Wine and Beverage Storage Dilemma

Most often for me a great glass of wine hits the spot.  However, after working in the yard on some especially hot days, a cold beer is my preferred choice.  My grand children, when they visit, are always clamoring for a cold soda, mostly orange and root beer.  The dilemma is how to keep these various beverages cool, handy to retrieve and secure from access by the youngsters.  I have selected for my July Manager’s Pick a combination wine and can cooler that solved all my problems.  The Vinotemp Combination Wine and Beverage Center (VT-36) is a great solution.  I have enclosed a complete product description of the VT-36 so you can peruse the specifications.

Special Pricing 

Ideal Wine Coolers suggested retail price for the Vinotemp Wine and Beverage Cooler is $895.  We have priced this well-built combination wine and beverage center at the reduced price of $799., a  discount of $96.  This wine cellar and beverage cooler has all the “bells and whistles” that will make ownership of this product a real pleasure and it is also ADA compliant.  It’s versatile French Door and dual zone design will make this a great addition to any home.

VT-36 Specific Specifications

Our Vinotemp Combination Dual Zone Locking Wine And Beverage Cooler can be used in built-in or free standing installations. This beverage and wine cooler has dual zones that are have separate controls for keeping all your beverages at just the right temperature. Each compartment contains individual touch screen controls and digital read outs. This beverage center is ADA compliant. Features that will make owning this beverage cooler a real pleasure are double-paned glass doors, interior lights, locking doors, and stainless steel french door design. This cooling appliance comes with six wine storage racks and four canned beverage shelves. This is a great product to consider in an under counter application, especially if you are remodeling your kitchen. Look no further for superior beverage centers.

FEATURES:
* Black Cabinet and Stainless Steel Door Trim
* French Door Design
* Double-paned Glass Doors
* Separate Dual Zone Adjustable Temperature Controls
* Two Thin Bar Handles
* Interior Lights
* Lock and Key
* 6 Wine Storage Racks
* 4 Canned Beverage Storage Shelves
* ADA Compliant
* Front-vented Unit for Built-in or Freestanding Applications

CAPACITY:
* 58 12 oz. Beverage Cans
* 19 Wine Bottles

DIMENSIONS:
* Width 23.5 Inches x Depth 24.25 Inches x Height 32.25 Inches

SHIPPING & HANDLING:
* $149.00

MANUFACTURER’S LIMITED WARRANTY:
* 12 Months Parts and Labor

EXTENDED WARRANTIES:
* Available For Purchase On This Product
* For More Information Go To the “Warranty” Page Tab

Check out our selection of free-standing and undercounter wine coolers

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, July 2010

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, July 2010

Washington’s Two Wine Growing Areas

Washington can be generally divided into two  grape growing zones with approximately 34 to 36 thousand acres under cultivation.  One zone is defined as the Interstate 5 corridor on the west side of the Cascade Range.  This zone receives adequate rainfall to grow grapes (average of 48 inches per year).  The other zone is defined as the plains on the east side of the Cascade Range.  Storms in Washington generally arrive from the northwest Pacific Ocean coastal area and move to the east.  As these storms push through the Cascade Range, abundant rainfall occurs on the west side of the mountains.  Later, these same air masses push over the Cascades much drier than when they arrived.  This produces a rain-shadow effect (average of 8 inches per year) because of the topographic lifting of the air mass over the coastal mountains.  Because of the rain shadow effects of the Cascade Range, this area often must use various irrigation techniques to maximize grape production.

Washington Wine Production Facts

The grape growing season in Washington is generally from March to September each year.  Harvesting starts in August and can run as late as November.  Washington is the second largest wine-producing state with only California out doing them.  Washington’s grape annual production is approximately 160 to 170 tons of grapes, which is only a fraction of California’s production of 3.6 to 3.8 million tons.  Prohibition arrived in 1920 banning alcohol-based beverages, and, as in other states, set the wine producing industry back.  The industry is building rapidly based on the availability of reasonably affordable land, but because most of the vineyards are small operations, the per bottle production costs are higher than most other areas in the country.  Washington wines are generally more expensive than wines produced elsewhere.  It remains to be seen if this will be restrictive and problematic as    Washington’s wine industry  grows.  Meanwhile, one article I reviewed stated a new winery opens about every other week with the current total around 650 wineries.

Washington Wine Types

The quality of Washington wines cannot be disputed.  The wines from this region have won numerous awards and are currently marketed in every U.S. state and 40 other countries.  Some of the leading red grapes found are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet France, Malbec, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Lemberger.  Some of the leading white varietals are Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Semillon and Chenin Blanc.  White wine production is 54 percent of the total, while red wine is 46 percent of the total.  The  wine producing industry economic impact to Washington State is estimated to be in the neighborhood of 3 billion dollars a year.

