Wine Rack Store Blog

Last weekend my parents arrived from NJ to visit. Before they got here they took a short side trip to one of the best vacation spots in California- wine country. I particularly appreciate their stop in Sonoma County before their longer visit with me, because I reap the benefit of a couple of great bottles of wine to enjoy now and a couple to save for a special occasion in my wine rack.

My mom, the self-labeled "amateur wine connoisseur," has visited Sonoma before. She's been back the the Sebastiani vineyard twice now, and I can't say I blame her. The wine is fabulous and doesn't break the bank. Really, expensive wines can be incredible, but it isn't hard to find a great wine for a great deal, and Sebastiani is one of those places. The wines my mom brought up for us to taste and share are the 2006 Zinfandel and the 2007 Pinot Noir.

Personally, I loved them both. If I had to pick a preference, though I would go with the Zinfandel. It had this amazing flavor, without being overwhelming. Here is what the winery has to say about it:
"Bright ruby in color, your nose will delight in the raspberry and strawberry fruit aromas. The flavor offers pure raspberry fruit and nuances of cedar and vanilla oak. This wine is exceedingly elegant, and the lower alcohol level allows the purity of fruit to shine through. It is enjoyable in its youth, yet has enough structure to make it age worthy. Try it with any red-sauced pizzas, barbecued spare ribs, or Teriyaki shrimp."

We did enjoy this one with a Teriyaki stir fry, and I'm excited to add it to my collection to taste in a few years. That is if I don't pull it out of my wine rack next week!

Labels: Sebastiani, wine country, wine racks, wine tasting

Today I was lucky enough to be in touch with an old friend from Idaho. We reminisced a bit and she got me thinking about the cooking club we were in together. Ever since I moved away, I have wanted to start my own chapter of the "Dining Divas". This was one of the most fabulous tight-knit group of "foodies" I have ever known, and I just loved the idea of getting together for a gourmet meal once a month and getting some solid hangout time with these amazing ladies.

Here's how it worked. Every month one of the members of the group would host a dinner at her house. She would choose a theme and send out invitations to the rest of us. The theme would often be a surprise and was always very creative. Each month the different parts of the meal were assigned to different people, so we all got a turn providing the appetizers, salad, soup, entree, drinks, side dish, and dessert. Of course, which ever piece of the meal you brought had to fit the theme. It was incredible how well the meal would always fit together, in spite of the fact that few of us would reveal what we were bringing. The monthly meal was an opportunity to try out some fun new recipe or to bring in an old favorite. We really went out on a limb to create a delicious meal and spoil ourselves. It was the perfect opportunity to pull out that special wine I'd been saving in the wine rack. And I loved getting to use my wine charms to identify our glasses with such a full house! Dinner would always begin in the afternoon, so we'd have 4 hours to really savor our meal and company.

Anyway, it has been far too long since I've had a crew like this to enjoy a fantastic dinner with. They are still going strong, but I'm too far away, so I need to try to recreate this monthly feast in my current location.

Labels: cooking club, Dining Divas, foodies, Wine Charms, wine racks

Labels: garden, kale slaw, summer, vegetables, wine rack

Today I had a busy day! To begin with I had to get some paperwork sorted out with enrollment services at my school. That always seems to turn into waiting in a line to learn about one more paper you need to fill out, followed by waiting in the same line to find out about one more paper to fill out. Luckily, the enrollment office opens early and I made it to my doctor's appointment with time to sit and wait there. Once I finished up at the doctor's, it was off to work at the native plant nursery. I completely love my job, but it is still work. All day I was on my feet potting up, fertilizing and watering salmonberries. It may not sound hard, but in the heat of the summer it tires me out quick!

So I make my way home and stop in my garden to admire all the growth, picking some peas and peppers and kale for a salad, and finally get in the shower. After the shower, I do a calming yoga routine to ease away from the stress, and finish off the night opening up a bottle of wine from my wine rack. My boyfriend is getting a delicious dinner ready in the kitchen while I sip away in my pajamas, waiting to finish off full day with a well-deserved relaxing meal, good company, and my glass of wine. Perfect.

Labels: bottle openers, dinner, garden, work

Labels: berry picking, homemade mead, wine bottles, wine rack

I am so excited to start contributing to the Wine Rack Store blog. I have been reading the blog more and more lately, getting new tips on wine tasting and checking out all the great items the store has to offer. I'm looking forward to discovering fabulous wines, filling up my wine rack and sharing all I learn with you!

