Tips in Proper Wine Storage and Serving Temperatures

There is more to wine than just giving yourself and your friends an unforgettable tasting experience. Knowing the different types of wines and how they should be served will enhance your appreciation for every vintage in your wine cellar. Opening a bottle of wine can be more exciting!

Storing Wines in Ideal Wine Storage Conditions: Why is it Crucial According to Master Wine Cellar Builders?

Most wine enthusiasts are aware that storing their wines in an ideal environment is crucial in preserving the desirable characteristics of their favorite vintages. Some of them are willing to invest in a refrigerated wine cellar or consider purchasing wine cabinets or wine refrigerators to ensure the proper aging of their wines.

Proper Wine Storage Will Preserve Wines for Many Years to Come

Tips for Proper Wine Storage

1. Wines must be stored in a cool and humid environment, with temperatures ranging from 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels between 60 and 70 percent. Never place a wine bottle in a freezer because when it freezes, it might explode. Moreover, keeping your wines in cardboard boxes, kitchen shelves, or refrigerators is a big no-no. Wine will deteriorate when stored in unstable conditions. It should not be exposed to direct sunlight, odor, and vibration because these external factors can damage the wine, making it undrinkable.
2. Proper sizing must be done to ensure that the refrigeration unit is not too small nor too big for a wine cellar. At Coastal Custom Wine Cellars, we perform a heat load calculation to determine the BTUs required for a wine room.
3. If you have the right budget and space, we recommend investing in a wine cellar equipped with a reliable wine cooling system installed by a professional however, if you are on a tight budget or do not have a space to utilize for a wine room build-out project, a refrigerated wine cabinet will do.

How to Serve Wine the Right Way: Tips from Wine Cellar Experts

We always want to choose a good wine, but how can we appreciate it if it is not served correctly? Each type of wine must be served at a specific temperature to ensure that it tastes as it was intended. Serving wine too cold can mask flavor and aroma, and too warm can emphasize less desirable characteristics.

Wine must also be served with the proper wine glass to avoid an unpleasant drinking experience. After pulling out a bottle of white wine from your wine cellar, fridge, or cooler, you must know the proper way to serve it.

Let us learn about the ideal serving temperature of white wines, red wines, and sparkling wines, as well as the correct type of wine glass for each.

Make sure that your wine glass has a stem to avoid warming the wine and distracting from the view. Using a wine glass with designs or etchings is not recommended as this will not allow the drinker to fully appreciate or enjoy the wine’s color.

Most custom wine cellar owners store or display their wine glass collection in stemware arches amongst their wine racks. It is a good idea to have different types of wine glasses prepared for any wine-tasting experience.

Ideal Serving Temperature of White Wines

Serving the Wine at the Right Temperature Will Enhance Once Drinking Experience

The qualities of a white wine variety are the basis in determining if a bottle that is pulled out from a wine cellar or any wine storage area needs to be chilled further before serving. White wines are best served at lower temperatures to bring out their fresh, fruity, and sweet characteristics.

The ideal serving temperature of most white wines is at 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Richer white wine should be served warmer, while acidic or crisp white wines are best served at a lower temperature. Most white wines are best served after refrigerating them for at least one hour and a half and removing them for 30 minutes before serving.

White Wine Glass

Choosing the right wine glass when serving wine is crucial since it affects how you perceive the wine and how it is directed to the nose and palate. Factors that must be considered in choosing a wine glass are the size, shape, and quality.

White wines are best served in a glass with a small rim and volume (10-12 ounces) and a narrower bowl (tulip-shaped or U-shaped). A large surface area is not necessary for white wines since they do not need to breathe as much as reds. Slender glasses also help the wine stay cooler longer.

Since white wines are the most versatile of wines, several factors must be considered when serving them. Your next wine experience will be a memorable one by following these few guidelines.

Serving Temperature for Red Wines

The ideal serving temperature for red wines is 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. When served too warm, red wine can become “soupy,” and its chemical properties will be altered, losing its freshness and natural structure. It can smell like alcohol.

The Ideal Glass for Red Wines

Red wines need more air to open up, so a wine glass with a large bowl is ideally used in serving them. A large bowl will allow better swirling, giving the wine time to breathe and release its aromas.

Serving Temperature for Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines need to be served at 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve their fruitiness and freshness. We recommend serving a bottle of bubbly wine colder to keep the bubbles fine rather than foamy. It is ideal to place an opened bottle of wine in an ice bucket until the bottle is empty. Keep in mind that keeping a sparkling wine too cold will destroy its crispness.

Glass for Sparkling Wines

The most common glass used for sparkling wines is the flute. It has an elongated shape with a tapered rim and a thin stem. A tall and narrow wine glass will help maintain the bubbles and flavors.

Work with Our Wine Storage Experts

Coastal Custom Wine Cellars is a professional designer and builder of refrigerated wine rooms in California and New Jersey. We have extensive knowledge about proper wine storage, and we understand the vital role of knowing the different kinds of wines, as well as the correct serving temperature and wine glass for each.