Washington Wine Tour Planning

Touring wineries and vineyards is an excellent way to pass the time.  Cities in the Interstate 5 corridor that could serve as a tour base are Vancouver, Longview, Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Mt. Vernon, Bellingham and Fern Dale.  Wine production in the more arid eastern side of the Cascade Range is more scattered across the area.  Cities that could serve as a tour base are Spokane, Brewster, Chelan, Wenatchee, Yakima, Moses Lake, Toppenish, Richland and Walla Walla.  One thing I did notice, when visiting the few vineyards that I have, is that  during your wine tours often you will get a great view of a snow-covered peak.

When visiting Washington, touring its wine country will be very rewarding.  Some great wines are produced; the small wine growing operations are friendly to visit; and a landscape of beautiful views will reward you.  Remember, buy the wine you like, have a good wine storage cooler, serve it at the proper temperature and enjoy it immensely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, July 2010

Egyptians: The First Cork Users

The Egyptians first used cork as a stopper thousands of years ago.  Later, ancient Greeks and Romans used cork for a variety of uses, including wine stoppers and olive oil.  In the 1600’s, a monk called Dom Perignon was using wooden stoppers wrapped in rags to seal his bottles of wine.  These crude plugs most often just popped out and were ineffective.  He started using cork plugs and successfully stoppered his best wines.  Wine bottling would never be the same, as cork soon became the essential answer to successfully sealing the bottles. 

First Cork Factory Was In Spain

In 1750, the first cork stopper factory opened in Anguine, Spain.  The widespread use of cork ultimately resulted in wine bottles undergoing a transformation from short and fat to tall and slender, because the slender neck was easily sealed with cork plugs.  Spain and Portugal produce over 80 percent to the cork used in the world.  Wine bottle cork comes  from the bark of a Cork Oak Tree.  The bark of trees older than 25 years is carefully stripped from the tree to protect it and perpetuate the life of the tree.  The bark is dried for up to six months then boiled for a few hours and then allowed to dry another 2 to 4 weeks.  

After the final drying process, the bark is carefully cut or molded into the correct sizes.  A washing process follows using chemicals that sanitize the corks from any bacterial growth.  Bacterial growth in the cork would quickly render a wine useless to drink.  New technologies for eliminating cork contamination are also being used such as irradiation.  Corks are then shipped in specially sealed bags to wherever they are needed. The entire cork making process could very well last a year.  

From Tree To Wine Cork May Take A Year

Portugal continues to be the world leader in cork production.  There are over 5 million acres of  cork forest in the world and over thirty percent of that area is in Portugal.  There are three basic sizes of natural cork from the standard size up to the larger champagne cork.  While cork is still the preferred sealer for bottled wine, some wine producers have begun using screw cap sealing systems on their bottles; thereby, throwing out the romance and sophistication of opening a corked bottle of great wine.  Corks can easily be used to re-seal partially used bottles of wine.  Smelling the cork when it is first removed will give you a quick idea of a wine’s quality.  Because of its fire resistance, cork is now also used in rocket technology.  Who knows what other uses may develop from this natural product. 

As I always say, buy the wine you prefer, have a proper wine storage cooler, and serve it at the correct temperature and you will enhance your enjoyment of this unique beverage.  Do not forget, smelling the cork will provide you critical evidence of what your first sip might taste like. 

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, July 2010

Dormitory Space Limitations Can Be Solved.

With fall college season starting in a month or so, customers have approached us about carrying a line of compact refrigerators and mini freezers that will conveniently fit the small spaces of a domitory room.   We were pleased to find several Danby and Edgestar products that will meet the need.  Additionally, we discovered a refrigerator/freezer chest type that one can use on regular household current or plug into a car 12 volt power source.  Imagine traveling to a relative for that get-together meal and hauling  food safely kept cool in your truck without the mess of ice melting.

RVers Solve Your Lack of Refrigerator and Freezer space.

If you own an RV and would like an easy solution to extra freezing and or refrigerator space, we have three  EdgeStar Chest Refrigerator/Freezers that will run on 110 volt or 12 volt power.  These compact freezers have a temperature range that will freeze the contents or keep them at a refrigerator perfect temperature.  They come with the two different power cords you will need.

Some examples of the products we selected are pictured below.  For more information visit our compact refrigerator and our mini freezer website pages. 

Biggest Wine Country

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay

Visit Texas Hills Area

Many of us have danced the Texas Two-step.  I found another Texas tradition, the Texas Two-sip.  The Texas Two-sip is a challenging, blind taste test of a collection of in state and out of state wines.  The goal is to use your taste buds to find the best.  There are special rules and forms to fill out, but no specific rules on what food you can eat.  Sounds like a party to me.  The only caution I have is I did not find out the rule when you get to take your blindfold off.  Be careful where you step.

