Wine Cabinets Vs Wine Cellars - What's Right For You?

Hello to all you wine collectors out there! It's established, you're an avid wine drinker and your collection is growing but how should you store it? We can no longer get away with our wine sitting on the kitchen counter and convince our guests we possess some semblance of culture. So, there are two main solutions for you: install a wine cabinet or modify a space in your home into a wine cellar. Identifying your specific wine needs will be the key to choosing which option is best for you.

A wine cabinet is a more affordable solution that comes in a variety of brands, provides temperature control, and can be easily installed in your kitchen or function as stand alone unit if space is limited. Additionally, if your wine collection is of a moderate size, a wine cabinet is the right choice for you.

Vintage Keeper Wine Cabinets has offered a variety of leading models since 1983. They were the first to introduce a "modular wine cellar", an easy-to-assemble kit that ships anywhere and is able to grow to fit your wine collection. Their NUVO VK 250 provides space efficient snap in shelving, a microprocessor control, acoustic/vibration installation, and space for up to 250 bottles. Vinotheque Wine Cabinets have been providing hand crafted, state-of-the-art cabinets for over 20 years. The Vinotheque Milan is a door-style cabinet series that accommodates multiple options of door, trim, and base/crown moldings. And depending on your collection, it can store up to 448 bottles. The elegant Transtherm Studio Series provides sleek wine storage for a more conservative sized collection. This compact series fits under your kitchen counter, filling a standard appliance slot or can function as a stand-alone unit if you have limited space. They store up to 42 bottles, include two beech wood sliding shelves, an anti-vibration system, and a modern brushed aluminum frame.

A wine cellar is more suited to avid wine collectors and dining establishments. Rooms can be converted or built from scratch and can accommodate any size or budget. Modular or Custom Wine Cellars are the two main options.

Modular Wine Cellars are the less expensive of the two because they are assembled from pre-made modules. They offer the same quality as custom cellars and still provide many style options. The sky is the limit when building a custom wine cellar. Any design, wood, stain, and look is possible and is only limited by your creative imagination. A custom wine cellar is the perfect opportunity for the wine collector to creatively display a touch of culture with their collection.

Krystal Vrba is a contributing writer for Blue Grouse Wine Cellars and specializes in wood wine racks and wine cabinets.

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What Type Of Red Wine Is Best To Drink For Anti-Aging Benefit?

Red wine has many benefits. It's been said to lower high cholesterol levels and the incidence of heart attacks. According to research, red wine can fight cancer cells, prevent ulcer and stroke, and build stronger bones. It's also said to help with digestion that is why lots of people are now making it a habit to drink wine especially after a heavy meal. But the benefits of wine do not end on the digestive system. Red wine drinkers are going to find out (if they haven't already discovered it) that the wine they have come to love so much holds the secret to looking and feeling young as well.

Yes, red wine has anti-aging properties. The red grapes that are used to make it contain Resveratol, a plant chemical compound that works as a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants, if you must know, fight the free radicals that either our body itself produces when the cells of the body use oxygen in some way or which are brought about by outside factors. These free radicals damage our body in more ways than one, but having a sufficient supply of antioxidants helps in the process of repair of these damaged cells and limits the impact of these free radicals on the health. There are different sources of antioxidants, and yes red wine happens to be one of them.

Now, of course, you will have plenty of options when it comes to red wine, but when you are after the health benefits, you may need to settle on one that is not necessarily the best-tasting wine out there. Organic red wines may not be as delicious as the most popular or expensive wine brands in the market today, but the fact that they are naturally grown (meaning they don't have to rely on artificial or chemical aids to grow) makes them a wiser choice. Organic wines using grapes grown from the mountain regions where the weather is colder are said to come with more Resveratol. The reason probably is that during cold weather, the grapes have to produce more Resveratol to fight off the fungi they come across with.

But while red wine carries many health benefits, it should be consumed only in moderation. Anything that is excessive can't be all that good. Even water which we are told to drink plenty of should have limits, too. So, even with all its amazing benefits, red wine should be drunk moderately. A glass or two daily is a good way to enjoy the wine's heart and anti-aging benefits, but more than that can be very harmful to your health already. You know how alcohol can interfere with your brain's functions, right? You've heard it often, "don't drink and drive". And remember, it also contains alcohol and calories. Too much alcohol makes you lose your sensibility and makes you gain weight, as well. It goes to say that you cannot make the health benefits of red wine as an excuse to drink the night away. Well, surely it isn't just red wine that contains Resveratol. There are other sources of Resveratol, such as red or purple grape juice and peanuts, too.

