Wine Rack Store Blog

I’m a big fan of the local casinos. People watching fascinates me. I am mesmerized by the sights, sounds and smells, and of course the chance at winning it big always lures me right in! All around me are dreamers: people just waiting to hit the jackpot. If only I had a big bottle of wine for every dreamer I saw this week at the Tulalip Casino and Resort in Marysville, Washington. My 126 Big Bottle Wine Rack would be stocked clear full!

My favorite game is Blackjack. I tend to think I’m pretty good at the game, and sometimes I even win. I have never been yelled at by a fellow player, so I must be doing a few things right. I start with a mere $5, but every time I win, I let it ride. Ride, baby, ride! One of this days it’s going to pay off big time, well, at least it would if I didn’t chicken out and run every time I get up to $20. Once I’m ahead of the game, I gather my winnings and head to OffsetCarbonFootprint.org to save the planet!

I enjoy gambling when I have nothing to lose, but when it comes to storing wine, I believe in a sure bet. That’s why all my wine is stored in my premium Big Bottle Wine Racks!

Labels: big bottle wine racks, bonFootprint.Org, carbon credits, gambling, OffsetCarbonFootprint.Org, tulalip casino

Here at the Wine Rack Store, we feel it’s our duty to help you enjoy our products to the fullest. So, with the introduction of our new 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack, we will be featuring fabulous tips on holding a wine tasting party.

A wine tasting party is the perfect way to gather family and friends to learn about wine, and test new or unusual varietals. Whether you pair wines with specific cheeses, or do a vertical or horizontal tasting, you are sure to experience new joys in both red wines and white wines as a result of the focused tasting.

1. Determine your guest list and send invites at least two weeks before your tasting.

2. Design a tasting card for each guest that specifies the type of wine, the producing vineyard, the year and a brief description of the wine (usually found on the wine’s label), with room to note the wine’s distinct appearance, aroma, flavor, and cheese pairing nuances.

3. To make your party a bit more exciting, offer a “blind tasting” experience. In this case, you still provide your guests with their individual tasting cards. However, you pour each wine without identifying the label (cover bottles with foil or a brown bag and mark with a number prior to serving). This allows them to integrate all of their senses to identify the respective wines based on the labels’ descriptions. The guest that identifies the most wines correctly wins a bottle of wine.

4. Decorations for a wine tasting party can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like. Most important is to keep the party atmosphere casual and engaging.

Extra Tips:

1. Typically, you will want to work from dry to sweet with white wines and progress from light to full-bodied with red wines.
2. The general rule of thumb for pouring is: 2 ounces of wine per glass, per wine for each tasting.

3. Provide plain bread and water between wines for guests to cleanse their palate.
What You Need:

* Four to Six Wines
* Bottle opener
* Appetizers - you might consider offering some light choices before the tasting
* Loaf of bread cubed – provide plain bread for guests to cleanse palate between wines
* Wine glasses – one per guest
* Pitcher of water – for rinsing glasses and palates between wines
* Dump bucket – for discarding wine before next pouring
* Tasting cards – for describing and recording each wine tasted
* Aluminum foil or brown bags to cover wine bottles if you choose blind tasting
*Pens and Paper


Happy Tasting!

Labels: 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack, blind tasting, bottle openers, horizontal wine tasting, tips, vertical wine tasting, wine rack store, wine tasting party

“Bottle shock” describes a phase new bottled wine must survive to reach it’s prime. Although I am a bit of a wine fiend, I only recently heard this term. I spent some time in the Horse Heaven Hills, tasting wine, and talking with vintner’s, when I first learned about this stage of wine-making.

In the scientific sense of the word, bottle shock, also called bottle sickness, is when wine takes on peculiar, not-necessarily-good flavors. These strange flavors make the wine taste less fruity, and make the presence of the alcohol more noticeable. It almost certainly occurs after bottling, and can occasionally happen after being subjected to frequent shaking or changes in temperature and/or lighting. So, please people, when you are angry, don't take it out on your wine or it will get "shaken wine syndrome".

Luckily, “bottle shock” is usually temporary. Doctor Wine Charm’s orders are a couple weeks of rest and relaxation in any of the specially designed wine resorts available at the Wine Rack Store. Each rack is designed for optimal storage, and protection. No “bottle shock” here!

