Planning a well rounded wine cellar collection

I recently read this article on ft.com titled Nine Ways to Build an Affordable Wine Cellar which I thought was a really helpful guide.

Our customers may have fabulous wine cellars, wine rooms and wine storage solutions, but the idea of filling it can be a little daunting. Many customers really know their wines, other will just buy what they like (that’s what I do!) or perhaps you just want a well rounded collection for event event and meal, both for guests as well as yourself.

Here are some thoughts about starting a 300 bottle wine collection

Set a Budget

  • Before you start buying, decide on a budget. Wine collecting can be expensive, so it’s important to set a limit on how much you want to spend per bottle and overall.
  • A good strategy is to allocate your budget across different price ranges. For instance, you might spend more on high-quality wines intended for aging, while also including more affordable, everyday wines.
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Diversify Your Collection

  • By Region: Include wines from different parts of the world. Classic wine regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne in France, Tuscany in Italy, Rioja in Spain, and Napa Valley in the USA are essential. Also, explore emerging regions like Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.
  • By Grape Variety: A diverse collection should include a mix of red, white, and sparkling wines, each made from different grape varieties. Consider classic varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. Don’t forget to explore lesser-known varieties such as Grenache, Sangiovese, and Chenin Blanc.
  • By Vintage: Include wines from different years. Some wines are meant to be enjoyed young, while others can be aged for decades. A range of vintages will give you wines to enjoy now and wines to look forward to in the future.
  • By Style: Make sure you have a variety of wine styles—light-bodied, full-bodied, sweet, dry, and sparkling. This ensures you have something for every occasion and every guest’s preference.

Focus on Quality over Quantity

  • While it might be tempting to fill your cellar quickly, focus on acquiring high-quality bottles rather than just accumulating numbers. Quality wines, especially those from reputable producers and regions, are more likely to impress your guests and will often age better.

Consider Age-Worthy Wines

  • Include some wines that are known for their aging potential, such as Bordeaux, Barolo, and certain Burgundy wines. These wines can develop complex flavors over time, adding depth to your collection.
  • However, also include wines that are ready to drink now, so you can enjoy your collection as it grows.
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Wine rack in Surrey
solid oak vaulted wine cellar 1

Invest in Proper Storage

Temperature Control

  • Consistent Temperature: The most crucial factor in wine storage is maintaining a consistent wine temperature. Fluctuations can cause the wine to expand and contract, potentially damaging the cork and allowing air to seep in, which can spoil the wine.
  • Avoid Extremes: Temperatures above 24°C can cause wine to age prematurely and lose its flavour. On the other hand, temperatures below 10°C can slow down the aging process too much, preventing the wine from developing its full character

Humidity Control

  • Maintain Humidity Levels: Wine should be stored in an environment with a humidity level of around 60-70%. Proper humidity prevents the cork from drying out and shrinking, which could lead to oxygen exposure and spoilage.
  • Avoid Excessive Humidity: While some wine cellar humidity is good, too much can encourage mould growth on the corks and labels.

Darkness is Key

  • Protect from Light: UV light, especially sunlight, can cause wine to degrade, leading to unpleasant aromas and flavors.
  • Invest in UV-Resistant Lighting: If your wine storage area requires lighting, consider UV-resistant bulbs or LED lights, which emit minimal heat and UV radiation.

Stable Environment

  • Minimize Vibrations: Constant vibrations can disturb the sediments in wine, especially in older wines, and accelerate the aging process in an undesirable way.
  • Dedicated Wine Storage: For optimal stability, consider investing in a dedicated wine fridge or wine cellar.

Wine Racks and Shelving

  • Horizontal Storage: Store wine bottles horizontally to keep the cork moist. A dry cork can shrink, allowing air into the bottle and spoiling the wine.
  • Custom Wine Racks: As your collection grows, you may want to invest in a custom wine rack to fit your cellar or storage area perfectly.

Wine Fridges and Cellars

  • Wine Fridges: If you don’t have the space or budget for a full wine cellar, a wine fridge (also known as a wine cooler) is an excellent alternative.
  • Wine Cellars: A well-designed wine cellar will maintain the perfect environment for your wines and can be a stunning feature in your home. Whether you convert a basement or build a custom cellar, this investment will protect your collection for years to come.

Balance Collecting and Drinking

  • As you collect, don’t be afraid to open and enjoy your wines. Part of the fun of collecting is sharing your wines with guests and discovering what you like. Regularly tasting your collection will also help you refine your palate and make informed decisions about future purchases.

Keep Track of Your Collection

  • Use a wine inventory app or a simple spreadsheet to keep track of what you have, including details like the purchase date, price, and ideal drinking window. This will help you manage your collection and ensure you’re drinking your wines at their best.

Seek Advice from Experts

  • Don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations from wine merchants, attend wine tastings, and join wine clubs. This can introduce you to new wines and help you make informed purchases.

Stay Informed

  • Keep up with wine trends, new releases, and vintage reports. This knowledge will help you spot great wines and make your collection more current and exciting.

Have Fun!

  • Lastly, remember that collecting wine should be enjoyable. Collect wines that you love and are excited to share with others. The best collections are built with passion and curiosity.
Posted in Wine Cellar, Wine Recommendations, Wine Storage

Christmas Wine Selection

If you are planning on pulling out all the stops this Christmas, you might want to think about the wines that will go well with your Christmas dinner. The festive period is fast approaching and many of us are embracing the celebrations and festivities to cheer ourselves up.

The Ultimate Guide For Pairing Wines This Festive Season

In this festive guide, we’ll include the ten rules that will help you choose the best festive wines to match your festive fare for all your guests, regardless of whether you are serving a traditional turkey dinner or something alternative. 

We’ll cover the key rules, from pairing wines with sauces to the importance of acidity, how to match intense flavours, the wines that go well with cheese, and how to cater for vegan and vegetarian guests. Towards the end of the guide, we will also include wine recommendations based on the dish you are serving.

Ten Rules When Pairing Wines This Christmas

christmas themed table with empty wine glasses

1. Choosing a lighter meat? Pair your wine with the sauce!

If you are choosing lighter meat such as chicken, pork, or turkey, you may be surprised to know the best option may be to pair your wine with your sauce. Are you choosing a traditional rich gravy, cranberry, apple, or white sauce? It’s important to remember the taste of the meat will alter depending on the sauce you choose.

For specific pairing suggestions, we’ve compiled a list at the end of this post.

2. The richer the (red) meat, the higher the tannins 

What exactly are tannins? In short, tannins are a chemical compound that naturally occur in grape skins, seeds, stems, and also in wooden barrels used during the aging process. They can taste bitter and have a drying effect. 

Tannins are associated with red wines and are important for balance and flavour, even though they are responsible for the astringency of a wine. A high tannin wine will work best with foods that are rich, fatty, or salty. This is because they will cut through the fattiness of certain cuts of meat, such as rib-eye steak.

3. How important is acidity?

Choosing a wine with the right level of acidity is important for the overall balance of your meal. The trick to selecting the right level of acidity is to remember to choose a wine that is more acidic than your food. This will be easy to do unless you are serving a zesty or citrusy dish or a salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

An acidic wine may help to cleanse your palate after eating a rich or buttery sauce, however, it may clash with a creamy sauce. Wines that are more acidic include white, rosé, and sparkling.

4. Don’t downplay intense flavours

You might be tempted to balance intense flavours with a muted wine. However, it is best to match strong flavours with an intense full-bodied wine to complement the flavours. 

Embrace intense flavours and match them with a bold wine – don’t downplay the flavours.  

5. Earthy food = earthy wine 

Older reds or earthy wines may taste tart on their own. However, if you pair them with earthy foods such as mushrooms, lentils, potatoes, parsnips, beets, turnips, or herby flavours such as rosemary and thyme, they can be balanced and delicious. This makes earthy wines a good option for vegan or vegetarian dishes.

6. A fishy feast needs something zesty

If you are opting for alternative festive fare such as lobster, you may think Chardonnay is your go-to wine. While it is a perfectly good choice, you may be surprised to learn a light and refreshing glass of Pinot Grigio can be very complimentary. It also works well with other types of seafood and shellfish because of its citrus notes. 

The key consideration when choosing wine to go with lobster is not to overwhelm or overshadow the delicate flavours – try to avoid heavy reds. 

7. The higher the spice, the lower the alcohol content

Perhaps not relevant to traditional Christmas fare, but if you are opting for something spicy this festive season, remember: reduce the alcohol percentage as you increase your spice to complement the spices, not overwhelm them.

8. Sweet, sweet dessert wine?

As a general rule, your wine should be sweeter than your meal. If you choose a wine that is not as sweet as your main dish, you may be left with a bitter taste in your mouth (literally). 

However, the rules change slightly for dessert. If you try to match the sweetness of your dessert with an even sweeter wine, you can end up overwhelming the flavours. So, you want to opt for something slightly less sweet than your dessert. 

9. Cheese Pleeease!

If you like to fill the fridge with cheese over the festive period, you may wonder what wines will go well with them. As a general rule, you want to choose a wine with a similar intensity to the cheese you are serving: 

  • Strong aged cheeses go well with intense bold reds
  • Smelly cheeses (including blue cheese) work well with sweet notes
  • Soft creamy cheeses are best paired with sparkling wines

10. Vegan or vegetarian guests? Don’t forget to check your wines!

Many people are surprised to learn wines are typically not vegan or vegetarian friendly. This can be because of the processes used during wine-making. For instance, the fining process helps producers increase the clarity of their wine. Products used to aid this process include egg whites, milk protein, gelatin, fish oil, and more.

How do you pair wine with meat?

christmas turkey being served on the table in a family setting

If you have a wine preference, you can, of course, choose that to go with your dinner. However, here are our recommendations to help you make your festive wine selection.

This is useful if you aren’t serving a sauce and need some pairing suggestions:

Turkey

Consider the sauce or sauces you are serving before selecting your wine. You could opt for a white such as a Chardonnay or Pinot Gris, or a light red such as a Pinot Noir or Gamay (Beaujolais).

Chicken

As chicken is a lighter meat, you may benefit from a white wine such as a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon, however, you could also choose something sparkling like Prosecco.

Goose

As goose is a fatty meat, you may benefit from an acidic wine to help you cut through the fattiness. You could opt for a white such as a Riesling or Pinot Gris. Alternatively, you could choose a rich red such as a Barolo or Gamay.

Pork

You may opt for a red such as Zinfandel or a Tuscan (Sangiovese) wine or a fruity white such as a Riesling depending on whether your dish is a traditional roast or a spicy treat.

Beef

Reds ranging from Pinot Noir and Merlot to Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are best, but this depends on the cut of meat you are serving. If you’re choosing a fattier cut, remember to opt for a wine with higher tannin

Lamb

Reds ranging from Pinot Noir to Zinfandel and Malbec are great, although this will depend on the flavours you are using when cooking. You could opt for a light to medium red or something more full-bodied.

Lobster

As mentioned earlier, many individuals will recommend Chardonnay as the wine of choice to pair with lobster. While this will work, a Pinot Grigio may lift the dish even further.

Nut Roast

You may want to choose an orange wine to complement the flavours of a nut roast, however, you could also opt for a Pinot Noir or Chardonnay if you’re serving mushrooms as a side or as part of a main.

Here’s Wine Racks UK’s official Wine Bottle Size Guide to ensure you plan well ahead for your party guests.


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Posted in Wine Recommendations

Earle Wines

Earle Wines  is an independent family wine merchant based Harrogate, North Yorkshire. John Jacobs of Earle Wines forges close associations with mainly small family owned wine producers and their vineyards to bring  quality wines to the UK market. Most of the wines are exclusive to them and cannot be found elsewhere on the high street or through larger retail outlets. Although they specialise in French wines, they also have many excellent wines from other innovative wine producing countries. Their selection not only includes thought provoking wines for ‘every day’ drinking but also rare fine wines, which greatly reflect the variety, value and quality of wines which have been their hallmark for the last 40 years.