When I was in the military traveling home on leave, I had car trouble in Fredericksburg.  The people took me in, fed me and housed me, while the resident mechanic repaired my heap.  When I was getting ready to leave, they gave me the gift of a thank you for my service and covered all my bills.  Because of the wine growing there, I now have another reason to take a pause there.  Look out Highway 290 here we come.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, June 2010

You work for days on end until the time arrives when you get a day off from work.  It only took seconds to kiss my wife, grab my gear, hook-up the boat and hang the “Gone Fishing” sign on my office door.  My wife yelled at me as I was going out the door: “Don’t catch anything if you don’t want to clean it”.  Ten relaxing hours later, I appeared at the kitchen door with a stringer of bass, crappie and catfish.  Before my wife could corner me, I started immediately to clean the fish at the kitchen sink.  Of course, my wife would have preferred that I clean them outside.  She did give me the go ahead as long as I took the fish remains to the out door garbage can, scoured the sink with Lysol, mopped the floor and sprayed some aerosol fragrance that I will call “Odor de Normal”.  Time spent traveling to fish, catching the fish, cleaning the fish and sanitizing the kitchen totaled 12 hours and 27 minutes.  This was still better than 8 hours behind my desk. 

Couple of weeks later, I declared, “Tonight we are having those fish I caught for dinner.”  My wife said, “You cook and I will go to the store for some wine”.  She then asked a series of perplexing questions, “Are you leaving the skin on or taking it off?”, “Is the meat from these fish white, pink or red?”, and “How are you going to cook the fish?”  In a somewhat sarcastic way, I responded, “Skin on, white meat, grilled.”  She left me with the passing comment, “That is all I needed to know” and off to the store she went.  I did not have to be told that she knew what she was doing, because the “smarty-pants” grin on her face told me.  The fish and wine combination that resulted from our joint efforts made the evening for us. 

What she knew about wine and fish, I obviously needed to learn without her knowing it.  I do not do well when “smarty-pants” is right.  Research with help from the search engines was undertaken immediately.  I found a posting by Kara Newman in what she calls a “Whimsical Guideline” for wine and fish/seafood combinations.  She said, “White wine with white seafood, pink wine with pink seafood, and red wine with red seafood”.  I thought that rule might be too easy to be true.  More research merely uncovered the wide range of opinion and advice on this topic. 

I discovered there are principles to follow to get the right combination of fish and wine.  The principles involved are the weight and texture of the food, the intensity of flavors, the need to balance tastes and the need to match flavors, unless a counterpoint flavor would be better.  This did not make sense to me until a read an article on DrinkWine.com called Basic Principles of Successful Food-Wine Pairing.  I even found out what “umami” was. 

The WineDoctor.com has a whole series of paring wine with everything from soup to nuts.  The most important pairing that they tout is the paring of wine with people.  I am a firm believer that you should drink the wine that you enjoy the most and worry less about what food you may have paired with.  They said pair red wine with fish, but they also added plenty of “ifs and buts” to their basic rule.  I also came across an article by Sheral Schowe called “Choosing the Best Wine for Fish”. Her article provides more specific input on the wine and fish combinations.  Another website, Ehow.com has a complete array of instructions, tips and warnings to help guide your fish and wine selections. 

My research was complete and I was ready for the next time we had fish for dinner.  It did not take long for my research to pay off.  My wife said, “I bought some fresh halibut at the store for dinner tonight”.  I replied, “That sounds great to me.  You cook and I will pick up the wine”.   She responded, “What wine were you going to get”.  Without hesitation and with a Cheshire cat grin of my own, I said, “Without a doubt a Chardonnay, Condrieu or Rousanne would be the perfect match with halibut”.  The dumbfound look on my wife’s face was worth the research.  Who says that you cannot teach an old dog a new trick? 

Remember what I always say store your wine properly, serve it at the right temperature and enjoy it completely. 

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, June 2010

Ideal Wine Coolers is pleased to “bring on board” fine wine cooler technology housed in classic, wood finished cabinets.  We have accumulated a collection of credenza, up-right and bureau style fine wood cabinets that would make an elegant addition to any home.  A few of the wine furniture cabinets are showcased below.

Bleeker Bar Model with Extra Storage Compartment

This wine refrigerator furniture has the added feature of an upper storage area with a drop-down serving surface.  It will hold 21 bottles of wine.

Bordeaux Model Dual Zone Wine Cabinet

This classic wine refrigerator cabinet has dual zones to facilitate keeping both your red and wine wines.  It will hold 84 bottles.

Hamilton Model Two Door Wine Storage Cabinet

This wine refrigerator furniture cabinet has two doors and comes with a lustrous, black finish.  This model will hold 40 bottles of your best vintages.

Go check out our other exciting wine cellar furniture cabinet designs.