Labels: bottle shock, doctor wine charms, horse heaven hills, wine rack

I love barbeque season because it involves three of my favorite things: warm weather, scrumptious food, and wonderful wine! I must admit I am a bit old school; I use a charcoal grill. It’s the Big Daddy Weber, and I can cook up an entire meal in that gargantuan griller! I enjoy the ritual of such things as preparing a meal, setting the table, and opening a bottle of wine; so, the art of getting the coals just right adds to the joy of process for me. Just before lighting the grill, I peruse my selection of choices in my 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack to find the perfect compliment to my meal. While the coals are heating things up, I happily chop, skewer, salt and pepper, and rub away at the menu for the evening. Perhaps now and then I have a sip of Cocktail Wine Charmed wine, as a tribute to Julia.

So, without further ado, I’m going to share one of my favorite decadent barbeque experiences:

RIB EYE STEAK WITH BABY RED POTATOES AND ASPARAGUS

2 boneless rib eye steaks, 1 1/2 think
Kosher or Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
6-8 small baby red potatoes
Fresh asparagus
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Aluminum Foil

Prepare grill to high heat
Lightly salt and generously pepper room temperature steaks (fresh pepper only please!).
Rub pototes with oil, salt, and pepper
Lay asparagus on foil, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, fold to seal

Put potatos on the outside edge of the heat. Let cook for 10 minutes, turning every 5. Add asparagus to grill, also on outside edge. Cook 6 minutes. Add steaks to center of grill. Grill 5 minuets one side, 4 minutes on the other. DO NOT OVER COOK AND RUIN THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MEAT!! All the while be watching and turning your potatoes and asparagus. Remove meat from grill; allow steaks to rest 5 minutes before serving. While the rib-eyes rest, you may need to return to the Wine Rack to get a second bottle of wine, I usually do. Remove sides when done. Serve and enjoy!

P.S. For an extra sinful treat, sprinkle steaks with bleu cheese a few minutes before done grilling. Yum!

Labels: 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack, barbeque, bleu cheese, charcoal, cocktail wine charm, grilled rib-eye recipe, weber grill

Bella Sera means “beautiful evening” in Italian, and there are few things more enjoyable than a clear, warm evening, spent enjoying good food, good company, and good wine. I rarely venture outside the contiguous United States, but when I do, I always hope for a bon vogage. So, being the bonviveur that I am, I recently sampled a bottle of Bella Sera 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from my premium wine rack (Oh darn, I can’t lie…I did more than sample).

Bella Sera Cabernet Sauvignon captures the allure and elegance of Italy with grapes form generations-old vineyards. It’s ruby red color beckons to the heart, and it’s bouquet of cherries and currant seduces the senses. The wine is fruit forward with a smooth “easy to drink” interlude, followed by a zippy dry finish. It’s style and grace call for a traditional Gold Grape Wine Charm, but it’s friendly approach bypasses formalities and makes it a wine I’d be happy to serve everyday. It’s great to sip a la carte, or match with red meat, tomatoe-based pastas, and grilled poultry. At under $10 per bottle, I expect this wine to find a home in both my premium wine rack and my Metal Wine Ring Rack.

Labels: bella sera cabernet sauvignon, gold grape wine charm, metal wine rack, Premium wine racks, wine rack store

Congratulations to the Class of 2009! As you venture out to explore the grapevines of your life, remember to take time to taste the grapes. A great bottle of wine perfectly represents the qualities of life. It begins with the entire universe, and all of the energy from which each life gives and receives. From a small seed, vines reach out to revel in the sunlight and find their path to fruition. Some vines may be broken, or bitten by frost, but for every tendril that shrinks, another will venture out to try again. With care, toiling, and some lazy days in the sun, the vines will blossom into grapes. The grapes are life’s sweet moments, bursting with flavor and promise. Yet, no matter how beautiful, plentiful, and sweet, the fruit must still be crushed in order to transform into the next life phase. More trials and tribulations await the young grapes on their journey to becoming wine, but age will soothe the bitterness and concentrate the joyfulness. Time always prevails, and when it is right, we can sit back, pop the cork, and savor the flavor of our lives.

