5 Chic Wine Accessories

5 Chic Wine Accessories

Great wine accessories are perfect additions to any party, and Rosehill Wine Cellars has a wonderful array of wine-related accoutrements to choose from. Wine bottle stoppers and pourers, drip rings, and wine thermometers are just a few. Sharing love of wine with fellow oenophiles is entertaining and can be memorable for everyone. The following are among the many wine accessories available at Rosehill.

1 – Wine Glass Cleaning Instruments

Wine glasses are essential components of serving and enjoying wine. They aren’t dishwasher-friendly, however, in that they often don’t fit properly. Wine lovers clean wine glasses with care. Part of the reason is to protect the investment made in the wine. For the discerning wine lover, soap can negatively impact the aroma and taste of wine. The following are the best ways to clean wine glasses:

  • Thoroughly rinse wine glasses with hot water
  • Use a miniscule drop of very mild detergent and rinse with hot water
  • Gently clean with washing soda, such as baking soda

The best way to dry wine glasses is to air-dry them upside down. Rosehill Wine Cellars offers a Wine Glass Rack Tree that holds up to 12 wine glasses as well as other glass cleaning wine  accessories.

2 – Wine Pouring for Large Format Bottles

VCanter wine pouring systems are available from Rosehill Wine Cellars. Various models are designed for particular large format wine bottles. The Methuselah, for example, holds the equivalent of eight standard wine bottles. There is also a Vcanter wine pouring system for the Goliath, a bottle of wine with contents equal to 36 regular wine bottles. These unique decanting cradles for large format wine bottles are made in Switzerland. Custom colour options include silver, copper, and 24k gold plating. Custom engraving is available, as well.

3 – Breathable Wine Glasses

Decanting of wine is accomplished in a variety of ways, such as in beautiful crystal decanters. One very chic approach to decanting is to serve wine glasses that have “Breathable Glass”.  Comparison tests show that the impact of using breathable wine glasses is dramatic when drinking high-quality wines.  For example, young white wines and red wines are typically best with a minimum of 30 minutes of aeration before drinking. With the “Breathable Glass”, you can drink the same wine immediately and fully enjoy the wine’s best characteristics. Rosehill Wine Cellars offers a range of Breathable / Sensis Plus crystal stemware.

4 – Wrap Wine Thermometer

Rosehill offers a Trudeau stainless steel Wrap Wine Thermometer with satin finish that can ensure wine is served at the perfect temperature. An LCD strip on the thermometer measures the temperature of the wine. Liquid crystal thermochromic ink changes to different colours at different temperatures. Around the perimeter, there is a list of various wines and their ideal serving temperatures. The thermometer is simple to use. When the bar lights up to the level you’re looking for, it’s time to serve the wine.

Wine Cellars and wine accessories from Rosehill

Recycled wine barrels are popular wine accessories.

5 – Unique Wine Accessories with Wine Barrels

Recycled wine barrels are popular wine accessories among connoisseurs. 

Although Rosehill Wine Cellars specializes in the construction of wine cellars, many other products enjoyed by wine lovers are also available. This includes wine cellar cooling units, which are important for keeping a wine cellar at the correct temperature for wine storage

So You Want to be a Wine Connoisseur: Savor

So You Want to be a Wine Connoisseur: Savor

Sparkling wineWe’ve offered tips on seeing, smelling, sniffing, and sipping wine. Now, to savor the wine. A true mark of a connoisseur is the ability to evaluate the wine. Having a clean palate and making good use of your taste buds can help you make evaluations regarding whether the wine is harmonious, balanced, complex, and/or complete. You can be sure that if the wine has not been properly stored, such as in a custom wine cellar in Toronto, savoring of wine leaves a lot to be desired.

Harmoniousness

The flavors in a wine should come together like a tasteful symphony, completely in harmony. It’s not unusual for certain components in a young wine to be more pronounced. In other words, blending hasn’t occurred. Skilled winemaking yields even young wine that plays harmonious notes on your taste buds.

