Wine State Reviews | Wine Cooler Blog

Wine Storage Solutions: Wine Entertainment Tips

One Insignificant Task

I was sitting in my recliner perusing the sports page and absorbing the college basketball scores to ready myself for picking my March Madness basketball brackets. My wife called me from the kitchen with an overemphasized, “Honey, please come here – right now!” I reluctantly headed for the kitchen to see what crisis was about to bestowed upon me. As I entered the kitchen, she started telling me about our wine tasting party next week. She had purchased two dozen bottles of various types of wine, several pounds of cheese, a plethora of varied crackers and enough green vegetable snacks to feed an army of rabbits.

She started out the conversation emphasizing that she was doing all the work for this party and that I only had one insignificant job to do. She said, “Your job is to accumulate enough ice buckets from our friends and family to keep eight to twelve wine bottles chilled and available for our quests to enjoy.” Since we had only one qualifying ice bucket, I knew I had better get going on this task.

The Search

Several calls to friends, family, co-workers and a few strangers netted me promises for only 3 more ice buckets. I was striking out on the only “insignificant task” that I ever had. My savior in doing research has always been the internet so off to the computer room I went. I searched for wine chillers and servers looked at many listings and stumbled upon a solution to my dilemma.

The Solution

I found an 8 bottle wine cooler that stored bottles upright in round openings, while keeping the wine cooled to a temperature of my choosing. Additionally, the wine chiller had a thermoelectric cooling system that was eco-friendly in that it did not use CFC chemicals in its cooling system. This was the perfect solution for improving our entertainment ability and enhancing the wine tasting party my wife had been religiously planning for weeks. I bought one on line and the delivery took only a few days.

Being aware of all the wine my wife had bought and the number of guests she had invited, I was doing the math and figured out that each person would have to drink at least two bottles of wine each. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case as we only have one extra bedroom for people to sleep off the buzz they surely would get. This wine bottle chiller and server that I had purchased could also very easily handle the partially consumed wine by re-corking them and placing them back in the cooler in the upright position. I was so proud of myself that I patted myself on the back more times than I could count.

While this story was written to provide some humor, there is a new wine cooler and server now being offered that will make wine tasting parties easier to hold. I have included a copy of the specifications below for your information.

Summit 8 Bottle Wine Cooler and Server

FEATURES: * Energy Efficent, Quiet Thermoelectric Operation * Sleek Black, Easy To Clean Finish * Light Weight Portability (weights only 26 pounds) * Unique Design Meets Entertainment Needs * 115 Volts/60 Hz * Rating: 2.0 Amps * Digital Thermostat * Easy to Read Control Panel * Interior Circulation Fan * Interior Light
CAPACITY: * 8 Wine Bottles (vertical position)
DIMENSIONS: * Width 28.88 Inches x Depth 12.75 Inches x Height 9.38 Inches
MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY: * 12 months parts and labor

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

Wine State Reviews: Iowa Wine Industry

Iowa has more to offer than visiting politicians, straw polls, soy beans, pork, eggs and corn. Iowa wine production has been off to a slower start than most of its Midwestern neighboring states, but Iowan people have now shifted into high gear to try and catch up. In the 1950s, I grew up in Minnesota as a youngster and often visited Iowa, where having corn “knee high by the fourth of July” was the primary agricultural goal. However, a new goal of improving Iowa wine production is now becoming more evident.

In 1999, the state had a grand total of 2 licensed wineries, but now can boast that there are more than 85. In the twelve years since 1999, Iowa can boast about what many call an “explosive expansion” in wine related industries. The first commercial vineyard planted in the state was in 1857. When Prohibition became a reality in the United States and following many unplanned events in the late 1800s, the Iowa grape growing industry pretty much disappeared until its recent growth spurt. Iowa was recently ranked 14^th nationally in the number of wineries and 22^nd in production.

Iowa wineries are in what I would call a time of trial and error when it comes to grape growing. Many times new vineyards are initially planted with several grape varieties just to see which ones will grow and which will not. Some of the grape types currently cultivated are: Bluebell, Catawba, Chardonel, Concord, La Crosse, Niagara, Steuben and Vidal Blanc. Several other varieties are also grown, but most commercial wine growing focuses on French hybrids and grapes native to America. Agricultural Extension Services at Iowa and Minnesota Colleges continue to provide expert advice to current and potential grape growers to improve the odds of success.