Now, if I only had a bottle of wine for every happy graduate this year, I’d have enough to fill my entire Instant Wine Cellar!

Labels: bottle openers, class of 2009, graduate, grapevines, instant wine cellars

Wedding planning sucks. Plain and simple. Even though it is only one event on one day, the thought of it begins to consume your life. Now that I have chosen the venue, I need to find a caterer. The problem is that I am a “chronic un-decider”. I hate having to make big decisions, especially ones I won’t see coming into bloom for months.

At least I have decided on pasta as the main entrée. Everyone loves pasta and if they don’t, they will have to pretend to. I can’t make exceptions for everyone. I figure some kind of chicken alfredo and pesto would be good. It would also be served with a fancy salad and some kind of bread.

I really just want to go hide under my wine rack until this wedding is all planned out. I can let my Mom handle everything while I drink wine and hide from the stress.

I have lived in the Seattle area for nearly 16 years and I had never been up the Space Needle until last week. I can’t believe I have managed to avoid it this long. I either didn’t go when my relatives went to visit it or we were always on another adventure while passing by. The price is also a little steep at $16 per person. You could easily buy a good bottle of wine for $16.

The view from the top is pretty spectacular. You can see all of the city, Queen Anne Hill, the Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and much more. I can definitely see why they chose not to tear it down after the World’s Fair. The Needle is 605 feet tall. That is like stacking 168 144 Bottle Premium Wine Racks on top of each other.

This is by no means the best view in Seattle. If you want to see the surrounding area from a higher viewpoint, visit the Bank of America building in the heart of down town.

Labels: Premium wine racks, seattle, traveling, wine rack store

It’s that time of year, the time I dread: Yardwork Season. As the days get warmer and drier, it seems the only thing that wants to grow any more is the dandelions. I dig them, smother them in salt, drown them in vinegar, and scald them with bowling water (so far I am doing my best to garden green, so no chemicals here). Despite my hours of effort, they happily spout their perky yellow flowers and quickly send their puff-ball babies to inhabit any open spaces in my yard, of which there are few these days. Did you know dandelions even proliferate from the dead? It’s true! Even the deadest of the dead mange to spawn from the weed bin. I think I’m losing the fight.

What is that old saying? Oh yeah, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”. Or in my case invite them to become part of your Modular Wine Rack. So, that’s it. I throw in the towel. I’ve decided to become a vintner, and my specialty will be Dandelion Wine. With the amount of flowers on my property, I should have my wine racks filled in no time. And just to show my love and appreciation for my new dandelion friends, I’ll adorn each glass I pour with a Flower Power Wine Charm. That’ll show ‘em!

Labels: dandelion, dandelion wine, flower wine charms, green gardening, modular wine rack, wine rack store

Spring in my garden means blooming flowers and massive amounts weeds. Every year it is a fight to keep them under control. They are in my flower beds and my gravel drive way. Basically if there is any clear ground, weeds will grow.

This year I have a better game plan. I am going to be put down weed blocking fabric and then cover it with bark. I won’t be able to do this in all my flowerbeds so I will still have to spend a lot of time pulling them out by hand. I could probably weave a wine rack from all the weeds I pulled out today.

When I finally conquer over the weeds I’ll be able to do the fun aspect of gardening, planting new plants. I have a lot of plans and have already bought a few plants in preparation. I take a lot of pride in my yard so it is going to take awhile to get it up to my high standards.

Labels: flowers, wine rack, wine rack store, work

Although I have talked of my love for technology before, I have something to admit: I loathe text messaging. If people need to get a message to me, call. That’s what a phone is for after all. It is also a logistics problem. My fingers are too big and clumsy to tap on the keys fast enough.

I finally had to break down and add texting to my phone plan. Before my new plan, if I received or sent a text message it cost $0.50. I warned people not to text me but that never worked and I always ended up with an added cost at the end of the month. Now for an added $5 a month I can send and receive up to 200 texts a months. After paying $30 for just a data plan, another five bucks is negligible.

