Cheap Wine Information Blog

Life is full of questions; so this article was written with the intention of solving the question on Tasting Notes. Sure do hope that your questions have been answered.

Don't Just Throw You Wine Rack On The Counter!

A counter top wine rack is a perfect solution for wine enthusiasts (or wine enthusiasts at heart) looking for a short term storage solution for smaller quantities of wine. Not only are they stylish, but they are also available in so many varieties of styles, materials and capacities that there is a counter top wine rack to fit the personal tastes of almost anyone. What most people don?t understand, however is that using a counter top wine rack is not as simple as placing it on a counter and filling it with bottles of wine. If your wine is going to be consumed quickly this might be ok, but if you are looking to store a bottle of wine for even more than a couple of weeks there are a few things which should be kept in mind to help keep your wine tasting it?s best when you pop the cork.

• Temperature: A wine rack should never be placed where it is going to be in close contact with extreme heat, whether it is a counter top wine rack, floor standing or wall mounted. Never place a wine rack near a heater, stove, oven or other appliance that generates heat. Wine that becomes too hot can ?cook? and degrades the wine. On the contrary, some wines should never be store in extreme cold either. For example, a wine rack storing red wine should never be stored near cold drafts.
• Sunlight: can also affect the aging process. It is important to keep wines out of direct sunlight, which is one reason many wines, especially reds, are distributed in tinted bottles. As such, white wines are usually the most susceptible to sunlight. Even though UV rays can still affect and if left long enough ruin, a bottle of wine, if your are using a counter top wine rack for short term storage of wine just keeping the bottles out of direct sunlight will be sufficient.
• Vibration: If storing wines for any length of time it is best to put it in a place where large heavy vibrations will not be occurring. For example in my kitchen I have an under counter washing machine/dryer which tends to vibrate and shake quite a bit when in the spin cycle. It would be unwise of me to put a counter top wine rack on that counter because the vibration from the washing machine would cause the wine to become shaken up and disturb the sediment.

Keeping these three simple factors in mind might initially make it a little more difficult to find the perfect place to put your counter top wine rack, but you will thank yourself for it when you open your first bottle of wine and it tastes perfect!

Sweet Sherries



Many people who were not raised in a wine drinking family decide they want to start drinking wine in their adult years, both because it adds a lovely flavor to meals and because of the health benefits. How do you get started with healthy wine drinking? First off, it would be impossible for me (or any other 3rd party) to tell you what type of wine YOU are likely to enjoy, flavor wise. We all have different taste buds! Maybe you have a sweet tooth and would love the light, White Zinfandel variety. Maybe you are a tea drinker and would enjoy a red with a bit of tannin in it. Maybe you're a coffee-with-cream drinker and would love a smooth, buttery Chardonnay. Your best bet here is to order random wines in restaurants, by the glass. Most restaurants serve very "middle of the road" wines that appeal to the widest range of palates. Each time you go out, try a different wine and keep a notebook of which you like, which you don't like and why. There's no right or wrong here. You are free to hate any wine! But soon you'll see a pattern of what types YOU enjoy, and those are the ones to then try different brands of and learn more about.
Buy a great bottle of white wine right now!

Fruit Wine



Most wine drinkers drink a glass of wine with dinner each night, so you should drink a wine you enjoy! You don't want this to be a "chore" you have to do. So choose wines that you like the taste of that fall within yo
Treat your wine right with great wine chillers



COPIA - Al Stewart: Down in the Cellars

Al Stewarts accessible guitar style and literary lyrics shone in his 1970s hits Year of the Cat and Time Passages. In his Napa debut, Stewart performs favorites plus songs derived from his love of wine: Down in the Cellars, Shiraz Shuffle and Night that the Band Got the Wine.

Temecula Wine Events

Featured Temecula Event: Flamenco Fridays at Miramonte Winery. Only a $5 cover, and that includes your initial wine tasting. Come early if you want to get a table. $5 tapas plates provided by Volker Lutz, owner and head chef of European Cafe and Vineyard Gourmet Catering. Music provided by the incomparable Jeffrey Briggs and Michael Murphy, both renowned Classical and Latin guitarists. Come enjoy delicious gourmet tapas, beautiful sunsets, panoramic valley views, and some of the best live music around. No cover charge for wine club members.

Iron Wine

posted by Jordan @ 6:15 PM