Investing in a home wine cellar is common nowadays, especially in Dallas, Texas. They provide wines the best storage conditions, add value to your home, allow easy access to your wines, and provide a place to entertain friends. After your residential custom wine cellar is built, it is wise- especially for larger collections- to organize wine bottles in a manner that will allow you can easily find a certain type of wine.
You don’t want your guests to wait for a long time while you’re having difficulty looking for the wine you want to serve. Below are some organization options for your wine collection.
Organize Wines by Brand, Region or Varietal
Storing wines of the same brand in one area of your wine rack is one great way to organize your Dallas Texas wine cellar. This option is ideal if you buy wine in bulk.
Many wine lovers collect wines from different regions. The region from where wine originated contributes a lot to its taste, so in order for you to find a bottle that best pairs with your dish in no time it is recommended that you keep them by region.
If you want to drink a glass of Chardonnay now and a different variety tomorrow, there’s no better way than to store your wines according to the varietal. You can separate whites from reds in your wine room.
According to Wine’s Maturity
It is recommended that you keep wines intended to be drunk sooner on one side of your wine room and those that require longer aging periods on the other side. Make sure to keep everyday wines in your wine cellar where they can be accessed easily.
Categorizing Wine Bottles with Description Tags
Bottle Tags or Description Tags
Categorizing your bottles will be easy with bottle tags which can be hung around the wine bottle’s neck. Indicating the brand, varietal, or region on the tag will allow you to easily locate the wine you need without flipping every bottle in your home wine cellar. You may also use color-coded tags.
Software Programs and Wine Management System
You can get software programs that allow for wine cellar owners to manage and organize their wine collection in a hassle-free way. The wine management system is usually used in commercial wine cellars, but it is now recommended for installation in residential wine cellars for a quick inventory of your wine collection.
The most efficient and easiest software to use is the eSommelier wine cellar management system. It allows you to have 24-hour access to your wines and makes inventory and monitoring of wines much more convenient compared to maintaining a spreadsheet.
It also lets you find a glass of wine and the best time to drink it. It comes with a barcode scanner, a touch screen interface, and a barcode printer. Investing in this software will save a lot of time and effort.
With many options for wine cellar organization, it is still you who will decide on how you would like to categorize your wine collection. Just make sure that you will be able to serve the right wine to your guests in a timely manner.
In a few days, the world will celebrate Valentine’s Day. Gone are the days when the celebration of the day of hearts was exclusive to couples. These days, people give gifts to their loved ones – parents, siblings, spouses, girlfriends/boyfriends, and friends – to express their love and affection.
For the wine and wine cellar enthusiast, it is a bit difficult to think of a wine gift other than the obvious (wine, of course!). There are a lot of gift ideas in the market not just to fit the giver’s budget but to satisfy the receiver. Below are just a few of the possible gift ideas for wine lovers.
1. Wine Accessories
Corkscrews, corks, decanters, wine glasses, chilling buckets, wineglass charms, and wine bags are just a few gift options for the wine fanatic. A corkscrew can be personalized with the recipient’s initials. Decanters come in many shapes and sizes that cater to varying preferences.
Wine glasses can be stemmed or stemless and usually comes in a set of 4 or 6. A chilling bucket can be simple or elaborate.
Wineglass charms can be plain or a bit fancy. Wine bags that are available on the market can range from tote-style to wheeled and anything in between.
A wine lover can keep some of these accessories in his or her custom wine cellar. Being prepared for any wine tasting event or occasion is important!
2. Gift certificates
Gift certificates come in varying denominations and expiration dates. It is important that the giver considers these variations before making the purchase. The farther the expiration date, the better. It is also a bonus if the gift certificate is honored in many establishments or branches of the wine store or commercial wine cellar to give the recipient an array of choices.
3. Books
Most enthusiasts will want to know more about their field of interest. Books can be a good source of information that a wine enthusiast must know to live up to the label. Bookstores carry many titles on wine; its history, origin, variety, production, and the like.
For beginners in the world of wine who don’t have their own wine storage room and want to have one, maybe a book about wine cellar design and construction would be a great gift.