Now I will have to learn that special texting language. Maybe I should make up some words of my own. How about Wn Rck (Wine Rack) or Meet @ Wn Bar (Let’s Meet at the Wine Bar).

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, technology, wine rack store

I am not one to spend more than $15 on a bottle of wine. But when the opportunity arises for me to try pricier bottles, I do. Last week my mother and I had lunch at a ritzy seafood restaurant in Seattle with some of her childhood friends. These people like to have a good time and spend money while vacationing. They ordered like half the menu so we could get a taste of everything. They also ordered two bottles of Veuve Clicquot Chapagne Brut at $100 a piece to wash everything down with. My jaw nearly hit the table. I have never had something so expensive at a restaurant. I am very conservative with my money so I would never order something so pricey.

I enjoyed every sip of that champagne. I also enjoyed all the shrimp, salmon, clams, and calamari which I seldom have normally. I hope one day I can fill my wine rack with pricier, more exotic wines.

Labels: champagne, seafood, seattle, wine rack, wine rack store

I have chosen my wedding date: October 31st, 2009. Good ole’ All Hallows’ Eve. Some people may think this day is a little too morbid for a wedding but I beg to differ. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. What’s better than free candy and hanging out with friends on a cold, spooky night?

I had flirted around the idea of using the holiday as my wedding day for awhile but didn’t seriously consider it until I found a perfect place for it. It’s going to be at a wooden lodge built in the 1930’s on the shores of the Hood Canal.

What I am most excited about is coming up with decoration ideas. There are so many ideas I want to run wild with. I did, however, promise I wouldn’t make it too dark and spooky. I will have to focus more on pumpkins than skulls and skeletons. Perhaps I could find a dark corner to stash a haunted wine rack in.

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, holiday, wedding, wine rack store

Today was such a beautiful day, my father decided we should go for a ride in his classic muscle car. He, my mother, and I rode to one of my favorite locations, Port Townsend. We picnicked at Fort Worden State Park. We also had the opportunity to climb up the Point Wilson Lighthouse. In the 15 years I have been visiting the park, I had never been in the lighthouse. It is not a very tall lighthouse but the view was still good.

On the way out of town we stopped at the Port Townsend Brewery. My parents had beer and I enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay. I cannot remember the name of the winery it came from. It is too bad because I would enjoy adding a bottle of it to my wine rack.

The bartender filled up my glass very full. This was probably the reason why I feel asleep in the back seat on the way home, rocked by the roar of the engine.

Labels: Port Townsend, traveling, wine rack, wine rack store

We have had a lot to celebrate in the last week. My sister is graduating for high school with high honors, she received a scholarship, and I finally landed a full time job. All this meant champagne has been free flowing all week.

Since the wine rack was becoming a little bare, we picked up a bottle of Korbel Natural’. I have had their champagne in the past and decided to try this type I had not seen before. It is made up of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay grapes.

According to the label it is a very dry, delicate champagne. The cool location of the grapes is supposed to give the champagne its unique crisp, fruit centered style. I definitely enjoyed it. We consumed it with a heavy dinner which probably was not the best idea. I do, however, plan to purchase it again in the future for my wine rack.

Labels: California, champagne, Classic Wine Rack, wine rack store

Now that I am back at home, I have chores to do. One of these chores is stacking wood. My parents heat their home in the winter with a wood-guzzling fireplace. To feed this fireplace we either fall trees on our property or it is given to us by friends. The three trees we are working with now came from someone who had no use for the wood.

Three trees worth of wood is a lot. We have made multiple wood piles so far and we are only about half way through all of it. It is incredibly sappy and has dripped all over my work clothes. This wood is definitely not suitable for wine rack making. Nobody likes to have a sticky bottle.

I don’t mind stacking and hauling the wood, I just hate being eaten alive by the mosquitoes. They go for any bit of bare skin and are always buzzing in my ears. Good thing they don’t have malaria here because I would be dead by now.

Labels: wine rack store, Wood Wine Racks, work

I have been on a mission to find an appropriate champagne for my wedding. Even though we will probably only be using it for toasts, I want it to be a decent tasting champagne. While we were perusing the local whole sale retailer, I happened upon a bottle of Domain St. Michelle. It was a good buy at $8.99 for a regular bottle.