Balance

Wine that is nicely balanced has desirable flavor components in advantageous proportions. Focus on detecting the sour, the sweet, the salty, and the bitter notes in wine, when evaluating balance. Saltiness is actually rare in wine and bitterness is better described as astringent flavors, which usually come from tannins. The sweet and sour or acidic notes are most prominent. If a wine is too sugary, too sour, or too bitter, it doesn’t have good balance. If you find out-of-balance flavors in young wine, it’s not likely it would have aged well. In old wines, it could be that the balance fell apart during an unsuccessful aging process.

Complexity

Detecting complexity in wine is a sign of experience in wine tasting. The beauty of complex wines is that they have depth, similar to a sublime painting. One sign of a complex wine is that the flavors linger in your mouth long after swallowing. When wine has a strong and familiar flavor similar to a carbonated soft drink, it lacks complexity. Just as you took the time to see, swirl, smell, and sip the wine, allow the wine to dance on your tongue before swallowing, as a way of savoring its flavors.

Completeness

When a wine is complete, it has all of the above-named qualities. It is harmonious, balanced, and complex. When you can evaluate the completeness of a wine, you have a solid foundation for a valid claim as a wine connoisseur.

More to come on becoming a wine expert

There is probably no one we appreciate more at Rosehill Wine Cellars than a wine connoisseur because a continuous supply of wine is needed. We understand that proper storage is a critical part of being a wine collector, and we are proud to provide the best in custom wine cellars Toronto. For more details on becoming a wine connoisseur, see our continuing series.

So You Want to be a Wine Connoisseur: Sniff

So You Want to be a Wine Connoisseur: Sniff

There are five steps to drinking wine like a connoisseur, and the first two were covered in Part 1 of this series – See and Swirl. The next “S” is to sniff the wine. This is truly an essential part of enjoying the flavors in a bottle of wine. We appreciate this step at Rosehill Wine Cellars because proper wine storage in a custom wine cellar or wine cabinet ensures that the aroma is a pleasant one. Custom wine cellars have wine cooling units that maintain the ideal atmosphere for wine storage. Among the top manufacturers we use to keep the right smell in the wine bottles are WhisperKOOL, Wine Guardian, Cellar Pro, and Koolspace KoolR.

Take in the aroma

glass of red wineThe nose has a profound effect on how we experience the taste of wine and foods. To truly focus on the aroma, close your eyes as your put your nose into the glass all the way. Breathe in deeply. Try to identify the scents you detect. If it’s red wine, you may pick up on cherries, tobacco, strawberries, or many other possible aromas. White wine often smells like lemons and other fresh scents, such as pineapple and many others. There is no way to fail the sniff test. At any given wine tasting, for example, if everyone writes down what they catch a whiff of, even ten different wine tasters may pick up on a different smell.

Significance of the sniff test

Ultimately what you’re doing with a sniff of your wine is you are preparing your brain for what your taste buds will soon experience. It enhances actually drinking the wine, to smell it attentively first.

One thing that could happen when you smell the wine is that you could pick up clues that the wine is “corked.” It means that you should probably choose a different bottle to drink. Corked wine has become contaminated with cork taint. The cause is a chemical compound called TCA or 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole. The aroma of corked wine is musty like wet dog, dank towels, or wet newspaper or cardboard.

Proper storage helps pass the smell test

The entire purpose of wine cellars and the use of reliable wine cooling units is to protect wine as it is stored, so that the taste is as the winemaker intended. If temperatures are too warm or if they fluctuate too frequently or if there isn’t the right humidity level, wine can be spoiled. Protecting wine is something you don’t need to worry about when your custom wine cellar or wine cabinet has a cooling unit by a manufacturer such as WhisperKOOL, Wine Guardian, Cellar Pro, or Koolspace KoolR.

Wine is a Secret to Living Maybe 100+ Years

Wine is a Secret to Living Maybe 100+ Years

Life is better with wine and it may add to your years. A centenarian in Maine, Florence Bearse, recently shared that her secret to a long life is drinking wine. For wine lovers everywhere, the good news is that research backs up that possibility. At Rosehill Wine Cellars, we appreciate all of the pleasures and benefits of wine, including the health benefits that it uniquely provides. We specialize in building custom wine cellars, where wine can be stored to age gracefully and last longer than it would otherwise. Wine cooling units from top manufacturers such as Koolspace, Breezaire, Cellar Pro, and Wine Guardian are essential components of a wine cellar.

