The Wine Bottle

We all want the best when it comes to storing wine, but sometimes there are gonna be trade-offs. Being thorough and exploring your options ensures you’ll find the ideal wine fridge that won’t cost you the world.

1) How many bottles do you want to store?

This is the easiest question to ask, and the one people most frequently answer incorrectly. You’re buying a wine fridge to store your wine over time, and your rate of consumption will tend to rise over that time, so be prepared for your future buying habits. If you think you need a fridge that holds fifty wine bottles, you’d better buy one that holds 150.

2) What conditions should you keep your wine fridge?

You’ll find that most wine fridges are made to be kept indoors. They will do a great job of maintaining the ideal 12 to 15 degrees, as long as you place the unit in a moderate environment. If it’s located in non air conditioned room at 32 degrees or you’re got it directly in sunlight, the fridge will probably break down and you can end up overheating your wine.

3) How heavy is the fridge and will the floor hold it up?

When a wine fridge is at capacity it can weigh almost a tonne. While most modern homes will have no issue with the weight, you should double check before making your purchase.

4) Does it have to be attractive?

Will the fridge be hidden in a unoccupied room or under the stairs, will it be a centerpiece for the dining or lounge room? The finishes of many stand alone wine fridges are serviceable if not terribly attractive, but some are down right elegant.

5) What’s your budget?

Ok, so now you’ve narrowed to your choices to what you want, but it’s time to consider what you can afford. You may have to forgo the glass door or pull out shelves to be able to swing the bigger unit that I’m telling you you’re gonna need. Remember this is a tool first, and a big piece of furniture second!

The art of finding those special wine labels can needlessly bring on a mild anxiety attack in many inexperienced wine drinkers as they search for the best Australian wines to serve at home. I have seen it before – it is the wine drinking parallel to a fihs out of water. The plethora of grapes, countless regions, and abundance of labels leaves our shopper flat-lining, sweating and sometimes almost trembling with fear, all of which in an ever increasing world of grapes, wine regions and labels, is completely understandable. So which wine sitting there on the shelf is the truly killer wine? So what is it that makes a wine truly great – is it grape variety, the region where it’s produced or the vintage year?

There’s a trick is to understand what a fine wine tastes like. The first element is a wine’s aroma which consists of an array of smells and taste well beyond fruit? It might be tar, roses, thyme or earth with top wines showing layer upon layer of complex aromas and flavours. A good quality wine should have a rewarding texture and fruit length, and that is not overwhelming but rather has a long lasting flavour that’s experienced after drinking. Poor wines don’t have the fullness or lingering taste as it’s gone as soon as you swallow. They leave no lasting impact, and normally fade into the recesses of memory never to be thought of again. Compare that with complex wines that are seductive and so long that you can almost cover a couple of city blocks before the flavour fades.

So how you find these gems, these jewels? Start your search for a reputable wine merchant – where you can find a select wine range with expert staff who are normally more than happy to assist you in defining drinking habits based on your personal taste. These venues are not always easy to find but worth their weight in gold.

If all else fails, an option it to visit some favourite wine regions and trial some new wine labels. One of the magic aspects of wine is how the area where grapes for a wine are grown has a dramatic impact on how that wine tastes. Every wines made in a particular wine region will taste somewhat similar to neighbouring areas. You will find particular wine regions will be synonymous for particular grape varieties or two resulting in wonderful wines. A few examples include Chardonnay and the Adelaide Hills, Pinot Noir and Martinborough, Sangiovese and Tuscany, Tempranillo and Rioja, with many more to choose from. So, pick wines from these regions to ensure that you chance of selecting great wine is good.

Last and probably of least importance is the vintage. In countries such as Australia and New Zealand, vintage, or the year a wine is created, is much less of an issue than it might be in France or Italy where the weather is generally much more unrelaible. While there is the odd dog vintage, 2008 Hunter Valley or 2006 Margaret River for reds certainly stand out, most are fairly good and unlikely to disappoint and in good years represent some of the best Australian wines.

When you next find yourself at a loss in the search for a decent wine bottle, try some trusted regions with their best suited grape and you are likely to hit a winner. Central Otago and Pinot Noir, Waiheke Island and Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley and Riesling, Margaret River and Chardonnay are wine bottles that are also worth getting excited about.

Beer bottle tops (caps) and wine corks have been used to keep their respective fluids in their respective vessels for longer than most people can remember. Indeed they are an iconic image to the seasoned drinker, scattered about the floor and table after a heavy night on the liquor. However, with the insurgence of the screw top wine and beer bottle, the old designs are being pushed out, and are soon to be an extinct.

Bottle caps are traditionally made from steel and the original design had 24 teeth that wrapped around the rim, although more modern caps have around 21 teeth. Whilst they were great at keeping the contents of a bottle fresh, they are a nightmare to get off and unless you have teeth made from granite, you have to use a bottle opener to stand any chance of quenching your thirst. For this reason above all others, the screw top beer bottle has seen an upsurge of popularity in recent years, as they can be taken anywhere and you don’t have to drag and bottle opener along with you.