I really enjoyed drinking it. It was light and crisp with a touch of fruitiness. I shared the bottle with my mother and grandfather and they enjoyed it as well. It would be great for toasting or sipping on a warm patio with a fruit and cheese platter.

It is definitely in the running to be in the wedding. Now I just have to decide how many bottles I need to buy. I have a hard time imagining how much my guests will want to drink. Maybe if there is some leftover bottles I can stock up my wine rack.

Labels: champagne, wine rack, wine rack store

A heated debate arose during dinner last night: Does cheap, errr..excuse me, inexpensive wine taste just as good as more costly wine? I’ll admit, I am a bit of a wine snob (albeit an economically challenged wine snob), so my bet was on the higher priced choice. My dinner partner and I became so involved in the argument, we could not even get to the food! The only solution was to do a blind taste test. I headed to my wine tasting table to set it up. The wines in competition were 2007 Delicato Cabernet Sauvignon at $4.99 per bottle, and a 2006 Sagelands Cabernet Sauvignon at $12.99 per bottle. Each of us poured samples for the other, in order to keep it blind, and the tasting commenced!

Each glass presented well, with beautiful colors swirling in it’s Silver Grape Wine Charmed glass, however it was apparent, at one glance, which was which. I vowed to not let my no-longer-blind self be influenced by knowing, and proceeded to let each wine stand on it’s own merit without regard to price.

Of course, I was right! The Sagelands won, hand’s down, but the Delicato was surprisingly drinkable for a rock bottom price. Below are my notes:

Delicato: This wine had a pretty, bright ruby color, but it was rather thin and transparent. The fresh fruity bouquet was pleasing, but lacked depth. On the palette, the wine matched to color and bouquet. Although it was bright and fruity, there was no depth and no finish. I would merrily slurp down a glass of Delicato, if I had to.

Sagelands: This wine had a deeper ruby color, and when swirled it’s legs resembled Giselle on the catwalk. The bouquet was richer than the Delicato, with promises of flavor and finish. On the palate, the Sagelands boasted raspberry and pepper with a short, tart finish. This wine met my minimum enjoyment standards much better than the other.

After the tasting, with two 1/2 bottles left, we decided to meet in the middle: we joined the two bottles and created our own wine! I like to call it, “Sagelicato”. YUM

Labels: cabernet sauvignon, delicato, economically challenged, grape wine charms, sagelands, wine snob, wine tasting table

I recently had the opportunity to meet Jon Martinez at his vineyard in Prosser, WA. It was 5am, the sun was just peeking over Horse Heaven Hills, and the valley was bathed in the morning’s golden light. Once my eyes began focusing (not an easy feat for me at that hour), I was completely awed by the view. Rolling hills of grapes vines stretched out before me, budding with the promise of enough future wine to fill my entire instant wine cellar! Each tiny new tendril of vine was like a child, and Jon treated them all with the utmost of attention. Under his loving care, Jon’s hopes and dreams grew more fruitful by the minute. Of course, his financial success depended on those grapes, but for him, it seemed to mean much more than money. I allowed the valley to wrap me in it’s history, and I think, perhaps, I felt a bit of what Jon must feel every day. I saw the hours and hours of countless families toiling to create the abundance that would supply the rest of the world with apples, cherries, and grapes. I connected with the earth and all that is living. I basked in the glory of nature, and the infinite possibilities of growth and renewal.

As Jon talked about his new adventure, Maison Bleue, I felt inspired, and yes, a bit envious. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to such a gorgeous view everyday? Who wouldn’t want to spend their day fondling grapes and sampling wine? I would! Jon has big plans for Maison Bleue: Estate Wines, Onsite Tasting Room and Inn, a second tasting room in Woodinville, and of course, the family homestead overlooking his glorious grapes! I wish all the best for Jon and his family. I hope to visit again soon, and I’m looking forward to Jon’s wine taking up residency in my cellar. If you have the opportunity to visit Prosser, be sure to stop in and tell Jon: Jenn sent ya!

