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

Most everyone is familar with the wine cooler, wine refrigerator and wine cellar construction materials of steel and glass.  There is no limit to the variety and design features that could compliment any home.  However, if you are looking for wine storage at its finest with the quality of fine furniture, there are several pleasing alternatives.

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.

Many of our customers at Ideal Wine Coolers hail from the great state of Florida.  I was curious what Florida’s wine industry was all about.  Interestingly, Florida ranks third in wine consumption with New York and California holding the top two spots. However, the wine growing industry in Florida is not a significant state contributor to the local economy, but the wineries are gaining a growing reputation for their wine production.  Another fact that eluded me was that Florida is home to the Original American wine.  

 Wine was first made in Florida 300 hundred years before California became a state.  Early Spanish and French explorers discovered native grown Muscadine grapes growing in the wild.  Around 1565, colonists started producing the Original American Wine from the native grapes largely as sacramental wine for religious purposes.  The tropical climate in Florida and the presence of many grapevine diseases made wine growing problematic for many years.  In the 1930’s, hybrid grapes suited for the Florida climate were developed by University of Florida researchers.  It was not until the 1980’s that Florida could even claim a wine growing industry of any note. 

There are fewer than 30 wineries and vineyards in the state.  These few industry leaders can be found scattered throughout the state from the Florida Panhandle to the Homestead area south of Miami.  Primarily because of the growing season differences, the grape harvests begin in May and end in September, which is much earlier than places like Pennsylvania.  Most of the wineries can be found in the “out-of-the-way” places of the state and are centered near small, delightful country communities.  Visiting these small, friendly towns could be a highlight of a wine tour trip in the state and certainly enhance the understanding of early American history. 

Muscadine wines cannot be found anywhere else in the world and are considered a Southern specialty.  The research and development of new hybrids will surely enhance the varieties of grapes grown in Florida.  Some of the key grapes grown are Stover, Blanc du Bois, Swanee, Noble, Muscadine, and Miss Blanc.  I have no doubts that development of more varieties and hybrids will ultimately serve to increase the future choices for Florida wine drinkers.  Florida is also a state that allows shipping of wines across its borders with minimal requirements.  It may be worth your time to check out the possibility if you cannot travel there. 

On June 24 and 25 this year, the Florida International Wine Challenge will hold its sixth annual competition at the Palms Hotel in Miami Beach.  The 2010 Wine Challenge is touted to be the biggest in history.  This event has given out awards to wineries and vineyards from all over the world.  This year event organizers will be offering an educational package that is sure to enhance everyone’s enjoyment of the event. 

Many people wonder why the Florida wine industry does not achieve more notoriety.  Many of the wines made there have won numerous national and international awards.  Perhaps, it is because many of us still look at Florida where the oranges are grown and where Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades and Disney World are located.  I recommend, when next in Florida, that you find one of the small town wineries or wine venders and try a bottle of homegrown wine.  Remember, as I always say find a wine you enjoy, store it properly until you use it, serve it at just the right temperature and enjoy it. 

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

My Manager’s Pick for the month of May is the Danby 35 Bottle Free Standing Locking Wine Cooler.  This wine cooler is also unique in the fact that the top is designed to add to your existing counter space.  Most wine coolers do not have the option of using the top, because they lack the needed design features.  We have priced this wine cooler at $219.00 more than 22 percent off our regular price of $284.00.   We have plenty instock and can ship the day after your order is submitted.

Our Danby Black 35 Bottle Stainless Trim Worktop Locking Slim Wine Cooler is for serious collectors in freestanding applications when a locking glass door is needed. The temperature cooling range is from 42.8 degrees F. to 57.2 degrees F. The cabinet has a sleek black finish and stainless steel metal door trim with a recessed handle. This wine cooler is less than 20 inches wide making it slim enough to fit anywhere in your home. The tempered glass locking door on this wine cooler promotes better insulation and UV protection for your finest wines and has reversible hinges. The black interior features sturdy wire metal shelving that will tenderly cradle your best vintages. This wine cooler features a scratch resistant work top, an excellent place to store wine accessories. The interior light and quiet, operations make owning this wine cooler a pleasure and a pointed addition to your home decor. Look no further for superior wine storage.

