Rhone Wine: A Favorite Among Sommeliers

Rhone Wine: A Favorite Among Sommeliers

Wine Cellars from Rosehill

Stock your wine cellar with the wine you most enjoy. (Photo: Wine Cellars from Rosehill Wine Cellars)

A sommelier, or wine steward, is a well trained and highly knowledgeable wine professional. They are normally found working in the finest restaurants where they specialize in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. Their role in fine dining today is much more specialized and informed than their immediate subordinates, beverage managers and wine waiters. In the entire world, there are only 236 Master Sommeliers. The pass rate for the test earning someone that title is only 8%. It is widely believed to be the most difficult test on the planet. After perusing secrets of sommeliers, a pattern was recently discovered.

Sommeliers Relish Rhone Wines

France Rhone wine region If purchasing fine quality wines for investment and to stock a wine cellar, most sommeliers will select the best vintages from the best wine regions.  Good wines age well, and they gain more complexity after a couple decades in the cellar.  When sommeliers stock cellars for their restaurant clients, they select wines from prestigious regions such as the Rhône wine region in Southern France. The region’s major appellation in production volume is Côtes du Rhône AOC.

The Rhône is generally divided into two sub-regions with distinct vinicultural traditions, the Northern Rhône (referred to in French as Rhône septentrional) and the Southern Rhône (in French Rhône méridional). The northern sub-region produces red wines from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with white wine grapes, and white wines from Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier grapes. The southern sub-region produces an array of red, white and rosé wines, often blends of several grapes such as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The bottles should reach their peak one year apart, and you can drink one every year on a special anniversary. At some point during the annual celebrations, take a trip to Rhône valley or wherever your favorite wine is from. That way, the special wine in your custom wine cellar is now also connected to a special memory of traveling to vineyards.

Hermitage Wine: A  Rhone Wine

The finest red Hermitage wines from Northern Rhône can age for up to 40 years or more. Other Hermitage wines require up to 20 years to reach peak maturity. The important thing to note is that Hermitage wines should virtually always be stored in a wine cellar for years or decades. These rich, tannic, full-bodied wines evolve beautifully—some say magically.

Hermitage (Rhone) Wine Facts

There have been many outstanding vintages of Rhône wine. A Hermitage wine that is considered by many to be one of the best ever tasted is 1961 Jaboulet La Chapelle. Bottles of this wine have sold for nearly $15,000.  Don’t worry, most Hermitage wine is much more affordable; here are yet more facts about Hermitage wine:

  • Hermitage in the Rhône wine region has been cultivated with grape wines since 600 B.C.
  • The most expensive and in-demand wine on the earth in the 1800s was Hermitage.
  • Since 1481, the Chave family has been actively growing grapes for wine in the Rhône region. They are among the oldest families in the wine world.
  • Hermitage is often the longest lived wine produced in the Rhone Valley.
  • Only one red grape, Syrah, can be used in Hermitage. Only Roussanne and Marsanne white wine grapes are allowed.
  • Hermitage wine is versatile with food pairings. The red varieties go especially well with bold, hardy courses, bacon, and many hard and soft cheeses. White Hermitage wine often has rich, thick, oily qualities that match well with lobster, crab, and crudo as well as lighter meats, such as veal and chicken.

From the Vineyard to your Wine Cellar

Enthusiasm for a particular appellation is one of many reasons wine lovers have a custom wine cellar built. Are you ready to create your own wine story? Contact Rosehill Wine Cellars today to discuss the design of your own custom wine cellar that can store your favorite fine wines. You can always consult sommeliers for more of their wine secrets, for guidance on building an exciting wine collection for your wine cellar.

3 Advantages Only a Wine Cellar Provides

3 Advantages Only a Wine Cellar Provides

Wine cellars from Rosehill Wine Cellars

Custom wine cellar with tasting niche by Rosehill Wine Cellars.

A wine cellar isn’t just for fine restaurants or the wealthiest among us anymore. Custom wine cellars have become increasingly popular, largely because of the many advantages they provide. True wine lovers understand that there can be remarkable depth to wine. A wine cellar is needed to accommodate wine collecting, since it provides the correct environment in which fine wines can age properly. For wine collectors, there are at least three advantages that only a wine cellar can provide, in addition to proper wine storage conditions.

Encourages Growing Wine Knowledge

As a wine lover, you don’t have to strive to be a renowned wine expert.  You have wine maps and books, and you may travel to wine regions all over he world. Having a wine cellar, however, provides pleasant incentive to become knowledgeable about the many varieties of wine and when they reach their peak. The finest wines are those that reach their peak over a course of years. The more you know, the more likely you are to discover new wines that you can enjoy with your meals and with friends and family.

It actually requires a bit of wine knowledge simply to identify what is communicated on the label of a fine wine. For example, the five common parts of wine labels that are designated by appellation credentials include producer name, region the grapes are from, variety of wine, vintage, and alcohol content. When you have your own custom wine cellar, attaining this type of knowledge makes sense.

Increased Home Value

When you have a beautifully designed wine cellar with custom wine racks in your home, there are certain buyers who will be willing to pay more for your residence, should you ever sell. Home buyers who also happen to be wine lovers are expressly looking for a home with a wine cellar already built in, which gives you a great advantage in the niche market. Even though your initial reason to build a wine cellar is your own love of wine, it’s good to know that you’re increasing your home resale value at the same time.

Pleasure

For wine lovers, enjoying wine is about so much more than choosing the right wine with dinner. A wine cellar provides you with a place to store your collection of fine wines and share it with friends. A wine tasting niche is one of the many popular features of wine cellars, since it provides a cozy space to sample and share your wine.