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, grapes, horse heaven hills, instant wine cellars, prosser, vines, vineyard, winery

Okay, so while I probably shouldn't run out to the Wine Rack Store and buy my 7 year old sister some Birthday Wine Charms, I could always convince her that they are for the stem of her Hannah Montana glass full of Mountain Dew right?

Speaking of Hannah Montana, I had the hardest time picking out a real gift for my little sister's birthday which is coincidentally today. Seven is a really hard age to buy for because they are past the age where they can be easily entertained with silly toys or crayons and markers. This year, I opted to go for clothing. She is turning into quite the little lady and is all about the big girl glamor these days so I figured I would be safe with something along those lines. Unfortunately, as soon as I walked into the little girls' section at Target, my eyes were instantly assaulted with clothing covered with images of Hannah Montana. As much as I personally can't stand all of the HM hype, my sister loves her so I got her a little t-shirt with a gold belt and a big ole' HM picture spread out across the side.

Man, I sure can't wait for the days of having her over for a glass of wine. Those days will be so much easier...

Labels: ahnnah montana, birthday, birthday wine charms, wine rack store

Let’s make this very clear: I am NOT a morning person. As I sit at my desk at 4:30 this morning… YES THAT'S AM!!!…and wait for coffee to perk (I loathe anything perky before 10am), I ponder the following question: Would a glass of wine make my morning more enjoyable that a Mug-o-Joe? Granted, wine is not toasty warm in your hands, but it certainly goes a long way in warming the heart! I consider the choices nestled cozily in my wine storage cubes. The white are obviously out, because they are just too light-headed to understand the woes of early morning. Zinfandel? No, you can’t drink what you can’t spell at 4am. Pinot Noir is just too risky for a crack-of-dawn challenge. Just as I’m about ready to throw in the cork, I see the perfect morning pick me up: a lovely little claret. With a big bouquet to woo my whining, and a silky palette to sooth my sleepy soul, I’m once again swaddled in comfort and ready to uncork the day!

Labels: bottle openers, claret, Classic Wine Rack, coffee, storage cube

We believe there can never be too many bottles in our rack, so we recently invited Jenn to join our blog party. We know she’s going to be great fun! So, without further ado: Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Jenn!

Hello, and thank you so much to the Wine Rack Store for allowing me to share my many thoughts and experiences with all that is wine!

I have been a wine lover for many years. It all started with a White Zinfandel: crisp, refreshing, easy to drink, and such a feeling of sophistication. I was hooked. I quickly began exploring with more varied flavors such as Riesling and Chardonnay. Soon thereafter came the joys of pairing wine with food. I’ll admit that my first experience with a bold red was a bit discouraging. Although it was a very nice, rather expensive bottle (thanks for the gift, Mom!), it was just too much for my novice palette to appreciate. In those days I could not have lamented with Miles on the finer points of Pinot Noir vs. Merlot. However, I am proud to say that my palette has adjusted beautifully, and Cabernet Sauvignon now holds a very special place in my heart and my wine rack!

Wine is high on my list of daily thoughts and priorities, and I am very excited to share my rambling… errr.. I mean my educated, thoughtful, and entertaining experiences with everyone!

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, merlot, sideways, storage cube, WineRackStore.com

I finally made it back home. I said my good byes to Virginia and the Atlantic Ocean and flew home this week. Even though I complained about Virginia a lot, I did enjoy my visit and had a hard time saying good bye.

I am not a good flier so the six hour flight exhausted me. I was really ready to get off the plane after the fifth hour. I was so glad to see Mt. Rainier on the descent into Seattle. It signaled I was finally back home in the Evergreen State and that I was going to be able to get off the plane soon.

When I arrived home, I was greeted by a dusty wine rack. I wanted to give it a hug but I feared it would flare up my allergies.

I am still not used to the quietness and darkness here. Our apartment in Virginia Beach was so loud I had to wear ear plugs at night.

Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store

Some of us out there have problems keeping our wine racks organized because of the large collections they hold. Sadly I am not one of these people but if I were, I might consider implementing this computer program, Vinoteka, by Apple.

This program allows you to manage your wine cellar in many different ways. It can recreate your cellar so you know where all your bottles are, save tasting notes and your own food and wine pairings. What’s even better is that you can download it for free!