There are no recognized official wine growing regions in Iowa. The three primary grape growing areas that I recognize are located near the cities of Dubuque (Dubuque and Jackson Counties), Des Moines-Ames (Story, Polk, Dallas, Madison, Warren, Boone, Jasper and Marion Counties) and Council Bluffs (Fremont, Mills and Pottawattamie Counties). Other counties that have notable grape growing operations are Carroll, Jefferson and Van Buren Counties. Many of these operations are small family run collaborations where grapes are often harvested by hand. Total Iowan area in grape production is about 1200 acres spread out on over 400 vineyards.

While the Iowa grape industry is considered in its infancy, a 2007 economic study showed it did account for an economic impact to the state of $235 million dollars with over 10 percent of that total attributed to tourism. Wine touring trails are starting to develop that will further enhance the tourism aspect of this industry. Many wineries make addition income by renting their tasting rooms for use in parties or wedding receptions.

If you are ever in Iowa, take the time to visit some of these family wineries and vineyards. You may be surprised to find a wine you will really like, but I do know you will meet some wonderful, hardworking people in the process. Remember, buy the wine you like, store and serve it at its optimal temperature and enjoy it completely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Idealwinecoolers.com

Wine State Reviews: Virginia’s Surprising Wine Industry

My Marine son transferred to Quantico, Virginia last year and my wife and I were planning a trip to see him and our grandchildren soon. One of our favorite activities is to investigate wine growing in each state that we visit. My wife did live in Falls Church when her father was at the Pentagon and I have visited the Washington D.C. area many times on business. However, neither one of us knew much about the wine production of the state. Before our trip I knew some research would be needed. What I found out about Virginia’s wine industry surprised me.

History of Virginia Wine Growing

Although grape growing first started in the infamous area of Jamestown in the 1600’s, the wine industry was pretty much a failure to begin with. Success finally started to become a reality in the early 1800’s. Notoriety for Virginia wines really came to light at the Vienna’s World Fair in 1873 when a Virginia Norton wine was named “Best Red Wine of All Nations”. The wine industry in the entire United States was drastically set back by Prohibition (1920-1933) and Virginia was no exception. Virginia commercial grape growing totaled only 15 acres in the early 1950’s. Since then Virginia’s wine industry has experienced wide spread growth and now can claim over 190 different wineries in the state. Virginia is currently ranked 5^th amongst U.S. states for wine production.

Wine Growing Regions

Virginia is divided into nine recognized wine growing regions. The Northern Virginia, Shenandoah and Central Virginia Regions have approximately 78 percent of all the wineries in the state. The Blue Ridge Highlands, Southern Virginia and Chesapeake Bay Regions account for another 17 percent of the wineries. The remaining regions, Heart of Appalachia, Hampton Roads and Eastern Virginia account for the remaining 5 percent of the state’s wineries. Annette Boyd is the Director of the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office. In her presentation to the Virginia Vineyards Association in 2009, Annette stated that “Total grape production was up 25% in 2008 from the previous year” and “Total grape production was up 22.8% in 2009” from 2008. The wine industry in Virginia is definitely quickly on the rise.

Wine Types Grown

Virginia’s climate, topography and soils allow growers to cultivate a broad range of great grapes. The combination of these special characteristics that affect wine helps vintners create wines that are especially tasteful with food. Standard wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Virginia Norton, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Virginia Viognier is now recognized as an acceptable term among wine fanciers. Virginia Viognier wine, along with Virginia Cabernet Franc and native Norton, are fast becoming the state’s most notable wines. You will most probably find a Virginia Wine available to enjoy in many upscale restaurants.

Touring Virginia Wine Country

If you like to tour various areas that produce wine, Virginia offers an extensive choice of “wine trails” to explore. Bedford County, Blue Ridge, Chesapeake Bay, Loudoun, Monticello, Mountain Road, Shenandoah Valley and Tuskie are just a few of the wine trail names. The character of Virginia abounds with American history and small scattered communities across the state that will make any wine tour you decide to try a truly enlightened experience.

I intend to try some Virginia wines when I visit my son on our next trip. I am sure that I will find one or more to my liking. I am betting, given the broad range of grape varieties found in Virginia, that you also will find one to your liking. As I always say, buy the wine that you like, store it properly in a wine refrigerator and then serve it at the perfect temperature. Your enjoyment of that favorite vintage will be enhanced.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers