So this past weekend we were very busy bees. You might have noticed a few changes that were made to the website so we wanted to tell you a little bit about what we did.

One of the first things you’ll notice at the top of the home page is a little box on the right corner. We have added a poll to our website which we will be changing every couple of weeks. We decided to do a poll to get a better idea of what people are looking for in a wine rack or in accessories. Of course you can still send us an email with comments, questions or suggestions, but we thought this would be a fun little addition.

In the middle of the website you will notice that the “Featured Items” box has changed and we have turned it into a “Specials” box. This is now going to be where we feature some of the items we have on sale. There is a small arrow you can click on above the box or you can simply click the link in the left hand column titled “Specials.”

Lastly at the bottom you will see a couple of new icons. The first is a PayPal icon showing that we accept PayPal and through PayPal we take most major credit cards! You will also see a link that says “Secured by GeoTrust” to the right of the PayPal logo. This certifies that we are a secure website so you should have no fear in making a purchase with us over the Internet. We have always been a secure shopping website, it’s just now we have the icon for people to see!

There are many more changes to come in the coming weeks and we will keep you posted!

Some interesting wine facts found while floating around on the Internet for all to enjoy!

According to Irish folklore, fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning.

There are about 400 species of oak, though only about 20 are used in making oak barrels. Of the trees that are used, only 5% is suitable for making high grade wine barrels. The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years!

1 grape cluster = 1 glass
75 grapes = 1 cluster
4 clusters = 1 bottle
40 clusters = 1 vine
1 vine = 10 bottles
1200 clusters = 1 barrel
1 barrel = 60 gallons
60 gallons = 25 cases
30 vines = 1 barrel
400 vines = 1 acre
1 acre = 5 tons
5 tons = 332 cases

How big can a wine bottle get?
Capacity (Liters) followed by the number of standard size bottles contained:
Standard (.75)  1
Magnum (1.5)  2
Jeroboam (3)  4
Rehoboam (4.5)  6
Methuselah (6)  8
Salmanazar (9)  12
Balthazar (12)  16
Nebuchadnezzar (15)  20

Cork was developed as a bottle closure in the late 17th century. It was only after this that bottles were lain down for aging, and the bottle shapes slowly changed from short and bulbous to tall and slender.

California produces over 17 million gallons of wine a year.

Wine has no fat and no cholesterol
Wine has approx. 90 calories per 4 oz serving
U.S. Dietary Guidelines list moderate wine consumption
(1 glass per day for women and 2 glasses for men)
as part of a healthy diet

Thomas Jefferson helped stock the wine cellars of the first five U.S. presidents and was very partial to fine Bordeaux and Madeira.

France and Italy produce 40% of the world’s wine and consume all but 1% of their wine production themselves. Australians drink the most wine in the English-speaking world!

In 2000 for the first time in history, more wine was imported to the United Kingdom from Australia than in France.

So you have decided to have a small get together at the last minute and have realized that you don’t have a single bottle of chilled wine. What’s the best way to chill that bottle?

The single best method to chill a bottle of wine quickly is using an ice bucket or something that could be a substitute for an ice bucket. Using a mixture of half ice and half cold water, fill the ice bucket about two-thirds of the way and put the bottle in the bucket. Make sure you use water; ice alone will take well over an hour to chill the bottle thoroughly. Using this method it should only take 20 to 30 minutes for the bottle to be cooled. Adding a little bit of rock salt to the ice water bath will help cool a bottle quicker if necessary.

If using a refrigerator to chill a bottle of wine, it will usually need to be kept in there for at least a couple of hours to get it chilled throughout. Never use a freezer to chill a bottle of wine. I know this is something we all do, and I have been known on occasion in the past to do it, but it really is a bad idea. Constantly having to watch the bottle to make sure it doesn’t break in the freezer is not a fun thing to do, and even if the bottle doesn’t break it is still going to take longer than using the bucket of ice water.

Now that you know the best way to chill those bottles of wine, what is the best temperature to serve them at? Most red wines (I say most because you will find the occasional red wine such as this Southern Red which is best served cold) are served at 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). A little colder at 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) high quality white wines such as Sauternes and Burgundies should be served, while the majority of white wines (Chenin and Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays, Rieslings) should be served no lower than 45 degrees F (7 degrees C). Lower than that and the wine will lose a lot of its bouquet and flavors.

A lovely wine from the Domaine de Garrou in France, La Bourdichonne 1997, is a white dessert wine, and is very refreshing without being excessively sweet. It has a rich golden color reminiscent of sunsets, and has hints of honey, vanilla, and lemon. Slightly more viscous than traditional whites, this wine is best enjoyed while chilled. Aside from being a lovely companion to desserts, La Bourdichonne 1997 also works well as an aperitif or alongside a variety of delicacies such as duck, Roquefort or foie gras.

Mr. Vinerack, also known as Larry Stern, is a talented artist who creates amazing wrought iron wine racks. According to Mr. Stern, “Dinner without wine is like a painting without a frame. Wine must be supported so that it can flourish. The Vine Rack is a unique, hand made wrought iron wine rack; a frame for wine.”

His wine racks are custom made to order in his New Jersey workshop, and each one is created to give the feeling of “picking your bottle of wine right from the vine.” As well as being pieces of art, Mr. Vinerack wine racks are a practical storage solution and are available in a variety of styles and are finished in your choice of black or pewter. Whether you are looking for a wine rack that is wall mounted, suspended or free standing, Mr. Vinerack wine racks are made from quality materials and are created to last.

We currently stock all of Mr. Vinerack’s skillfully constructed wine racks, which can be found by clicking here or using our search box at the top of the shop’s page.

When people plan on visiting a winery, many think California, France, or even Australia. Few would ever imagine that one of the pioneer vineyards for table wines made from hybrid grapes could be found in Central Florida. Lakeridge winery located in the rolling hills of Claremont Florida is home to a seventy-seven acre vineyard, which produces some amazing wine from hybrid and Muscadines grapes and is the largest premium winery in Florida.

The winery is open 7 days a week and offers visitors a very pleasant free tour of the winery where guests learn how wine is made as well as a complimentary wine tasting where visitors can taste 5 or 6 varieties of white, red and sparkling wines before purchasing them from the gift shop at very reasonable prices (prices start around $8.00). The gift shop not only sells Lakeridge wine, but also fine foods, t-shirts and wine accessories such as bottle coolers, wine reference guides, and cork screws.

The grounds of the winery are always kept very tidy and there are picnic benches outside where visitors can have picnics on nice days. Aside from picnics, at various times throughout the year, Lakeridge holds various Arts and Crafts Festivals, Jazz Concerts, Harvest Festivals, and Grape Stompings. These family friendly events are usually either free or not more than a few dollars for entry and are guaranteed to be a great time for the entire family.

The next time you are in Central Florida, be sure to visit the winery at Lakeridge. The vineyard is a beautiful sight to see and the wine will render you speechless.

Over the coming months this blog will hopefully enlighten as well as entertain you with information about wine racks, and all things wine related.

Will post again soon

Ken