4. Wine Cellar Club Memberships
Another way of educating oneself about wines is to join a wine club and learn from fellow enthusiasts and wine experts. Wine club memberships come in different forms.
One can join a Red or White wine club, or the region of preference where their favorite wine comes from. Membership in these clubs can give the enthusiast opportunities to experience wine-related activities such as wine tasting.
These are just a few random gift ideas one can give this Valentine’s Day. No matter what your budget is, there is a perfect gift that your wine enthusiast will greatly appreciate. What’s important is the time, effort, and love poured into the gift by the giver.
In the production of sparkling wine in every major wine-producing country in the world, the most important grape varieties used are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Different methods are also used by different winemakers depending on their preference and the laws of their region. Sparkling wines are mostly pink, white or red. Sparkling wines’ sweetness varies from bottle to bottle and can be categorized as brut, extra brut, extra dry, sec and demi-sec.
It can be paired with a variety of foods including seafood, poultry and some desserts such as fruit salad, tiramisu, and chocolate mousse. It appears fizzy because of the significant levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in it.
The most popular type of sparkling wine is Champagne which is only produced in the Champagne region of France. The first Champagne was made in the 17th century. It is called spumante in Italy, Sekt in Germany and Austria, cap Classique in South Africa and cava in Spain.
So what makes sparkling wine different from other table wines? It is the bubbles and the process used to make it bubbly. Many people love to drink sparkling wine, but only a few know the mystery behind its bubbles.
Bubbly Sparkling Wine
In the first stage of making sparkling wine, base or still wine (no bubbles) is produced and blended until the desired taste and aroma have been created. During the second fermentation process in sparkling wine production, the bubbles are generated in either a specially designed tank or in the bottle.
The winemaker adds a small amount of sugar and yeast to the blended base wine, which is converted to carbon dioxide trapping millions of bubbles in a very small space. The carbon dioxide is released in the liquid to produce a “sparkle.”
If CO2 is released too fast, the flavor of the sparkling wine fades quickly. In order to preserve the carbon dioxide in the wine, you should not pour the liquid straight into the center of the wine glass. Instead, you should pour it down the side of a glass which is ideally at an angle of 45 degrees.
Storing sparkling wines requires extra care since they are more sensitive to light than other table wines. They should be stored in a wine cellar, wine refrigerator or any location where the temperature is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
This will prevent overly aggressive bubbles. Sparkling wines must be placed on the lowest shelf of the wine racks because they are susceptible to heat and light. Since heat rises, wines requiring the lowest temperature should sit at the lowest temperature. Unlike regular bottles of wine, they can be stored upright so that the carbon dioxide can form a ring at the neck of the bottle, thus protecting the wine from unwanted air.
Since sparkling wines don’t improve with age, they should be consumed within 1 year of purchase. When you are planning a celebration with your family and friends, keep the sparkling wine in a fridge for a day or two.
The serving temperature affects the rate at which bubbles are released. Sparkling wines should be served chilled, with the temperature between 42-52°F to steadily release bubbles.
When creating this special wine, winemakers have different preferences in sparkling wine styles. Some want a more delicate and less flavorful style while others prefer the strong flavors of oak, aged wine or yeast. The 3 key production methods used in the secondary fermentation are a traditional method, transfer method, and Charmat Method.
Next time you have a celebration, you will feel proud because you know why the sparkling wine in your glass is bubbly. Enjoy every tingly bubble in it!
Designing custom wine cellars requires the help of a knowledgeable and experienced company. Look for a builder who understands the importance of an aesthetically pleasing and functional wine storage facility. At Wine Cellar Specialists, we want you to maximize your enjoyment of wine. We use our creativity to build stylish residential and commercial wine cellars in Texas, Chicago, and other areas in the United States.
Build a Stylish Custom Wine Cellar with the Help of a Creative Designer
The process of designing and building your own wine cellar can be complex and tedious, but with the help of Wine Cellar Specialists, the fulfillment of your dream wine cellar becomes easier and more enjoyable too. Let us discuss one by one the wine cellar projects we have done for clients who once only dreamed, but are now relishing the beauty and comfort of their own wine cellars.
