Wine Rack Store Blog

The Naked Winery in Dundee, Oregon “aim to Tease!”, and tease they do, with their tantalizing wines such as Penetration Cabernet, Foreplay Chardonnay, and Vixen Syrah. Just reading the labels gives me shivers and makes me blush and giggle! But tonight, I left my inhibitions at the door and picked out a bottle of 2004 Missionary Cabernet my classic wine rack. Don’t let the term “missionary” lead you to believe that this bottle of vino is timid or boring. Uncorking one of these lovelies is like taking your quite office girl to Vegas for the weekend: unexpected and vivacious!

This cabernet has a rich fruity bouquet of ripe red fruit begging to be ravished. It’s luscious red color fills the mind with dreams of sweet summer cherries, and, WHOA check out those legs! Age looks good on this beauty, and even though the label says “it was meant to be taken advantage of right away”, I think the years have treated Missionary kindly. The 100% oak ageing gives the wine that lovely structure and warmth that I so love about Cabernet. It has a nice kick of tannins, but all of the rough edges have been smoothed away. The finish is a sweet and not too dry.

This wine is subtle enough to enjoy on it’s own, sexy enough to be adorned with Fireman wine charms, and rich enough to compliment a lovely little lamb. Of the Naked wines I’ve imbibed so far, Missionary is definitely my favorite! Salute!

Labels: cabernet sauvignon, Classic Wine Rack, fireman wine charms, missionary style, naked winery, wine review

Yesterday afternoon a good friend of mine called and reminded me that we hadn't seen each other in too long. And so, we opened up our calendars and realized we are both booked every weekend for the next few months. I always think being out of school for the summer will mean I am less busy, but really, between work, camping, berry picking, wine-making, visitors, traveling and canning, I manage to schedule up all of my days to full no matter what time of year it is. Anyway, my friend and I had no choice but the have dinner together that very evening.

When I hung up the phone I got excited for our spontaneous evening plans, but I realized I had a lot to do. This couple would be understanding if I didn't provide a five-course gourmet meal, but I had to make something better than a box of Annie's mac and cheese. Of course, as I figured out the meal, I realized our wine rack was nearly empty, and I had no good drinks to offer them with the meal. Off to the grocery store I went.

Luckily, I live within walking distance to a great grocery store with an excellent selection in their wine racks. I found an Argentinian Malbec I've been wanting to try ever since a friend raved about it. I made it home quickly and cooked up some chicken on the grill and through together a quick garden salad to serve our guests. The wine went perfectly with our dinner and we had a great night chatting, even if we did stay up a bit late.

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, dinner guests, Malbec

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 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

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

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

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

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 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

I have been on the hunt for summer wines. The weather is warm and that means lighter meals and lazy nights relaxing on the patio. When it comes to wine, the lighter and the crisper ones are the best in the summer. Pinot Grigio is one type of wine I like to seek out in the warmer months. Take if off the wine rack, throw it in the freezer for a bit, and it’s ready to join you on the warm patio.

While I was browsing Trader Joe’s wine racks, I found a more exotic Pinot Grigio to try, Gaetano D’Aquino from Italy. The label is quite plain so it is something I would normally pass over. I am glad I didn’t skip over it.

The initial characteristic you notice is the lovely light color. The flavor was a little strong for my tastes. It would be better accompanying a dish rather than just drinking it by itself.

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, white wine, wine rack store

I know many folks have been waiting for our new Corner Wine Rack. We hope to have them here within a month. It has taken a lot of time, but as a customer waiting for it said today. Anything that good is waiting for. We had a number of challenges with the new design. In that one of our major goals, was to reduce the piece count from hundreds to a very few. You will notice our competitors' corner units are nightmares, requiring hours of work, and you are left with a unit that was inherently unstable and looks terrible.

My new design is fabulous. Instead of taking hours and sometimes with having to assemble hundreds of parts (seriously) like our competitors, we have a completely new corner wine rack which is extremely strong and very easy and quick to put together. It is unlike anything else and again shows the depth of knowledge and versatility of our workers.

Watch for my new elegant WineRackStore.com corner unit. It is truly one of my great designs.

Labels: Classic Wine Rack, Corner Unit, Michael Kitson, WineRackStore.com

At last. Yes, we have completed our first wine rack assembly video. It stars Mike Kitson and is produced by Sidney Ray. The Wine Rack Store is the first to produce a video showing how easy it is to complete a Classic Wine Rack. The video can be watched on YouTube It clearly shows assembly step by step. This won't be the last video either. It is the first in a series of instructional videos that will show each of our wine racks. Check it out, tell your friends and leave a comment about how we can improve our videos. Check back frequently, for the new WineRackStore.com videos which will be added soon.

Labels: assembly video, Classic Wine Rack, wine rack, wine rack store, YouTube