reds at 65 degrees and whites at 47 degrees. (Although you lose out on some of the benefits of long-term aging at these temperatures.) If you have the ability and time to take a red out, decant it and let it warm up to slightly below room temp, or you can chill a white down on ice, then a one-temp might be for you! One advantage to a single temp cabinet is that you generally can store more bottles in the unit.

Most people are familiar with 1-temp or 2-temp units, Eurocave even makes a 3-temp model. The lower section houses approximately 12-18 standard size bottles, the temperature is set for white wine service. The very top of the unit has another separated compartment that houses approximately 8-12 bottles at red wine service temp, while the rest of the unit is at recommended 55 degree storage.

Of course if you have any questions or are unclear as which application would suit you the best, our Wine Enthusiast Storage Consultants are available at 800.377.3330 to make it easy for you!