We have created various types of wine cellars (traditional and modern) for wine stores, hotels, restaurants, and residences in different parts of Texas and Chicago as well as many other areas of the country. As a rule, we always try to make every project as unique as possible.
We begin the wine cellar design process by assigning our clients a specialist who will be guiding and working with you from the beginning to the completion of your wine cellar project, and even after that. A free consultation will be given to make the clients understand the whole concept of wine storage.
Anil Custom Home Wine Cellar in Chicago, Illinois
Custom Wine Cellar Naperville, Illinois
One of the most interesting wine cellar projects we did was the Anil Custom Wine Cellar Naperville, Illinois. The wine cellar is built in the entertainment and bar area, where space is a bit small.
With a room that measures 3 1/2 feet by 7 ¾ feet, it was challenging to create a custom wine cellar design that would complement existing décor of the home, fit the size of the client’s collection, and meet the technical requirements.
The Anil project was actually a closet conversion type. We carefully planned the setup and made sure that the small space provided would be effectively converted to an elegant wine storage area. With the challenge of having limited space, we were able to create a wine cellar that can house up to 497 wine bottles with the added lighting effect and wine racks made of premium redwood.
Stylish Features
We incorporated wood and glass components into the custom wine cellar design to create an eye-catching wine display and storage area for our client’s prized collection. These materials blend well with the countertop in their bar area.
Wooden Wine Rack Design
Anil Home Custom Wine Cellar Design Chicago Illinois
Wood is a popular material for building traditional and transitional custom wine cellars. In this particular wine room installation project in Chicago, Illinois, we incorporated individual wine storage racks on the back wall. We also created a square opening with a tabletop at the center and stemware racking that holds the glasses upside down. The tabletop provides additional storage space for a few bottles, wine accessories, and decorative accents.
There is a 4-column display row on both sides of the tabletop. At the bottom section, we added storage slots for the client’s wooden cases. At the top section of the left and right walls of this custom wine cellar, we installed waterfall wine racks that display the bottles in a cascading manner. We also included high reveal display rows and more single bottle wine racks below them.
Glass Door and Windows
Adding glass elements to the wine cellar design helped Wine Cellar Specialists to add a contemporary touch to the wine room. We installed a large glass wine cellar door to allow the family and their guests to have a clear view of the bottles from the bar and entertainment area.
Dave’s Custom Home Wine Cellar in Palos Heights, Illinois
Custom Wine Cellar Palos Heights, Illinois
Traditional Custom Home Wine Cellar Design Chicago
Another exciting project we had was Dave’s Custom Wine Cellar, which was constructed in the basement of his beautiful home in Palos Heights, Illinois.
The design we created for this large home wine cellar consisted of Premium Redwood and reclaimed wine barrel.
This custom wine cellar is constructed with Premium Redwood custom wine racks. The choice of wine rack designs add elegance to this wine room and they included true-radius curve racks, solid x bins, corner wine racks, and solid archway with led lighting and display rows. Wine Cellar Specialists further enhanced the look of the wine cellar by using the client’s own wine barrel, making it into a tabletop and a peninsula type of tasting table.
Reclaimed wine barrels can also be used for the wine racks, flooring, and art pieces. We installed a lighting system above the solid arch and display rows. The chandelier illuminates the wine cellar dramatically.
Griffith Residential Custom Wine Cellar Design in Dallas, Texas
Custom Wine Cellar Dallas Texas
A contemporary residential wine cellar design is the inspiration of the Griffith Dallas Texas Custom Wine Cellar project. When building contemporary wine rooms, we utilize metal and glass components to achieve a sleek and minimalist appeal.
The challenge in this project was the small closet space that we had to work with. Wine Cellar Specialists and the client decided to go for a contemporary style by using metal wine racks in black with a fully climate-controlled system. The metal wine racks are ideal space savers and they create a modern look of wine storage where the wine racking system stores wines from floor to ceiling.