FEATURES:
* Free-standing Design
* Programmable Temperature Range of 42.4 to 57.2 degrees F.
* External Digital Thermostat
* 6 Full Width Wire Shelves
* Tempered Glass Door w/Stainless Steel Trim
* Scratch Resistant Work Top
* Reversible door hinges
* Integrated Lock with Key
* Recessed Side Mount Door Handle

CAPACITY:
* 35 Wine Bottles

DIMENSIONS:
* Width 17 11/16 Inches x Depth 19 6/16 Inches x Height 33 6/16 Inches

SHIPPING UPS:
* Calculated Based on Weight & Zip Code

MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY:
* 24 months parts and labor

READY FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT

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, VP Ideal Wine Coolers

This month Ideal Wine Coolers is featuring one of its most popular wine refrigerator models with great pricing and free shipping.  Our EdgeStar Black 46 Bottle Dual Zone Front Vented Locking Wine Cooler (CWR460DZ)  is designed for either free-standing or undercounter applications. The wine refrigerator comes with a classic black cabinet and stainless steel trimmed glass door and venting grate. You can store either red or white wines, because this wine refrigerator has dual zones with independent temperature controls. The upper zone wiil hold 14 bottles of white wine with a temperature range of between 41 and 54 degrees F. The lower zone stores 32 bottles of red wine . This premium wine cabinet offers 4 slide-out shelves holding bottles in “reversed rack” style. The digital temperature controls, auto defrost, security lock, blue interior lighting and stainless steel towel bar handle will make owning this wine cooler a real pleasure. The powerful compressor based cooling will keep all your wines stored at just the right temperature. Look no further for superior wine storage.

FEATURES:
* Use in Free-standing or Built-in Applications
* Black Cabinet with Stainless Trimmed Door
* Digital Temperature Controls
* Stainless Steel Trimmed Wood Shelves
* Stainless Towel Bar Style Door Handle
* Door Locks
* Auto Defrost
* Dual Temperature Zones
* Blue LED Interior Lighting

CAPACITY:
* 46 Wine Bottles

DIMENSIONS:
* Width 23.5 Inches x Depth 20.75 Inches x Height 33.25 Inches
* Depth Included Door Handle 24.5 Inches

SHIPPING:
* FREE SHIPPING

MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY:
* 90 Days Labor/1 Year Parts

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

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

Another popular EdgeStar 32 Bottle Wine Cooler is now back in stock. 

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

Based on customer input, Ideal Wine Coolers is pleased to offer our customers the option of purchasing Extended Warranties on the products they purchased.  The warranty is an “in home” service plan that starts coverage when the manufacturer’s warranty expires.  A complete discussion of the Terms and Conditions can be found on our website.  These programs are administered by Repair Master, a notable repair service plan manager.

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

Ideal Wine Coolers has decided to continue the Danby Super Sale, because customer response has been so positive.   We have selected

additional Danby wine cooler and beverage center products to add to the sale with prices slashed on these products by over 20 percent.  The sale has been extended to the last day of March 2010.   Take advantage of these one time savings on quality Danby wine cellars and cooler products.

We also carry other top brands of wine coolers like Haier, EdgeStar and Vinotemp that are priced competitively.

Thank you all so much for investigating what Ideal Wine Coolers has to offer.

Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

Ideal Wine Coolers receives many questions concerning our products and policies.  I wanted to share some of this Frequently Asked Questions with all by blog readers.  Remember, there are no stupid questions.  I only hope that my answers do not approach the stupid zone. 

1.  I am remodeling my kitchen.  What products are appropriate for under counter use?

Built-in wine coolers  are specifically designed to sit flush with the rest of your kitchen cabinetry.  These specific units are front-vented and are designed to allow the unit to be pushed flat against the wall and the surrounding cabinets without over heating.  Built-in wine coolers are slightly more expensive, but do have the advantage of saving floor space.  Built-in units can also be used in freestanding applications.  Freestanding wine coolers should never be used for an under counter application as the units will over heat and eventually fail.

2.  I live in an apartment and have limited space for a wine cooler.  What would you suggest?

Our counter-top wine coolers are designed to deal with limited space applications.  Measure the specific space dimensions that are available for a wine cooler.  Each of our counter-top models will have their respective dimensions clearly displayed.  Select a wine cooler that will fit your needs and space limitations.

3.  I just got my compressor-designed wine cooler; can I plug it in right away?

No, the new wine cooler should stand a minimum 2 hour period before plugging it in.  There is oil in the compressor that may have

moved up into the sealed system while being shipped.  Letting the unit stand allows the oil time to settle.  Plugging it in immediately could result in damage to the unit.  Consult your products factory supplied information package for more information.  If you purchased a thermoelectric type wine cooler, it can be used immediately.

4.  Can I run a small appliance on top of my wine cooler?

No, you should not operate any appliance from on top of your wine cooler, unless it has a designed in work top, or run any appliance from the same circuit as the cooler. 

 5.  Are there wine coolers that can accommodate cans and other beverages?

We have several products that store wine as well as canned beverages.  These products are in the Beverage Cooler category.  We alsocarry several products that will keep mini, pony and full-sized kegs of beer.

6.  Do you have any wine coolers that have locks?

Yes, we have several models that have locks.  Look at the specifications for each product under the “Features” text.  The Freestanding, Built-in and Beverage Cooler categories all show products with locks.  We have also set up a product category exclusively showing Locking Wine Coolers.

