by Charlotte | Jan 12, 2018 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News
EuroCave Wine Cabinet (Photo: Rosehill Wine Cellars)
If you’ve been wondering whether you should get a wine refrigerator, below are some answers to help you figure it out. Most people who ask this question have recently begun collecting bottles of wine for future enjoyment with their meals. Simply placing wine on a decorative wine rack in your home could ultimately diminish the flavor, since undesirable chemical reactions occur in the wine from too much heat or exposure to UV rays. In the absence of a wine cellar, a wine refrigerator may be just what you need, but it depends.
Length of Storage
A wine fridge is excellent for storing wine for the short-term or medium-term. Long-term storage, on the other hand, may not be ideal for a free-standing wine refrigerator or an under-the-counter wine fridge. Quality wine that is stored for five years or more will do better with the unique conditions in a wine cellar. The temperature fluctuations in a wine cellar are typically minimized, as are vibrations and exposure to UV rays. EuroCave now offers wine cabinets that are made especially for long-term storage. They have significantly fewer vibrations than the nearest competitors.
Ideal Setting
Wine is a unique beverage that benefits from being stored in a very specific temperature range, that being between 55°F and 60°F. If wine is stored for very long, there should be at least 50% humidity, so that the corks don’t dry out, shrink, allow air inside the bottle, and spoil the wine because of oxidation. As mentioned above, other considerations include stability and protection from UV rays. If you have more than a few bottles of wine to drink, a wine fridge could be perfect for you.
Why a Standard Refrigerator Won’t Work
The atmosphere in a standard kitchen refrigerator is not favorable to wine storage. One problem is that refrigerators are designed to remove humidity from the cold air. Humidity is an essential element of proper wine storage. The temperature in a refrigerator average 40°, which is considerably colder than the ideal temp for wine. Another problem is that refrigerators don’t have wine racks.
Where to Buy a Wine Fridge
Is a wine fridge right for you? At Rosehill Wine Cellars, we offer a wide range of quality wine refrigerators. Among our selections are EuroCave Wine Cabinets that mimic a wine cellar better than any other wine cooler. You can find wine fridges of all sizes as well as under-the-counter and stand-alone wine coolers on the Rosehill Wine Cellars website. If you grow out of your wine fridge, Rosehill is also the place to call for a custom-built wine cellar.
by Charlotte | Jun 25, 2017 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News
Whichever bottle of wine you pull from your custom wine cellar, be sure to serve it at optimal temperatures.
Chilled wine on a summer day is not necessary the perfect temperature for serving right out of your custom wine cellar Toronto. For maximum enjoyment, it helps to understand the nuances of different wines. Whether the summer wines you drink are fine aged wines or inexpensive wines to brighten with a spritzer, check out the tips below to make the most of your summer of wine.
Serving Temperatures for Wines
Wine has many nuances, and one of the distinctions between different types of wine is that the optimal serving temperatures can differ greatly. Anyone who appreciates all the finer points of wine that involve aroma, appearance, taste, and mouth feel can also grasp that the overall experience of wine involves correct temperatures. From the time wine is bottled, temperature is a critical matter. Exposure to heat for extended periods spoils wine, without exception. Storage temperatures in a wine cellar or wine cabinet need to be within the prescribed range. Serving temperature is an entirely different but equally important matter, for the exacting wine connoisseur. The following are some helpful hints on how long to chill wines:
- The ideal serving temperature for sparkling wines is 45°. This can be achieved by putting your sparkling wine in the refrigerator for 5 hours, the freezer for 40 minutes, or an ice bucket for 25 minutes before serving.
- Rich white wines are best served at 55°, which means 2 hours in the refrigerator, 25 minutes in the freezer, or 15 minutes in the ice bucket.
- Crisp white wines are ideally served at 50°, which amounts to: Refrigerator for 3.5 hours, freezer for 30 minutes, or ice bucket for 20 minutes.
