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Allegretto Wines Releases The Report ‘Storage Tips For Wine Collectors

July 21, 2019 by evebushman

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – Allegretto Wines, the source for some of the best single vineyard wines in Paso Robles, has released the report ‘Storage Tips for Wine Collectors.’ “One of the conversation topics in our tasting room is the best storage methods for wine,” said Quin Cody, Director of Hospitality, “the tips in this report are going to help answer some of those questions.”

Photo from Allegretto Facebook page.

The report provides information for estimating the storage space, storage methods, the best temperatures for storing and serving, and some creative ideas for building a wine cellar on a budget.

Figuring out storage space

The storage space needed depends on how many bottles you would like to have on hand, or already have but don’t have adequate space. Buying a wine refrigerator is a common solution to storing wine, but sometimes the wine refrigerator you would like costs more than the family budget allows.

There are options for adding or increasing wine cellar space that include re-purposing a closet or cabinet or even adding a “wine room” in the garage. But before getting into remodeling ideas, you still need to know how many bottles you want to have available. Here is a quick estimate (based on ceilings that are nine feet high):

  • 500 bottles or less needs about 25 square feet of space
  • 1,000 bottles would use 50 square feet

It might seem that 500 bottles are a lot of wine, but a single person enjoying a bottle with dinner three or four nights a week adds up to more than 200 bottles a year. Figure in what is shared with dinner guests and gifted to friends and family. If you entertain frequently you can reach 500 bottles a year easily.

The space calculations need to include wines that are being allowed to age, those you are keeping for special occasions and those you will be drinking soon. Once the storage space is figured out, decide on the best affordable storage method that is going to meet the temperature and humidity needs of your special wines.

Temperature, UV light, and humidity

Wine is typically stored at one temperature and served at a different temperature. The ideal storage temperature for most reds and whites is 55 degrees. Serving temperatures vary by the wine:

Traditionally, red wines were served at room temperature, but the modern-day thermostat means homes are kept at a variety of temperatures for personal comfort. The ideal serving temperature for red wine is from 60 – 65 degrees F.

White wines are best served slightly chilled between 50 – 60 degrees.

Sparkling wines and champagne usually taste best chilled to around 40 degrees.

The kitchen refrigerator temperature is usually at around 40 degrees F. Too cold to store wine but a good temperature to chill a sparkling wine. Not sure when the wine has reached the appropriate serving temperature? Use an inexpensive wine bottle thermometer to know when the bottle is ready to pour.

UV rays and humidity

UV rays cause chemical reactions that can change a wine’s flavor and color in unfavorable ways. Keep your wine collection out of the sunlight.

Wines with cork closures need sufficient humidity at around 70-percent to keep the corks moist and expanded so some kind of humidity control is important.
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Store corked wines on their sides to help keep the cork moist. Screw top bottles don’t require the same kind of humidity control, but since most people collect both corked and screw-topped wines these days, humidity control is the best way to go.

The ‘cellar’

Most of us don’t have space or finances for a high-tech wine cellar with sophisticated humidity and temperature controls and there are affordable options.

Wine coolers, or refrigerators, start at around $200 for 20 or so bottles of wine and price upwards from there. When space is an option, some wine refrigerators can be stored in closets or in the garage and this works perfectly for many people. Some collectors want a more formal “cellar.” Remodeling closets, under stair spaces, kitchens, and garages are becoming popular ways to create dedicated wine storage. There are several good do-it-yourself sources on the Internet or give your local construction company a call for an estimate.
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If you are collecting as an investment, leasing commercial wine storage is a safe way to protect your investment.

About Allegretto Wines

Good conversation is part of the wine experience, especially at the Allegretto Wines tasting room. Drop in for a unique tasting experience, good conversation and a staff that enjoys answering questions and keeping the conversation going. The tasting room is located at 2700 Buena Vista Drive in Paso Robles. Hours are Sunday and Monday 1 – 7 p.m.; Wed-Sat noon – 7 p.m. Tuesdays are by reservation only.

Allegretto Wines
2700 Buena Vista Drive
Paso Robles CA 93446
(805) 369-2526

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: cellar, Paso Robles, storage, tasting room, wine service

Vinome Launches First DNA-based Wine Experience

July 26, 2017 by evebushman

HEALDSBURG, Calif.  – Vinome isn’t your garden-variety curated wine service. Founded in 2015 by a team of genetic scientists and wine experts, the first DNA-based wine experience harnesses the longstanding science of taste to pair wine lovers and wine discoverers with boutique wine selections on a much deeper level. Using DNA. Vino + genome = Vinome.

Vinome Founders

Vinome Founders

“After years of analyzing DNA to develop medicines for cancer, we started thinking,” said Sara Riordan, Vinome co-founder, “if there’s a gene that tells you whether you like Brussels sprouts or not, and whether you like cilantro or not, why aren’t we using genetics to tell people whether they would favor a certain wine?”