7.  What does “dual-zone” mean in some product descriptions?

Some wine coolers are designed with two separate compartments, each with their own temperature controls.  This dual-zone storage feature allows storage of your wine collection at different temperatures; for example, red as opposed to white wine.

 8.  What are the power requirements for my new wine cooler or beverage center?All of the products we sell require a standard 110 Volt, 15-amp outlet just like a standard refrigerator.  Some single bottle server and chillers may have AC adapters that allow them to run on a 12-volt current like in your car or recreational vehicle.

9.  I have a single zone wine cooler.  What is the best temperature for keeping red and white wines?

If one had to choose just one temperature to store both red and white wines, the temperature setting should be at 55 degrees F.  This temperature is slightly colder than the best one for reds and slightly warmer than the best one for whites.  You can compensate somewhat for this by storing your reds on the top shelves of your wine cooler and the whites on the bottom shelves.  Warmer air will rise to the top and colder air will settle to the bottom.

10. My thermoelectric wine cooler fan seems to run all of the time.  Is something wrong with it?The fan must run continuously to move the air within your wine cooler.  This enables the thermoelectric wine refrigerator to cool your stored wines  equally.   A compressor based wine cooler, which is designed similar to your basic refrigerator, will cycle on and off based on the inside temperature as it relates to your desired temperature setting.  Both of these operating conditions are considered normal.

11. My wine cooler is making weird noises.  What is wrong?

Expansion and contraction of the interior walls of your wine cooler may make a popping or cracking noise.  This is normal behavior.

 13. I bought a portable icemaker but I cannot find where to hook up a drain.  Can you help?

The portable icemakers we carry at Ideal Wine Coolers do not need a drain hook up.  Any ice you do not use melted and recycled into

more fresh ice.  It is important to keep the interior strainer clean because a clogged strainer will affect the efficient operation of the icemaker.

14. I know wine should be stored with relative humidity near 70 percent.  What can I get to monitor  humidity levels in my wine cooler?

Several portable devices are available that can monitor humidity and/or temperature in your wine cooler.  Ideal Wine Coolers has a temperature/humidity gauge available in our Wine Accessory Collection.

15. After I submit my order, how long does it take to get it delivered?

We ship products from warehouses in California, Arizona and Texas.  Order processing usually takes 1 to 2 days before the order is

shipped.  Products purchased that are more than 150 pounds must be shipped via freight carrier.  Depending on where you live, delivery time may approach a week.  Normally items will be shipped using standard UPS ground shipping that may take 3 to 5 days after your order is processed.  For wine accessory items, allow 5 to 7 days before shipping.  We normally notify everyone as soon as an item ships by e-mail with all pertinent delivery information.  See our website section on “Policies” for customer responsibilies.

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

This month Ideal Wine Coolers is pleased to be offering over 20% off of selected Danby Products.  We will offer these highly reduced prices throughout the month of February 2010.  Danby manufacturers a wine cooler that will have many highly sought after upgrades.  This is your chance to get a top quality wine cooler at reduced prices.  We are also offering one of the most popular beverage centers that can store cans as well as wine.  If you often wanted to serve your visitors a good cold draft, we also have placed one of Danby’s most popular kegcoolers on sale. See our “Monthly Sale Page” at the top of this Blog for more information and product pictures.

We also offer many quality wine cooler products from EdgeStar, Haier and Vinotemp.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, 2/1/2010

What is the best temperature to serve and store your favorite wines?  I have been asked this question many times.  Trying to be responsive to Blog readers and business clients, I embarked on what turned to be a two-day research project.  What I found is hundreds and hundreds of websites that present information on wine storage and serving temperatures.  As you can imagine, the opinions about temperature facts were all over the board.

Keeping your wine at the correct temperature is critical to maximizing its value and taste.  Wines kept at too high of a temperature will age faster than desired.  Wine stored at too cold of a temperature can develop deposits or other sediments in it.  Each type of wine has its own desirable storage temperature range.  Keep in mind the ideal storage temperature is not always the same as the ideal serving temperature.

Some general information was reasonably consistent from one website to another.  The common refrigerator generally operates at 35 degrees F.  The lighter the wine the cooler it should be served.  The warmest you should serve any wine is 60 to 65 degrees F.  Wine should be stored where humidity is about 70 percent.  If you had to pick one temperature to store wine, store it at 55 degrees F.

Based on website research, the following table represents averages of all the information that was found.  This table for obvious reasons cannot be portrayed as the definitive answer to the best temperatures for storing and serving your wine.  It can be used as a guide for your information and use.  With over 1,000 different types and variations, the wine temperatures evaluated were limited to a few varieties that are more common.

No one can tell you the precise storage or serving temperatures of wine.  The biggest variable to consider is what your own personal tastes tell you.  Having a wine refrigerator to better control the temperatures of your stored wine can help you experiment to find just the right temperatures for your tastes.

For more information and temperature management solutions see: idealwinecoolers.com.

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