It’s a similar story with wine bottles, although ease of entry is not the only reason wine makers are moving away from corks. A corkscrew used to be a staple part of any tableware set, but its usefulness is dwindling as screw top wine bottles become more popular. In the same way as beer bottles need a bottle opener, wine bottles always required a corkscrew to be close by, and that’s just not always practical. Additionally, when it comes to storing wine for any length of time, screw tops are far superior to corks. Air can breach the cork as it expands and contracts with different moisture levels in its surroundings, and air can very easily turn a wine bad. Also, it has a tendency to break up over time if the wine is stored horizontally, as it often is on a wine rack, resulting in the wine sometimes being ‘corked’ when served. So it seems that whilst some classic tops are on their way out, at least they are being replaced by superior products.

wine glasses

Wine accessories are essential items that will help the enjoyment of wine. For true wine lovers, there are many wine accessories that are necessary to help bring the maximum levels of fulfillment and excitement out of the flavor of the wine. These accessories can be anything from the proper glasses to the proper bottle opener to a cork saver. Wine accessories are as important as the wine itself, to some, and to others wine accessories represent a way of life.

One popular wine accessory is a wine humidity gauge. This item helps test the overall humidity of the wine and can ensure that the wine is being held at the right temperature. Most gauges are tested specifically for certain types of wine, so they are usable in wine cellars and wine fridges and can determine proper readings regardless of the type of wine. Many people use a humidity gauge in their wine cellars to ensure that the wine they serve to guests is always up to par.

A popular wine item in terms of accessories is the wine decanter. A decanter is an object, like a pitcher, that is used to hold liquids that have sedimentary properties. A decanter is shaped in such a way that it actively considers the properties of certain wines and treats them uniquely. Of course, another plus about a decanter is that they look great. Placing a decanter filled with lush wine in the middle of a table is a great decorating option that doesn’t have to cost too much.

Wine glasses are probably the most important accessory for wine. This is because wine glasses can be shaped at the exact inclines and angles to support the type of wine that is in them. There are certain wine glasses that are designed specifically for each of the different types of wine. The importance of this lies in the fact that the wine glass can actually influence the perception of the wine, and can impact the overall flavor sensibilities of the wine. Many people consider this important because wine is said to be “alive”, meaning that the wine changes properties as it evolves.

Another important accessory helps the wine lover actually get to the wine. Opening the wine bottle can be difficult without the proper corkscrew to open it with. There are many different types and designs of bottle openers available, from the very elaborate designs to simplistic pocket openers. Most wine bottles are stopped up with a cork, but the screw-top wine bottle is quickly becoming popular because of their ease of design and because they enable the wine to maintain all of the properties that a cork had in the past.

The right wine accessories can make your wine experience, whether a dinner party or a nice night out by the lake, a lot more interesting and exciting. Without the right wine accessories, you may be missing out on some serious enlightenment in terms of the wine. The accessories are very important to any evening that you have planned around quality wine and good friends. Without wine accessories to help the process along, the evening may not be so satisfying.

wine bottles

Wine accessories will certainly help the overall enjoyment of wine. There are many accessories that are necessary if you intend to bring out the maximum level of enjoyment from your wine. These accessories can be anything from having the right glasses in the house to having a great bottle opener or cork saver. The wine accessories are as vital as the wine itself in many cases and can make all the difference in the world between a great wine evening and a poorly planned experience.

One popular wine accessory is a wine humidity gauge. This item helps test the overall humidity of the wine and can ensure that the wine is being held at the right temperature. Most gauges are tested specifically for certain types of wine, so they are usable in wine cellars and wine fridges and can determine proper readings regardless of the type of wine. Many people use a humidity gauge in their wine cellars to ensure that the wine they serve to guests is always up to par.

A decanter is another great option and is one of the most popular wine accessories. It is a container that holds liquids with sedimentary properties. The decanter is shaped in such as way as to accompany the wine’s properties and help the wine breathe as much as possible. It actively works with the wine to allow it the motion it needs to release the flavors and smells of a great wine. A decanter also looks great in the middle of a table, filled with wine, on a hot summer day.

Wine glasses are probably the most important accessory for wine. This is because wine glasses can be shaped at the exact inclines and angles to support the type of wine that is in them. There are certain wine glasses that are designed specifically for each of the different types of wine. The importance of this lies in the fact that the wine glass can actually influence the perception of the wine, and can impact the overall flavor sensibilities of the wine. Many people consider this important because wine is said to be “alive”, meaning that the wine changes properties as it evolves.

Another important accessory helps the wine lover actually get to the wine. Opening the wine bottle can be difficult without the proper corkscrew to open it with. There are many different types and designs of bottle openers available, from the very elaborate designs to simplistic pocket openers. Most wine bottles are stopped up with a cork, but the screw-top wine bottle is quickly becoming popular because of their ease of design and because they enable the wine to maintain all of the properties that a cork had in the past.

It is important to remember that wine accessories can make the wine experience richer and more exciting for wine drinkers. Without the right wine accessories, there is no telling what type of experience will be had. With the right glasses, openers and temperatures, however, the wine experience can be made all the richer. Wine accessories are vitally important to any evening centered around quality wine and quality company.