Work with Wine Cellar Specialists to Have an Exquisite Residential Custom Wine cellar Design for Your Space
Wine Cellar Specialists created a lot of other unique custom wine cellars in Illinois, Texas, Washington, Atlanta, New Jersey, Michigan and more. Check them out here:
In winemaking, the juice must be extracted from the grapes and you must have the skill, time and fine blend of fruits to make great tasting wines. Pressing is one of the processes involved in winemaking, which is the act of applying pressure to grapes or other fruits to separate juice or wine from them and their skins.
Most wineries use a device called the winepress to increase their production per ton. The amount of juice produced from pressing makes up about 30% of the total juice volume from grapes. Before the arrival of modern winemaking, winemakers pressed grapes in a large basin using their feet. Take a look below at the different styles of wine presses which help in the production of high-quality wines (especially those that deserve to be stored in a functional custom wine cellar).
Basket Press
The first type of wine press was the basket style press which is one of the oldest means of extracting grape juice. Most basket presses are made of wood and are manually operated. The operator of a basket press throws batches of grapes into the basket (or a cylinder of wooden slats), positions the top plate in its proper place and slowly lowers it down until the juice flows from the wooden slats. With enough pressure, the grapes are crushed and the grape juice is extracted from them leaving the skins, stems, seeds, and pulp of the fruit also known as pomace.
The main advantage of the basket press is its ability to reduce the filtering needed for the finished product and to lessen the bitterness caused by seeds and stems. Another benefit of this style of wine press is its affordability.
Bladder Press
The bladder press makes use of household water pressure through a garden hose to expand a bladder located in the center of the press. It has a large cylinder closed at each end, where the fruits are loaded into. As the bladder expands, it pushes and presses the grapes against the sides.
Bladder presses are popular for the high-quality wines they can produce. They are also known to be gentler to the grapes compared to basket presses. By using a bladder press, the astringency is reduced because it doesn’t crack the seeds. Other advantages of bladder presses include less physical effort required to operate, they can be moved around easily because of its lightweight and they are easy to sanitize.
Horizontal Screw Press
The principle used in a horizontal screw press is the same as that of the basket press. Grapes are squeezed not by bringing down a plate from above but by bringing down plates from either side of a closed cylinder. It can handle far more grapes compared to the basket press and bladder press. Only medium pressure is required in using this device.
Other styles of wine presses that provide lots of benefits to winemakers include the continuous screw press, vertical screw press, and pneumatic press. Whichever press you want to use in winemaking, make sure that the right amount of pressure is used to produce high-quality wines for your wine cellar.
We couldn’t be more thrilled! Check out some of our awards and their corresponding projects:
We had a start to finish excellent experience with Wine Cellar Specialists. After talking to a couple of carpenters about converting a closet into a small wine cellar I wasn't very confident they knew what they were doing so I started looking for expertise and found Wine Cellar Specialists.
I had my consultation with Brad Cupp and he was very passionate about their business and options
Steve Gee
We had a fantastic experience with Brad Cupp and Wine Cellar Specialists-Dallas. They converted an under-the-stair closet into a fabulous refrigerator cellar that holds about 400 bottles of wine. The attention to detail and craftsmanship was well worth the time it took to complete this job. You don't always get what you pay for, but in this case, I truly believe that we did. Thank you for an exceptional job.
Timothy Martin
Wine Cellar Specialists provided us a custom black iron/glass door as the main feature to our new wine cellar. The quality is excellent and the look is just what I asked for. Thanks so much.
Aiden K
I purchased a wine cellar door from Wine Cellar Specialist and had the pleasure of working with Alex. She helped me design a custom door that was absolutely beautiful. This was a very big project and she was so kind and professional and held my hand throughout the whole process. It was an amazing experience. I researched other companies before choosing Wine Cellar Specialists and it was their customer service and attention to detail that made my decision so easy. I highly recommend them for any wine cellar project.
G
Gary Anderson
Great experience with the process and progress completion - Brad Cupp dons well in coordinating and communication. All the sub contractors were good to work with and were attentive to cleaning after work. Plus the important end result was a wonderful wine cellar that can accommodate over 700 bottles of wine in relatively small area. Highly recommend!
Dallas 
Storing wines of the same brand in one area of your wine rack is one great way to organize your Dallas Texas wine cellar. This option is ideal if you buy wine in bulk.