- The ideal serving temperature for red wines is 65°. Before serving, place it in the fridge for 45 minutes, the freezer for 15 minutes, or the ice bucket for 10 minutes.
More Summer Wine Tips
Rosé wines are the best option for serving with foods, if you are having trouble choosing between red and white wine. Rosé wine is a great match for classic summer foods, including chicken, burgers, and fish.
Whether for a picnic or a beautiful appetizer in any setting, don’t forget to pair wine with cheese. It’s largely a matter of taste but there are plenty of guides to point you in the right direction. The following are some great wine and cheese pairings.
- Gorgonzola or Manchego cheese with Champagne
- Asiago with Shiraz wine
- Havarti with Pinot Noir
- Blue Cheese with Riesling
- Brie with Chardonnay
- Aged Cheddar Cheese with Zinfandel
Contact Rosehill Wine Cellars
For perfect wine storage with a custom wine cellar Toronto, contact Rosehill Wine Cellars today. We love being part of perfect wine summers.
by Charlotte | May 24, 2017 | Wine Cabinets
Rosehill Wine Cellars has the accessories you need to protect your wine while on wine tours and back at home.
Summer is a great time to visit wineries. It’s the peak travel season, and tours are run more frequently. Many wineries schedule festivals and cultural events. You have a greater chance of meeting vintners, brewers, chefs, and artists at wineries during summertime, when revelry is at its peak. Whether it’s your first time to go wine touring or you could use a refresher, the following are helpful tips for getting the most out of wine tours. At Rosehill Wine Cellars, we are happy to provide custom wine cellars, wine cabinets, wine fridges, and all of the things needed to enjoy wine and store it properly. We like to remind wine lovers to remember to protect the wine while it’s in transit from the winery to your wine cellar, wine cabinet, or wine fridge.
1 – First things first
The first step in enjoying wine tours is to designate a driver or make arrangements with a transportation company, for a stress-free day. Wine is higher in alcohol content than beer. For instance, the amount of alcohol in 12 ounces of beer is equivalent to approximately 5 ounces of wine. It only takes 1.5 ounces of liquor in a shot glass to add up to the same amount of alcohol.
If you’re driving and still want to get in on the wine-tasting, be sure that you spit into the wine buckets at each winery you visit. In reality, though, what usually happens is more wine is tasted than intended. Be careful not to drive with an alcohol level above the legal limit.
2 – Taste without getting drunk
One of the major faux pas in etiquette at wine tastings is getting drunk. It’s not pleasant for others. Intake should be carefully moderated, to avoid being a drunk taster, the worst annoyance of tasting rooms everywhere.
3 – Protect your wine purchases
Summertime means the hot temperatures could spoil your wine. A short time of high temperatures might be okay, but it may not take long for wine to go past the point of no return. Be prepared on visits to wineries. Bring a wine carrier from a shipping store or from our selection of wine bags and backpacks at Rosehill Wine Cellars. Wine is ideally stored between 55 and 65 degrees. The threshold for damage to occur to wine begins at 70 degrees. Occasional spikes may be fine, but an entire day in a car that’s too warm will surely blight the wine.
More to come
Look for more tips for summer wine tours. If you don’t have the ideal place for storing your wine, contact Rosehill Wine Cellars for a custom wine cellar, wine fridge, or wine cabinet in your home.
by Charlotte | May 22, 2017 | Rosehill Wine Cellars News
Pull a bottle of Chardonnay from your wine cellar, to enjoy with a summer meal.
Summer is a great time to make frequent trips to your wine cellar or wine fridge. There are many terrific food and wine pairings that are especially ideal when it’s hot outside. Clean off your barbeque grill, clean the pool, and pull out your best patio cushions. It’s time to enjoy some Chardonnay wine with some of your favorite summer dishes.
3 Types of Chardonnay
Chardonnay is an exquisite, subtle wine, and the flavors can get lost if served with the wrong dishes. Chardonnay is the most planted white wine grape in the world. The tasting notes differ, depending on if you get oaked Chardonnay, unoaked Chardonnay, or sparkling Chardonnay. As with all wine, the region it’s grown in also contributes to the ultimate flavor.