Right now I am a student enjoying summer vacation by working at a native plant nursery and gardening to my heart's desire. I love cooking great meals (paired with a tasty wine, of course), reading, biking and hiking, specially in Olympic National Park. I love the summer time for all the fresh fruit and vegetables and sunshine. Living in the northwest, of course, sunshine is hard to come by in the other season. Starting this fall I'll officially be a nursing student at the local community college. I've been working on getting my pre-req's in order for the last year, and it's great to finally start the program. I've heard nursing school can be pretty stressful, which will make having a full wine rack an easy and nice treat on those super hard days.

While I always game for trying a new wine from the store, I am also a novice wine maker. For the first time last summer I focused some of my energy on picking lots of fruit to make a variety of meads in my own kitchen. We did small batches of pear, blackberry, apricot, cherry and peach wine last summer. This summer I am going for big batches with a goal to have at least fifty bottles of my own wine to fill up my wine rack.

Thanks for reading! It's going to be a fun to try new varieties of wines and meads and report on my experiments as the summer progresses and my wine rack fills up.

Labels: meads, summertime, wine rack

Do you ever wonder what makes Texas bbq recipes so…well, Texan? Some believe that Texas has the best barbeque recipes, but what it is that makes them so unique?

Don’t tell George W., but I’m gonna let the cat outta the bag: Texas bbq recipes typically use some type of hot pepper such as jalapeno or hot sauce! That is the secret ingredient (aren’t you surprised it’s so simple!)

Here are delicious bbq sauce instructions that qualifiy as a Texas bbq recipe. You will need:

* 1 cup of tomato sauce,
* 1⁄2 cup of vinegar,
* 1⁄4 cup of Worcestershire sauce,
* 1 cup of brown sugar,
* 2 tablespoons of dry mustard,
* 3 tablespoons of margarine,
* 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce,
* 2 crushed garlic cloves,
* 1⁄4 cup of chopped onions,
* salt and pepper to taste, and
* 2 to 3 chopped and de-seeded jalapeno peppers.

1) Sauté the onions in a medium saucepan until the onions are translucent.
2) Add remaining ingredients. Continue cooking
on medium heat until the mixture is smooth.
3) Use this sauce to baste your favorite meat prior to cooking and during cooking!

More tips to a Great Texas Barbeque Sauce:

A few more simple tips to creating hot Texas bbq recipes that will spice up your meal and dazzle your charming cowboy (and cowgirl!) guests:

1) Use any of your favorite barbeque sauces and add jalapeno’s or Tabasco sauce to liven up your bbq sauce.

2) Purchase your favorite barbeque sauce from the grocery store and then add ingredients such as jalapeno peppers or hot sauce.

3) Add one teaspoon of liquid smoke to give your meat that outdoors flavor that many Texas chef’s use.

In Texas, the meat used most corralled for the bbq is beef, brisket is by far the most popular. There's something about taking a tough piece of meat like a beef brisket turned it into a tender delicious masterpiece that excites most Texans. Imagine that, like a cowboy wanting to tame the Wild West!

Now, YA’LL have a fun grillin’ and don’t forget to visit the wine rack for a finger-lickin’ good time!

Labels: 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack, barbeque, cowboy wine charms, grilled rib-eye recipe, jalapeno, texas bbq, tobasco, wild west

Wine was created to survive in primitive conditions. Let’s face it, those monks didn’t have central air! So today, I’d like to share some tips on how to store wine in 21st century. The ideal storage conditions for wine are much like the living conditions of any 15th century household: cool, dark, humid and still surroundings. While, storing wine is not brain surgery, there are a few simple, yet important, points to follow in order to ensure your wine has the best chance for long-term survival and optimal aging.

1) Chill Baby, Chill.

Optimal wine storage is right around 55°F, too much heat will wreak havoc on a bottle of wine. Keep your temperatures consistent, because extreme temperature fluctuations will also negatively impact a stored bottle of wine. Humidity is another factor to monitor when storing wine. A higher humidity level helps to keep the corks from shrinking and allowing oxygen in (shrinkage and O2 leakage results in oxidation of the wine...ummm..that’s bad!) Ideal humidity is between 65-75%.