Do you have any questions? Please call us at +1 (949) 200-8134.

The common reason why tasting areas are included in the construction of many wine cellars is that collectors want to share their collections with their family and friends. If you love wine and you plan to invite guests to experience your vinos with you, this article is an awesome guide on how to host a wine-tasting party. 

Why Host Your Own Wine Tasting Event?

Whether you’re a novice or an expert collector, you know that gathering vinos for a collection does not happen overnight. Most collectors have in their cellars wines that have been brought from various regions. There’s no question why you treat each of the bottles in your wine room like a prized jewel. But, what use does a well-loved collection of wines have if you can’t have friends and family experience them with you? Like all of the beautiful things in life, wines are best enjoyed when shared with your loved ones. This is why you need to know how to host your own wine-tasting party.

Although you and your fellow wine worshippers could attend a commercial wine-tasting event, a tasting party that you yourself put up is way more comfortable. You and your friends won’t have to feel intimidated by a sommelier who watches your every move and criticizes your pronunciation.

So, how do you host your own tasting event? Here are the steps:

1. Choose a Concept

All parties need a theme! Think of a concept for your tasting event. You can be as creative as you want – the sky’s the limit! An easy guide to choosing a theme is to find a common denominator between the wines that you plan to serve. This could mean the same grape variety, region, or vintage. Examples of wine-tasting themes are “Wines from around the World!”, “All French, All the Time”, and “Old World vs. New World.”

a. Vertical Wine Tasting Themes

Wine tastings that compare different vintages of wine from the same winery are called vertical wine tastings. The variable to compare each wine with is weather since all of the featured vinos are from the same vineyards. In this kind of tasting event, you and your fellow tasters can appreciate better how the weather of a certain year affects wine.

b. Horizontal Wine Tasting Themes

This kind of tasting compares wines from the same region and year but from various winemakers. You and your fellow tasters can evaluate each winery on who did well in a particular year. Horizontal wine tastings are usually held when a new vintage is produced.

2. Set your Budget

When planning for a wine-tasting event, it’s common for the host to ask, “How the heck do I pay for this?” Although wine-tasting parties sound like fancy gatherings, you don’t need to spend too much money on setting one up. There is a plethora of ways to keep the expenses within a practical budget.

You can keep costs low by serving wines that vary in price. This is also a good way to disprove the myth that only expensive wines are quality wines. In a blind tasting, when wine labels are covered and fellow tasters do not know what wines are being served, you’ll be surprised that guests can equally enjoy a $10 Spanish red and a $300 Bordeaux.

Another way to keep the expenses at a minimum is to split the costs of the wines among the invited guests. Most of the time, if the fellow tasters you’re inviting are your closest friends and they’re avid wine lovers, they’ll be more than willing to share the expenses with you!

3. Select Your Featured Wines!

Because you’re proud of your wine collection, it’s tempting to serve all of your prized vintages during your tasting event. Experts, however, recommend serving only five to six bottles. The main purpose of a tasting party is to appreciate the featured wines. If there are more than six wines being served, your guests will lose focus.

4. Prepare Wine Tasting Rudiments

It is imperative to prepare the bare necessities that you and your guests will be using during your wine-tasting party. The number one priority is to have water readily available. You need to keep your fellow tasters hydrated. It is the dehydrating effects of the alcohol in wine that give us that hungover feeling the morning after. If you want your friends and family to attend your future tasting events, you want to make sure they don’t suffer from a nagging headache the morning after your party!

Seasoned wine tasters take only sips of wine and spit them, in order to keep themselves sober throughout the event. If they become tipsy, they might not be able to give sound observations about each wine served. This is why it is necessary to prepare spittoons and dump buckets during your gathering.

Make sure that you have the appropriate glassware available during your wine-tasting event. Although large crystal wine glasses would be awesome, having small, regular glasses will do just fine! Moreover, small glasses are not only more affordable, but they’re also easier to clean!

You don’t need to clean the glasses for each wine. Have each of your guests hold on to one glass only. After every wine, have them swirl a small amount of water in their glasses in preparation for the next serving. Do not worry about the new wine mixing with the last drop of the previous wine, provided that the new wine is heavier than the one before it. It is highly recommended that you serve your wines from lightest to heaviest and driest to sweetest.

There is no need to serve food during a wine-tasting event, but if you decide to do so, it would be a good asset to your party. A variety of munchies that loosely pair with the wines being served are ideal for tasting parties. Consider also serving fruits, cheese, crackers, and chocolates.

Offer your guests pieces of paper and pens, so that they can take note of their observations for every wine they try. After all of the featured wines have been served, provide time for your tasters to share their notes with everyone.

Most states in the US consider three glasses of wine per hour for men, or two for women, as at or above the legal limit. During your tasting event, keep your pours to three ounces or less. The best-tasting parties are those that are kept intelligent and engaging. This is why you want to keep your guests sober so that they can participate properly during discussions.

Want to host a wine-tasting party inside your custom cellar? Let us help you design the tasting area! Call us today by clicking here!