If computer software management isn’t your cup of tea you can always use wine tags. You can label all your wines so you can easily locate anything you want. You’ll never have to spend time hunting down that one particular wine bottle again. These tags can be purchased at the Wine Rack Store. The tags are reusable and come with a dry erase pen.

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, Computers, wine rack store

I have always wanted to see the document our country was founded on, the Constitution. This document resides in the National Archives in Washington DC. We were able to view this as well as some other very important documents while visiting DC.

We rode the train into the city and headed to the National Archives building first so we wouldn’t get caught in a line later. There was a museum within the building explaining the role and history of the National Archives. There were also examples of what was contained within their collections. One of these items on display was the Charles Ingalls’ homesteading papers. He was the father of the famous Laura Ingalls. I read all her books when I was young so I was really excited to see this.

It seems like they have absolutely everything in the archives. I don’t recall see anything wine or wine rack related though.

Our last stop in the building was the hall that contained the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. It was really neat to be able to be close to and read something you have heard about your whole life. It was very dark in there for document preservation purposes. I was very surprised to see how the documents were faded. You could barely read them.

Labels: History, traveling, wine rack, wine rack store

I have a love-hate relationship with technology at times. I love having the most up to date cell phone, video game system, and computer technology. But just because they are the newest thing, it doesn’t mean they are always going to work the way you want them to.

We purchased a brand new Apple laptop for our trip to the east coast. I am well versed in Windows and have had experience with Apple so I wasn’t concerned about running it. It has been a steep learning curve. I can go about doing the normal things such as surfing the web or using office software but when it comes to installing programs, I get lost pretty fast. People try to say operating an Apple is easier but I must disagree. I can’t wait until I am united with my Windows machine.

I am glad my wooden wine rack is a nice and simple. There is no motherboard or hard drive to bust. It is so simple, it took literally no at all time to assemble it.

Labels: electronics, wine rack, wine rack store

On our second trip to Washington DC we visited the Smithsonian American History Museum. Like the other Smithsonian’s, this place was huge. We started at the bottom floor and worked our way up.

We walked through the section that showed the evolution of science in America. We saw dresses belonging to the First Ladies from Barbara Bush to Martha Washington. We also saw the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. It was huge!

They also had a section devoted to television culture. We saw the infamous poufy shirt from Seinfeld, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, and Kermit the frog. We also were able to see Julia Child’s kitchen. I don’t recall seeing a wine rack stashed in there even though she was a big fan of wine.

Even though we spent a few hours there we only saw about half the museum. You practically need a full day to go through each Smithsonian. I wish we had more time to explore them all.

Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store

I am a collector. I all started with cartoon-based cards in elementary school. Now this wouldn’t be a problem except I start a new collection every view years. I out grew card collecting and moved on to bird figurines. I tired of those and ended up selling most of them in a garage sale.

Right now I am collecting shot glasses and Christmas trees ornaments. I don’t just buy any shot glass with a funny saying or something. I buy ones from places I have visited. I have some that I picked up in Europe. I also have some I have gathered from around the United States. People also purchase them for me as gifts. I probably have around 30 of them. Hopefully I won’t tire of this collection too early.

At least my other collection, Christmas ornaments, has a purpose. My first tree independent from my parents was pretty bare. I like ornaments with a lot of meaning so I try to pick them up from locations I have enjoyed visiting such as Hawaii or Washington DC.

Maybe my next collection will be wine. That would definitely guarantee a full wine rack at all times.

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, wine rack store

My stay in Virginia is coming to an end. I have been here in Virginia Beach for two months and it is time to head back to the lovely Washington State and my wine rack. I have traveled more and seen more in these past two months than I usually see in years. It’s been a whirlwind but I am glad I decided to come.

Spending time here has made me appreciate the Northwest more. The people of the Northwest are very kind and welcoming unlike many of the people I have encountered here. I’d even take Seattle traffic over the crazy of drivers here.

The Virginian countryside is nice but it can never compare to our majestic mountains and forests. How I have missed seeing Mt. Rainer in the distance on clear days. I have also learned to appreciate our relatively bug-free forests. If I don’t ever step foot in a swamp again, that will be fine with me.

Labels: traveling, wine rack, wine rack store