2) Dim Those Lights

Many colored glass bottles of wine incorporate UV filters into the glass, but this doesn’t necessarily mean full UV protection. If a wine is in direct light for a period of time, it can affect the flavor of the wine drastically, as well as resulting in premature aging (Think sunscreen people! No one wants premature aging!). Typically, whites wines are the most vulnerable to light degradation, but reds will also suffer if they are subjected to too much light.

3) Relax. Stay Put.

Constant or consistent vibration will ruin a wine (you all read and studied my blog on bottle shock…right?!?). Keep your wine cozy and safe in a sturdy wine rack set on a sturdy floor, away from vibrating things such as refrigerators and hotel beds.

4) Lay Like Broccoli

Intentionally storing a wine on its side allows the cork to be in constant contact with the wine. This keeps the cork moist, which should prevent the cork from shrinking and allowing oxygen to sneak into the bottle. When oxygen comes into contact with wine the result is bad, very very bad- the wine starts to oxidize (think brown, rotten, vinegary, apple) and the aromas, flavors and color all begin to spoil.

Good thing the Wine Rack Store has so many options to help you store your wine, since caves are scarce these days. Because light and heat destroy wine quickly, make sure to protect your bottles by securing a cool, dark location to store your wine. If you do not have the room or funds for a wine cellar, basements are great storage facilities because they typically meet the cool and dark requirements. If a basement is not an option, then just keep the bottles in a cool closet.

Storing wine is simple, just remember to keep it chill, dim, still and on it’s side!

Labels: big bottle wine racks, bottle shock, wine rack store, wine storage

Ahhh, the quintessential red bicycle of France: it invokes images of a simpler time. It represents a life full of lingering pleasures, such as the fresh breeze accompanying you as you peddle along the quiet countryside, or a savory lamb stew served with a comforting French wine. This picture alone could sway me to purchase a bottle of 2005 Red Bicyclette Syrah Vin de Pays D’Oc.

“Like the charming lifestyle of Southern France, Red Bicyclette offers the chance to slow down and enjoy life with friend and loved ones.” It’s deep garnet color alludes to Old World passion and simplicity, and it’s bouquet of dark fruit and spice comfort and warm the senses. This full-bodied wine melts into velvet on the tongue. It would pair wonderfully with a savory steak, any red pasta dish, or even a hearty pork dinner.

This was a fun wine, from the label to the finish, Red Bicyclette Syrah is a delightful journey. Stock up your wine rack and enjoy a European holiday, without the cost of a trip to France!

Labels: france, paris, red bicycle, red bicyclette, southern france, syrah, wine rack

Happy 4th of July! Here at the Wine Rack Store, we believe in safety first. That’s why we always have adult supervision when we are igniting fireworks, and that is why we always store our wine in an approved ultra safe wine rack. Every bottle of wine is as important as each finger and toe, and we want everyone to keep them all intact! So have a great weekend, enjoy food, friends, and fireworks, and remember to KEEP IT SAFE!

Labels: 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack, firecrackers, fireworks, fourth of july, safety

July is official barbeque season at the Wine Rack Store. Sometimes it can be a bit intimidating to try new wines with your grilled masterpiece, and it is all too easy to revert to the fail safe beer and insert your favorite regular wine here. So today, I’d like to offer some suggestions to expand your wine repertoire:

First of all, virtually all red wines go well with hamburgers and hot dogs. If you must play it safe, both Zinfandel and Merlot are good all-around red wine-barbeque pairings. Two economical choices suggestions are 7 Deadly Zins by Michael David Winery, and 2006 Sagelands Merlot. A more daring choice would be a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Franc with grilled steak. Try a dry Italian Sangiovese with grilled steak, poultry, or pork. Chianti pairs well with any recipe that calls for lots of barbeque sauce!

White wines pose a bit more of a challenge. Chardonnay typically baulks at barbeque fare, but if you are a die-hard fan do what you must! Gewurztraminer and Riesling both nicely balance anything spicy. How about Airlie Gewurztraminer ? Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon play happily with grilled vegetables and seafood. Your white Pinots (Blanc and Gris) both pair well with grilled steak, poultry, and pork.

Now wait! We can’t leave out a bit of the bubbly! Champagne and Sparkling Wine are great with grilled vegetables and seafood, not to mention that they make ANY meal a special occasion! I am loving Cuvée Jean-Louis, Blanc de Blancs Brut. It is a must have in every special wine rack!

Labels: 222 Bottle Premium Glass Holder Wine Rack, barbeque, wine pairings, wine recommendations, wine suggestions