Health Reasons to Stock up on Wine
There are numerous health benefits to drinking wine. The most notable are those that can literally extend your life. Physicians have weighed in, and they agree that as long as it is done in moderation, wine drinking can be good for a body. The following are among the advantages of wine drinking:

  • Drinking wine moderately reduces the risk of heart attack by 30%, compared to people who don’t drink any alcohol. This is no secret. In fact, it has been proven repeatedly over a period of three decades by researchers across the world.
  • The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is reduced by 30% to 40% by drinking wine, compared to those who abstain from alcohol.
  • It is an antioxidant that can help fight inflammation, which means circulation to your heart and brain is increased
  • Antioxidants also slow the aging process
  • Lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol
  • Raises “good” HDL cholesterol
  • For people concerned about their weight, wine is a better choice than other alcoholic beverages. It has fewer carbohydrates than beer, and drinking wine means you avoid the sugar calories commonly used for mixing cocktails.
  • If drinking wine helps you to de-stress, it is providing another important health benefit. Stress is associated with many different life-threatening diseases.

A Definition of Moderation

The good things about wine can be lost if not enjoyed in strict moderation. It’s believed among most in the research community that one glass of wine per day is fine for women and two glasses per day for men is a healthy balance. For those who enjoy wine with dinner every evening, a wine cellar makes sense. With climate control by Cellar Pro, Breezaire, Wine Guardian, or Koolspace, your stored wine can be ready when you are.

A note of caution: Excessive drinking increases the risk of suffering from a variety of major diseases, including liver disease, heart disease, and some cancers.

Raise your Glass!

Thanks to Florence in Maine, we can all enjoy the reminder that wine drinking is actually good for you physically. How many truly enjoyable activities that help you unwind after a hard day can you say that about?

Washington State Marries Wine Month with Uber

Washington State Marries Wine Month with Uber

Brand new for August 2017, the State of Washington celebrates its first ever Washington State Wine Month in partnership with Uber. The idea is to encourage wine lovers to have a pleasant and safe experience tasting wine throughout the greater Seattle area and indeed all over the great state of Washington, wherever wine is found. The great thing about visiting wineries is that it simplifies the process of selecting collections for custom wine cellars.

An Exciting Match

The Seattle WA area has urban wineries as well as nearby rural wine tasting districts. With more than 900 wineries in the state, it’s an ideal place for wine connoisseurs. The Uber more-affordable-taxi-service makes it convenient to make the rounds of wineries without worrying that too much wine is being enjoyed to drive safely. Visiting tasting rooms is the ideal leisure activity for wine lovers. For wine collectors, there is no better way than going to wine tastings to find the right bottles for stocking wine cellar shelves.

A Month of Wine-Related Celebrations

Visit a wine tasting during the month of August

Wine tastings are perfect for selecting wines for your wine cellar.

There are several events to look forward to for anyone getting in on Washington State Wine Month. On the 18th, weekend fun is anticipated at Picnic With the Winemakers. Private Winemaker Dinners are scheduled for the 19th. On the 20th, there is the Winemaker Auction Gala and the Columbia Winery Charity Run & Walk. With the Uber partnership, it’s reasonable to assume that more wine enthusiasts than ever might get in on the festivities in this expansive wine community.

Bringing Wine Bottles Home

While attending wine tastings, it’s natural to find wines that you want to add to your wine collection. Wineries often make it easy to arrange shipment of wine. It’s also reasonable to transport bottles of wine home for yourself, as long as you have the equipment that will protect the wine from harmful environments. Once you get home, the best thing you could have is a custom wine cellar built by passionate professionals at Rosehill Wine Cellars. All of their uniquely built wine cellars have the correct temperature and humidity level, thanks to top wine cooling manufacturers WhisperKool, Koolspace, CellarCool, and others.

Plan your August Wine Tastings

In many regions of North America, August is the hottest month of the year. What better way is there to beat the heat than going to wine tastings? In the Toronto area, there are wineries in abundance. Washington made a good move by making August Washington State Wine Month. Get in on the excitement! Plan your refreshing summer wine tasting for the upcoming weekend.