Creamy oaked Chardonnay is a full-bodied wine. The tasting notes of these wines range from a rich profile of butterscotch, grilled pineapple, vanilla, and lush tropical fruit to a lighter profile of lemon curd, poached pear, textural chalky minerality, and baked apple. These wines are aged in oak. Descriptors for taste include butter, crème brûlée, vanilla, coconut, baked apple, butterscotch, and brioche. Ideal food pairings include creamy dishes like lobster bisque and mushroom risotto. Oaky Chardonnay wines usually need to rest in your wine cellar or wine fridge storage for 3 to 5 years, giving you a lot to look forward to.
Citrusy, unoaked Chardonnay is lighter and is an excellent pairing with oysters, scallops, and delicate flaky fish. The tastes of the various citrusy varieties range from fruity profiles like fresh pineapple, mango, and yellow apple to a floral, leaner profile of citrus peel, pear, green apple, and white flowers. There is more freshness and acidity in this type, which is usually fermented in stainless steel and settles for only a short time. Unoaked Chardonnay wines should usually be drunk while they are young, though a few can age for a decade or more, including some in Chablis. Tasting descriptors do not indicate oak.
Sparkling Chardonnay, which is used in Champagne and Blanc de Blancs (a French term that means “white from whites”), pairs beautifully with salty fried dishes, from fried chicken to calamari. The tasting notes for these wines range from a richer profile of yellow apple, hazelnut, toasted vanilla, honeycomb, and Meyer lemon to a leaner profile of honeysuckle, lime, minerals, and lemon zest. If this is the wine you want to enjoy on a summer day, look for 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs sparkling wines.
Know your wines, for best pairings
Part of the excitement of being a wine connoisseur is knowing which wines pair nicely with particular foods. A warm summer day can be especially enjoyable when you can pull a Chardonnay from your wine fridge or wine cellar and enjoy it with the perfect food pairings. It takes some know-how, to get it just right.
by Charlotte | May 9, 2017 | Thirsty Thursday
Custom cellars from Rosehill WIne Cellars have secure locks.
There are countless reasons to love wine. There’s nothing else quite like it. The aroma, the terroir, food pairings, and wonderful variety are all part of the wine experience. Some say one of the beauties of wine is that you can travel the world through bottles of wine from vineyards across our planet. If you collect wine, you are among a large population of oenophiles. There’s one thing that might be easy to forget about wine, and it’s the importance of keeping it behind lock and key or perhaps combination lock. See Part 1 of this two-part series for reasons to keep your wine cellar, your wine fridge, and/or your wine cabinet securely locked. Here are three more reasons to lock up the wine:
Thieves
Many people have discovered that alcohol is a great drug. Alcohol content is higher in wine than in beer, making it more attractive to many who abuse alcohol. Those with an alcohol problem often find their lives in the pits, and many resort to getting alcohol any way they can. It could be, on the other hand, that a thief is aware you have a wine collection that’s worth a lot, and that could be the reason they case your house. Your wine cellar or under-the-fridge wine cabinet could become a target for theft. A good security system could protect your collection.
Drunk uncle
Sometimes it’s not so-called friends you need to worry about. You may have a drunk uncle or someone else in your family that has a problem with alcohol abuse. You’ll do your relative a favor by keeping your stash locked away securely.
Wine is an investment
The number one motivation to lock up your wine may be that you don’t someone to steal what you spent your hard-earned money on. Wine collections usually represent a significant sum of money, even if there are no thousand-dollar bottles of wine or other extremely rare wines from vineyards around the world.
Contact us at Rosehill Wine Cellars for a custom wine cellar and for all of the wine accessories you may need. We will fix you up with locking wine cabinets, a secure wine fridge, and a cellar door that will keep out unwelcome visitors.