Things you need in your life if you’re a Wine Lover!

Wine Storage

If you are a wine enthusiast you need proper wine storage. Having a wine collection means some responsibilities (mostly the fun kind.) It’s important that your wine is stored in an area where the temperature and humidity are constant. At Rosehill Wine Cellars we have the ability to design and build the perfect wine storage cellar. But if you’re just starting out check out our wide selection of wine storage cabinets.

Depiction of wine storage.

Proper Wine Glasses

Every wine lover needs a nice set of wine glasses. Having the right wine glass definitely, makes a big difference. Therefore, don’t skimp and waste your time drinking out of the wrong stemware!

A Good Wine Opener

I think we can all agree that nothing is more embarrassing than not being able to open your fancy bottle of wine. This is especially true if you have guests! At Rosehill Wine Cellars we have a wide range of lovely and fully functioning wine openers designed for wine enthusiasts everywhere!

A Wine Serving Bucket

Owning a wine bucket may not seem important but makes all the difference if you want to keep a nice white wine cold. It will also keep you from having to run back and forth from the fridge during a dinner party!

Make sure to check out Rosehill Wine Cellars for all of your wine storage and wine drinking needs!

A Salute to Earth Friendly Wine Making & Wine Cellars

Wine cellars from Rosehill Wine Cellars

Store fine wine like Fetzer in a custom wine cellar from Rosehill Wine Cellars

Here at Rosehill Wine Cellars, we have a passion about building amazing custom wine cellars. We also appreciate that the earth is where wine comes from. Fetzer Vineyards makes wine in ground-breaking ways that benefit the environment, and we think that’s worth kudos. While striving to produce something in a responsible way, they also achieved noteworthy wine making. If it weren’t for beautiful wines like those made by Fetzer, custom wine cellars wouldn’t be so much in demand. So we salute Fetzer and toast the wine maker for his achievements.

About Fetzer

Barney Fetzer began the venture of making wine in 1968. Instead of following the old rulebook, he operated with a completely earth-first philosophy. There in his Northern California vineyards, he charted a new direction that the industry has recognized as worthy of following.

Fetzer Vineyards was built and is maintained with sustainable practices. For example:

  • In 1999, Fetzer Vineyards became the first California winery to operate on 100% renewable energy.
  • In 2005, Fetzer became the first wine company to publicly report greenhouse gas emissions with the Climate Registry.
  • In 2014, Fetzer became the first wine company on the planet to be Zero Waste certified.
  • Fetzer has a B Corp certification, which is the highest commercial standard for social and environmental responsibility

But How’s the Wine?

The wine produced from Fetzer Vineyard grapes is as noteworthy as the commitment to the earth. For example, Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 was a “Wine Enthusiast “American Winery of the Year” Nominee. Here are some tasting notes on Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon:

  • Complex aromas include black cherry, blackberry, vanilla, oak, and a hint of herbs.
  • Zesty flavors in the wine are ripe blackberry, mocha, toffee, and vanilla.
  • This wine is a delicious and hearty companion to steak, ribs, and chops.

Fetzer’s award-winning Sundial Chardonnay is a classic, providing the perfect complement to fish, pork, and chicken. Tasting notes follow:

  • Complex aromas include pineapple, banana, honeydew, vanilla, lemongrass, hazelnut, and clove.
  • Zesty flavors are melon, pear, citrus, and baked apple.

Now, About Wine Cellars

Just as wine makers like Fetzer need to know a lot about how to make wine that delights the taste buds, we need to know how to perfectly preserve wine, particularly as it ages. We do! We build custom wine cellars so that wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, sommeliers, and wine collectors have the perfect environment they need.

We recognize that making wine is especially notable when consideration is made to ensure earth friendliness. We believe it’s also important for wine lovers to understand the importance of providing wine with the right setting, so that it can be enjoyed as intended. We appreciate the art of wine making, and custom wine cellars built by Rosehill Wine Cellars are perfect reflections of that sentiment.

Eliminate Vibrations with EuroCave

Eliminate Vibrations with EuroCave

EuroCave wine cabinet

EuroCave Wine Storage Cabinet from Rosehill Wine Cellars

When it comes to wine there are only bad vibrations!

Excessive vibrations can seriously damage your wine during storage. Vibrations can disturb the sediment in your wine bottle. They can also cause long-term damage by agitating your wine repeatedly and possibly speeding up any chemical reactions occurring during the aging process. Therefore, it is very important that your wine cabinet does everything to ensure that your wine does not vibrate!

Fortunately, EuroCave has your wine’s best interest at heart! The company has recently invested considerable research into investigating the effectiveness of their wine cabinets at eliminating vibrations and making sure your wine slumbers peacefully and securely in its home.

In order to conduct the research EuroCave wine storage cabinets were tested against competitors for the amount of vibration they generated. Vibrations were measured with the help of a high-precision laser vibrometer – kind of like a thermometer but for vibrations. Both empty and full cabinets were tested to ensure that all variables were accounted for.

The results revealed that EuroCave wine fridges generate six times fewer vibrations than other competing wine storage cabinets! This study reveals that EuroCave wine cabinets are not only nice to look at but also a functional, effective and safe way to store your entire wine collection!

The reason EuroCave is so wonderful at eliminating vibration is because of their amazing design features, such as their ‘Main du Sommelier’ wine cradling support system.

Therefore, fear not EuroCave will make sure your wine rests easy!

Make sure to check out Rosehill Wine Cellars for all of your wine storage and wine drinking needs!