It's important to understand that taking as much Resveratol as recommended should not eliminate the need to keep your skin clean and protected from the harmful rays of the sun, and to create a healthy lifestyle, especially if you really want to see results fast. Healthy living does a lot of good things to the body. It increases the body's ability to protect itself, to heal itself, and to fight stress and toxins that speed up the aging process.

Love your skin and it will love you back. When you want the best face cream for wrinkles, so that you can look younger, with a smoother and wrinkle-free skin (or reduce those ugly fine line and wrinkles) then you need to know how to do it right.

There is a little known secret ingredient that is proven to help reverse the aging process naturally. You can read more about it here: http://www.eyecontourgel.com and find out how it really works (click the link if you really want to have younger looking skin).

My name is Amanda B. Sumner and thanks for reading my article!

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What Present to Give a Wine Drinker

On first thought, it should be very easy to buy gifts for wine drinkers, however it might not be as easy as you first think. A bottle of wine is the obvious choice for them, conversely, drinkers can be very meticulous, and you may not be sure what kind the person likes. In such a case, it is better to buy them wine related gifts rather than the drink itself. Gifts ideas related to wine could be accessories, related experiences and themed personal effects.

Wine drinking accessories

Wine accessories can include cork screws, racks, and glasses amongst. If the person you are buying the gift for is a seasoned drinker, they will certainly have the obvious accessories like corkscrews, glasses and wine storage, hence, choosing these make be unwise. The best idea is to get a unique collectable item, or another personalised gift related to wine.

Wine related experiences

Some of the wine related experiences that you can give are a wine related tour, a weekend getaway within a wine producing region, or give them tickets to a wine carnival. Some of these facilities offer guests the opportunity to create their personalised wines. This can be very fulfilling and exciting to the enthusiast.

A pizza making kit

If the wine enthusiast also loves to cook, you can get them a pizza making kit that will create any kind of pizza to go with their favourite drink. They can use this to make pizza with fresh basil leaves, which goes along very well with white wine or they can make a pesto pizza that complements white wine as well. You can also get gourmet pizza making kits that feature a pizza stone, or a personalised pizza cutter with a decorated hard wood handle, a dough mix of sun-dried tomatoes and green or black olives as well as an all natural pizza sauce. Along with this, you can include a pizza recipe book and a wine pairing booklet to match.

Wine carrying tote

Wine lovers and drinkers love to share their drink, which means that sometimes they have to carry their drink with them, just in case they got the chance to share. This comes with the challenge of carrying the wine safely yet stylishly. Giving them a carrying tote will be a great idea that will put a smile on their face. The totes come in many sizes, shapes, and varying prices as well. The most important thing is to ensure that the tote protects the drink it is transporting, hence ensure that you select a tote that is padded enough to protect the glass bottles. Ensure that it can accommodate a bottle of champagne, a wine opener, and if need be a glass or two.

SpottySpoon.com offers personalised wine labels for every occasion including, birthdays and weddings.

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How To Select a Wine Glass

In every corner of the wine industry, you will find connoisseurs who insist that the glass you drink from is as important as the wine you've chosen. That the right glass will enhance the taste of the wine. Now, enter any major department or kitchen store, and you'll have dozens to choose from, and ranging in prices from just a couple of dollars on up to hundreds per glass. What's all the fuss about?

I certainly want to know. A lot of it is a marketing ploy: we've come to mystify wine glasses in the same way we're taught to believe that expensive wine is better, and that there are "correct" wine choices. There are certainly people who "get it" and choose their wine glasses accordingly. And if that's important to you, go for it. For the rest of us, understand that you can have an extremely enjoyable experience with your wine, regardless of the glass. Remember, in some parts of the world wine is drunk from small juice glasses. Wine is wine; the glass doesn't make the wine. There are, however, some basics you should know about how to choose wine glasses:

1. Red or white? Red wine is typically served in glasses with wider mouths because it allows the wine to breathe. Same with the very large glasses - you know the ones I'm talking about. It just lets more air in, which brings out any complex, rich flavors. Because white wine is made to be consumed quickly and does not hold up to the aging process very well, it is most often served in the narrower-mouthed and smaller glasses. That's the only reason, and so you can now feel free to throw out this rule when you're at home--you won't likely notice any difference based on the glass. We sure don't.

