Unoaked wines are widely produced by many winemakers and are present in almost every residential wine cellar.
Many people choose to collect wines because for them, wine is already a part of their lives and it makes any wine drinking experience more enjoyable. Increased knowledge of wines is important, whether you are just starting a wine collection or you already have a large number of wines stored in your residential wine cellar.
One of the most interesting topics in the wine world is about unoaked wines. Many people might be wondering what unoaked wines are and their characteristics. This article will discuss unoaked wines, particularly Chardonnay.
Traditionally, wines are allowed to ferment in wine oak barrels, which create the flavors and bouquet of the finished wine. Oak barrels help balance the tannins in wine, enhance the texture and add a little spice and some sweet vanillin characters to the wine.
Unoaked Wines are Produced Using Stainless Steel Barrels
The wine making process has evolved so much as time has gone by. Some winemakers even deviated from tradition to discover “naked” wines.
“Naked wine” is a term for unoaked wine, or wine that has never been aged inside an oak barrel. Production of unoaked wines involves a cost effective process using a stainless barrel instead of the more traditional oak barrel. Steel aging brings out the true flavor, without the influence of oak barrels.
In unoaked wines, the natural flavors of grapes and elements of the soil from which they are grown are emphasized. Unoaked wine is perfect as a table or dessert wine because of its light flavor. It is perfect for people who cannot drink wine with high tannin content.
If wine is unoaked, the tannin level is lowered, making the wine bearable to drink. Many consumers enjoy a lighter and fruitier wine without the influence of the oak barrels, which is why unoaked wines are widely produced by many winemakers and are present in almost every wine cellar.
We cannot deny that unoaked wines are gaining popularity in the US. One of the most popular non-oaked wines in the US, especially in California, is the unoaked Chardonnay, which was originally popularized by Chablis.
One of the most popular naked wines in the US is unoaked Chardonnay.
Since Chardonnay is a neutral grape and can deliver various flavors and aromas, many winemakers like to experiment in creating a different taste of the wine after fermentation. Chardonnays which are fermented and aged in oak barrels taste like butter or caramel and have scents of vanilla, spice or wood. They also deliver a creamy texture.
When Chardonnay is fermented and aged in steel wine barrels, it is unoaked or un-wooded. Unoaked Chardonnay has light and delicate flavors, making it more versatile in food pairing compared to oaked Chardonnay.
The true characteristics and crisp fruit flavor of wine will emerge if it is not fermented or aged in oak barrels, which is why some winemakers choose not to oak wines. There’s nothing better than ending a stressful day with a glass of unoaked Chardonnay from your home wine cellar.
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:
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 