The attention to detail is evident in the final products they sell which would be well suited to be stored in A & W Moore’s hand crafted wine racks www.wineracks.co.uk . The vines are grown with little or no use of chemical treatments or fertilisers, and in most cases the producers tend their vines by hand at all stages of the growing and harvesting processes.

Their full selection of wines can be seen on their website earlewines.com or Tel. 01423330900

Earle Wines Ltd | Gardener’s Cottage | Rudding Park | Follifoot | Harrogate | North Yorkshire | HG3 1JH

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Best Wine Bars in the UK

Every wine connoisseur will enjoy an authentic wine tasting. Although trips to foreign vineyards aren’t a last minute option for a Saturday night treat, finding a wine tasting bar with highly knowledgeable owners, staff and exceptional crus could be the ideal solution.
Whether you’re with a group of close friends and family or need some time alone, a wine tasting is a perfect opportunity to enjoy some sumptuous wines and extend your repertoire.

In this blog, we look at some of the best wine bars and shops in the UK, all offering sumptuous wine-lists and unrivalled expertise.

Loki Wine Merchants

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Image from lokiwine.co.uk

Loki Wine merchants in Birmingham is a truly singular, authentic and wine-focused establishment, humble yet incredibly refined in its wine expertise. As the most awarded wine merchants in Birmingham, Loki offers their patrons a diverse range of fantastic fine wines and expert advice, whether you decide to stay for a drink using their self-service wine dispensers or choosing a bottle from the shop, or alternatively decide to drink that bottle elsewhere.

The Sampler Wine Shop

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Image from thesampler.co.uk

With a vast wine collection of over 80 different wines, the Sampler is an unpretentious, chilled wine shop in London, offering refined wine tasting experiences to experts and novices since it opened in 2006. The wine dispensers fit in intriguingly with wine racks openly displayed and standalone wine cases, surprisingly demystifying wine shops to ensure it is all about the wines and there taste.

Hotel du Vin Wine Bar

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Image from 2850.co.uk

Exposed brick walls, high stools and a bustling atmosphere, Vinoteca is an ideal hideaway for wine connoisseur enjoying a bohemian touch to European cuisine and carefully crafted selection of wines. The latest branch opening in Soho, Vinoteca offers table services, bar services and an on-site wine store.

2850 Wine Workshop & Kitchen

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Image from thesampler.co.uk

Spread across 2 floors and with an al-fresco dining option, 28-50 in London is a laid-back, wine bar and restaurant offering a varied and seasonal wine list for a drink or a meal. 28-50 also offers wine tastings and workshops throughout the year for the most passionate wine lovers. Its contrasting decors bring a unique industrial touch to the place, with exposed wine case racks populated the walls, and island bar encouraging a convivial atmosphere.

Gordon’s Wine Bar

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Image from gordonswinebar.com

Gordon’s Bar is spectacular for two reasons, the atmosphere and the wine. Straightaway, as you stepped in, it feels like you’ve walked back in time. Established in 1890, Gordon’s is probably one of London’s oldest wine bar that never fails to astonish. With a legacy of famous names among their wine loving clientele, be assured to find Gordon’s Bar a completely exemplary and unique experience that you will not forget. If you get the opportunity to go to a wine tasting at Gordon’s Bar, don’t miss it. If you are interested in bespoke wine racks for a bar, shop, restaurant or other commercial premises, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us

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Posted in Wine News, Wine Recommendations

The Best Wines for Christmas Dinner

Choosing wines for Christmas dinner and meals can help refine your menu, and make your guests enjoy your party even more. Christmas now being just around the corner, you are probably already planning your Christmas meals. And as all respectable wine lover would know, there is no good party without a thought about selection of wine.

The trouble is, what bottle do you take out for dinner? Or for the starter? What wine goes well with a Christmas turkey or pudding? How can I make my guests appreciate the various wines to their full extent.

Have no fear, Wine Racks is here to help you choose the right wines for the end of the year festivities. Consider this blog as your guide to festive wine pairings for a Christmas dinner party and more

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