2. What about stemless wine glasses? Stemless glasses are all the rage right now, and can be extremely fun. They come in many varieties and shapes and in both red and white styles. However, we typically stick to drinking red wine from stemless glasses, only because white wine warms up too quickly in our grasp. (BTW, that's the same reason people hold white wine from the stem - to avoid warming the liquid during consumption.)

3. Do looks matter? Yes! Wine is an experience, something you linger over and savor. At home you should have glasses that you love to hold. I have a favorite amber-glassed goblet for my red wine; Nate prefers our stemless most often

4. How much should I expect to pay? That's up to you. But I encourage you to keep in mind the words of a very wise friend, shared many years ago. Glasses break. We know it. You shouldn't have to worry every time you go to use your favorite glasses. Spend only what won't seem like a lot when the inevitable happens. And focus on the fun!

For more tips and information about wine, visit http://www.localvinacular.com

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Merlot - How Merlot Became America's Favorite Red Wine

In France and a large part of southern Europe, drinking red wine has been a part of everyday life for hundreds of years. But in American red wines remained a small and relatively unpopular drink until early nineteen nineties. Ever since the prohibition days of the nineteen thirties the wine industry had tried to make America a wine drinking country, but with very limited success. Then in 1991 something happened that changed everything and made red wine, and especially Merlot, a household drink in America. What was this one pivotal event that changed American wine culture forever?

In 1991 an episode of 60 minutes dedicated to what would be termed "The French Paradox" aired on US television in prime time. It put the spotlight on the paradox that despite the French population eating almost three times as much saturated fat as the American population, the French have a much lower incidence rate of coronary heart disease. In fact the French consumes four times more butter, three times more pork and about 60 % more cheese.

The program speculated that the lack of heart disease was connected with the French habit of drinking red wine with their meals. Almost immediately the sale of red wine in the United States increased by more than 40 %. But one type of wine in particular exploded in popularity, the Merlot.

With the American people now being told to drink a couple of glasses of red wine a day for their health, they went looking for a wine. They did not necessarily like the taste and smell of red wine; they just wanted a wine that was mild, and easy to drink.

The Merlot, long considered in France to be a second grade grape compared to its noble sibling the Cabernet Sauvignon, fit the bill perfectly. All of a sudden, the much-criticized weakness of the Merlot grapes became its biggest selling point. The very qualities that the French disliked about the Merlot, the Americans loved, and the Merlot took its rightful place in the sun.

And it has remained popular ever since. Between 1985 and today the area dedicated to growing Merlot grapes in the US have exploded from approximately 800 hectare to over 20 000 hectare. And other countries have embraced the Merlot grapes as well, in particular Chile and Australia.

Never before or since has a television program had such an effect on a nations drinking habits. It was sixty minutes of television that gave birth to a star, the Merlot.

To learn about the different types of white wine, including Pinot Grigio wines visit us at our website dedicated to wine.

Jamie Welding
Wine Enthusiast and Writer

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The Effect of the Weather on Wine

Those interested in investing in fine wines should keep an eye on the 2011 French vintage. In fact, according to experts the only thing that could interrupt a great harvest would be heavy storms or a plague of locusts.
The reason for this excitement? France's miserable summer.

Wine, unlike money, grows on trees and is therefore dependent on environmental factors. The first step to a good investment wine is a temperate climate. The perfect balance between sun and rain is essential to making sure the vines grow well and produce fruit.

Drought caused by unseasonal warm weather can cause vines to spend more energy sending their roots down to find water, instead of creating grapes. Hailstorms can destroy fruits by thrashing the vines.
Frost is deadly to vines although advances in technology have made this less of a problem in chillier wine growing regions such as Chablis. Recent freak weather conditions in France have rightly caused concern; with some French chefs joking that if global warming continues future fine wines will be grown in Scotland instead.

Knowing the various effects of weather on viticulture is a good place to start when you take your first steps into wine investing. Monitoring the weather in wine growing regions of France, for example, will help you to detect future vintages which will offer a good return. You may even become confident enough to invest en primeur: before the wine is even bottled.

Wine is a unique asset. Unlike other luxury items, such as gold or Aston Martin cars, the supply of fine wine is fixed. If demand for gold or Aston Martin increases, more can be made, but fine wines have a set production number - once the grapes are picked, no more vines can be planted, and geographical regions are controlled by law.