California Custom Wine Cellar Installation Project

Since there are many considerations in building a wine cellar, you must work with an experienced builder. At Vintage Cellars, their design team can cater to all of your construction needs whatever your budget and requirements are. Learn how they completed a wine cellar extension in California.

Important Considerations in Building a Wine Cellar Extension

A homeowner wanted to double the size of their existing residential wine cellar. Vintage Cellars constructed the original wine room in 2008.

In 2013, the client asked them to start the extension project. There were important factors that they had to consider to meet all of the storage and aesthetics requirements.

Architectural Details of the Wine Cellar Exterior

The owner did not want to lose the view of the ocean from the different rooms. So, Vintage Cellars made sure that everything was in place and that the physical appearance of the house would not be affected by the architectural changes needed for the wine room’s extension.

The two condensers, which were placed outside this California home cellar, were unnoticeable. Vintage Cellars installed the ventilation grills for the hot air exhaust inside the condensing unit. They constructed the grills to match the existing physical structure of the home.

The French drain, which was placed in a planter on one side, allowed the condensate and line sets to be hidden inside.

Important Elements in Wine Cellar Construction

Attractive Sapele Mahogany Wooden Wine Racks

The main reason for investing in a climate-controlled wine storage area is to preserve the quality of the wine for many years to come.

As one of the most trusted builders in California, Vintage Cellars makes sure that every home wine cellar design they create will be the safest place for their client’s collection.

Proper Insulation and Installation of the Vapor Barrier

Wine can age gracefully if stored in a cellar that was built by a knowledgeable builder like Vintage Cellars.

They properly install every element in the construction of the wine cellar to ensure that it can protect wine from being damaged by external factors. Proper insulation and installation of the vapor barrier play a significant role in the proper maturation of wine.

Before the installation of the wine cooling system, the walls, ceiling, door, and flooring must be insulated correctly to prevent variable humidity levels. Poor or no insulation will deteriorate wine easily, resulting in a waste of investment.

Without proper insulation, there will be a high risk of mold and mildew growth, which can cause warping of your wall studs. It can also damage the quality of the wine and the labels.

Closed-Cell Spray Foam Insulation

On this home wine cellar installation project in California, Vintage Cellars used 5 ½ inches of closed-cell polyicynene vapor barrier to insulate the walls. Closed-cell spray foam can be used both as insulation and vapor barrier.

The R-value was 7.7 per inch, which was high enough for the thickness of the wine room. This type of insulation can save you more money than other insulation options because of its better insulating properties. It also exceeds the regulations for fire rating in California.

The wallboard material used on the walls can be textured or painted. Recessed and dense shield airtight sealed cans were placed on all of the walls.

High-Quality and Well-Sealed Wine Room Door for a Home Wine Cellar in California

Wine Cellar Door California Installation

Every wine cellar door must be made from an exterior grade material and is 1 3/4” thick so that it can withstand the humid conditions in a refrigerated wine cellar. An entryway constructed from a low-grade material is more likely to warp.

Additionally, it must also be equipped with sealing components, which will keep the cool air from escaping and the warm air from entering through the gaps around the door.

Weatherstripping and an automatic door bottom can help create an airtight seal in the wine room.

Thermally insulated glass panels were used for the door of this recently extended wine cellar, to prevent UV rays from damaging the wines.

New Racking Sections for Additional Storage Space and Functionality

Custom Wine Rack Display California Installation Project

Since the goal of Vintage Cellars was to double the size of the existing wine cellar, they opened a couple of spaces on the first wall to provide a wide storage space for more bottles. They added attractive coved trays for the client’s large format bottles.

They incorporated the label-forward wine rack display on the second wall. The labels are facing out, allowing the owner to browse specific wines with ease.

This area can accommodate both 750ml and magnum bottles at the top and bottom sections.

A space for the client’s mini car collection, decanters, and other wine accouterments was created in the middle of the racking. A back mirror and lighting fixtures were added to achieve an eye-catching display.

For the third wall, upon entering the wine cellar, Vintage Cellars added new single-column wine racks and custom cabinets with scalloped neck supports. They also provided a space where the owner could stack all of his wine boxes.

The last two walls in the wine room were designed to accommodate 98 bottles in large rack openings, 26 bottles in custom cabinets with scalloped neck supports, 32 bottles in coved trays, and 288 bottles in individual wine racks.

Additional Rolling Wine Cellar Ladder

During the first installation of this wine room, they added a hook ladder. It can be removed from the railing to transfer from one wall to another.

However, Vintage Cellars thought that it would be difficult to move around the different areas of the cellar because the ladder was very tall. What they did was to add another hook ladder for convenience in accessing all of the wines in the room.

Work with an Expert Designer on Your Next Project

If you are looking for a professional builder who can design and install your dream wine cellar in your California home, Vintage Cellars can help you. Their innovative solutions will provide your prized collection with a safe and elegant wine storage place. Contact them today at +1-800-876-8789 or request a custom wine cellar design for FREE!