Fine, investment-grade wine is considered to be only the top 50 to 100 traded wines, although some go further and specify that only those from chateaus in the Bordeaux region qualify.

TAX BREAKS

Wine investment is not liable to capital gains tax (CGT), because of a tax regulation called the "Wasting asset rule". This decrees that if an asset has a life of 50 years or less no CGT is payable on it.
On top of your annual capital gains tax allowance of £10,100, there is an added exemption for jewellery, art and antiques worth less than £6,000.

If you want to know more about fine wine investment, get in touch with European Fine Wines. We specialise in fine French wines so will be able to advise you the best way to place your money for the 2011 vintage. You can call us on 0203586716 and one of our resident fine wine experts will be happy to talk to you.
European Fine Wines11-13 Bromley Common Bromley kent BR2 9LS

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How Healthy Is Red Wine, Really?

Well certainly, the latest research is encouraging for those of us who find joy and perhaps even contentment in having a couple of glasses of red with dinner, or later, sitting in front of the fireplace contemplating the day, the glass of cabernet in your hand catching the firelight. And now there's more to think about as you sip away, like what a great way this is to benefit your health!

Down through the ages, wine has been used as a medicinal tool for everything from a topical antiseptic to relieving labor pains. Now, with modern technology, we are discovering even more about its healing properties.

In the fight against cancer 

Red wine contains resveratrol, a naturally occurring anti-fungicide found in the skins of red grapes. This acts as an antioxidant in the body, suppressing free radicals and thereby reducing the aging and potentially cancer-causing damage to DNA cells. Drinking a moderate amount of red has been shown to reduce the incidence of both lung and prostate cancer. In fact, drinking a glass of red wine a day may cut a man's risk of prostate cancer in half.

Heart health 

In experiments on mice and rats, resveratrol has been shown to decrease plaque formation in the arteries and also to decrease the incidence of blood clots. This could be the explanation for the "French Paradox", ie the low death rate from heart problems among the French even though their diet is traditionally rich in fat. It is thought the red wine they habitually drink with their meals might provide the answer.

Weight loss - Early studies in mice have shown resveratrol to have fat-fighting properties by preventing pre-fat cells from maturing. Now this is really good news! Wine and a pizza or three.... The research is on-going.

Diabetes - A glass of red wine a day could prevent or control diabetes. Certain ingredients in the wine seem to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. This is a controversial study and further research is needed.

Sex

One or two glasses of red a day can increase a woman's sexual desire, perhaps by increasing the blood flow to the sexual organs. The study was done on women who were teetotal, those who drank red wine and those who drank a different alcoholic beverage. Women who drank more than 2 glasses of alcohol per day were excluded from the study as drunkenness might then be the reason for their increased libido. The moderate red wine drinkers were found to come out tops on sexual activity.

Sleep

Melatonin, the hormone that prompts us to go to sleep, is abundant in the skins of red grapes. The best wines to drink for this great sleep aid are Merlot, Chianti and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The common cold - Research has shown that a moderate amount of red wine per day can protect you from the common cold. This could be down to resveratrol once again, with it's anti-inflammatory properties, or it could be the flavonoids in red wine, which have anti-viral properties.

Cholesterol 

Another group of chemicals in red wine called saponins are thought to lower cholesterol. These are believed to block the absorption of cholesterol by binding to it. Follow-up studies are being undertaken.

The Brain

Scientists have discovered that a large daily intake of red wine (experiment done on rats), does not damage the brain in the way that other alcoholic drinks can. It is believed the antioxidants in red wine protect the brain from the damaging effects of alcohol. While it is not recommended that humans ever drink vast quantities of any alcohol, the study does prove the beneficial effects of the antioxidants contained in red wine.

A word of caution: All the above benefits come about with moderate red wine consumption. Doctors generally define moderate as a 5 ounce or 150 ml glass of wine per day for women and two glasses per day for men.

And a tip: Since absorption of resveratrol through the gut is not entirely effective, it is recommended that the wine be slowly sipped in order to increase resveratrol absorption through the lining of the mouth.
So, as I leave you to contemplate beside your fireplace, here's to your good sipping and good health. Cheers!

Find out more about wine and get a free e-Wine Course as well as browse the many wine racks and wine accessories on offer.

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