Vinome does just that. The profoundly personalized wine experience analyzes the nuances of taste preferences, along with 10 genetic markers related to smell and taste to identify eight unique Vinome taste profiles. Customer results will reveal primary wine flavor affinities along with how likely they are to respond to flavors such as traces of leather, minerals, honeysuckle, and more. From the bright, crisp citrus flavors of Vibrant Grove to the rich and complex flavors of The Big Bold, customers can shop for hard-to-find bottles curated specifically for their Vinome in the online store, or join the quarterly wine club. Either way, Vinome delivers direct to their doorstep.

“To date, we have developed relationships with boutique wineries in California, Oregon and Washington,” said Shannon Kieran, also a Vinome co-founder. “These are wines that are routinely rated favorably by the industry, though they are not typically sold in grocery stores or wine outlets. They’re amazing wines.”

Vinome is one of the first companies to apply the science of taste and the vast body of genetic research to a new and broadly accessible experience –a groundbreaking connection between a person’s DNA and lifestyle.

Ronald Andrews, Vinome co-founder and CEO, has spent most of his career in the molecular diagnostics industry. “The rigor around the science has been strong and thorough, and we’re proud of the time we have spent to get it right,” he said.

The Vinome process is quick and easy. Customers sign up online, take a taste preference survey and in a few days will receive a saliva kit and instructions. A postage paid envelope is provided for sending the sample to the lab, and in just a few weeks, they will receive their Vinome and access to the online store and wine club.

For more information or to start your Vinome journey, visit Vinome.com. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @myvinome.

###

About Vinome

Founded in 2015, Vinome is the ultimate personalized wine experience. Created by a team of genetic scientists and wine experts, Vinome uses DNA insights, the science of taste and taste preference information to pair wine lovers and wine discoverers with wines they love. Shop for hard-to-find boutique bottles in the online store, or join the quarterly wine club. Either way, Vinome delivers direct to your doorstep. Disrupting the direct-to-consumer wine industry, Vinome has piqued the interest of Fast Company, The Atlantic, Fox Business, British Airways Business Life and Thrillist.

For more information or to start your Vinome journey, visit Vinome.com. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @myvinome.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aroma, bottles, California, flavor, Healdsburg, minerals, taste, wine club, wine pairing, wine service

Vintage Eve Circa April 2013: Wine Steward, or Bottle, Faulty?

April 18, 2017 by evebushman

This is a true story, and I need you to be the judge. At a recent dinner out – locally, reservations under my name and the owner knew when I was coming – I might have made a mistake trusting the wine steward with selecting a Chateauneuf du Pape that would go with the meals we were ordering.

butler-964007_960_720Waitress Clearly Lost

After perusing the wine list, I mentioned to our waitress what we wanted to spend and what we were looking for. I asked her for a recommendation. She said, “Do you want me to get ——?” (He is not referred to as a wine steward or sommelier, I believe he is the manager.) Yes, I knew who she was talking about, as she presumed I did, he’d been at that restaurant for a decade or longer. I was a wee bit surprised that she couldn’t make a suggestion on her own as the restaurant was known for its wine list and I had never needed the wine steward before.

The Wine Steward

Instead of talking to us about what we were looking for, or offering us any options, he came to our table and presented a 1997 CDP vintage that he said was no longer available on the wine list. I should have asked why he suggested that wine and why not any others, but I didn’t.

He opened the wine and poured us both (my husband was with me) a taste. I commented on the brown color, indicating some age. The wine steward said it was an organic wine, and told us about organic wine practices…for some reason he thought this would interest us or explain the wine.

I asked what grapes were in the wine, and he proceeded to list all Rhone varietals; not actually answering my question.

After he left we noted quite a bit of sediment in our glass – again not necessarily indicative of anything but age. Trusting the wine steward we forged ahead. Then I noted an astringency I hoped would blow off and bloom into some nice fruit and tannins.

Sending Back Wine

We swirled the wine, we let it sit for a while, and we tried it alone and with food. Then we began to consider sending it back.

I’ve never sent back wine because it didn’t age well. And since this wine wasn’t corked we decided against it. Were we right?

Our Conclusion

As we paid our bill my husband and I agreed – we hadn’t enjoyed our meal and it would be awhile before we would return. We felt that the wine steward should have offered us a selection and answered the questions we asked – and we should have insisted instead of being too trusting about it.

The wine steward failed us, and it left us wondering, how many others may have shared the same experience? If a restaurant’s wine steward doesn’t make a customer happy, but only tries to convince them that they should be happy, that’s a fail in my book.

Whether the wine steward thought we were clumsy wine people, with little or no knowledge of wine or not, the experience left us feeling, well, hoodwinked. A bottle no longer available on the wine list could have been because it was awesome; in this case it appeared, with all of the circumstances – to have been removed from the wine list.

When I got home and Googled the wine I learned that Wine-Searcher.com reviewed the exact one, and a chart showed that the wine had peaked in 2003. I felt better, justified that I was correct to assume the wine hadn’t aged well. Now all I could consider was perhaps the wine steward hadn’t aged well either.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: Chateauneuf du Pape, fruit, organic, restaurant, Rhone, sediment, steward, tannins, wine dinner, wine list, wine service

Eve’s Wine Pet Peeves, Again

December 16, 2016 by evebushman

Awhile back I did a few things, I wrote Wine Service at Your Home, an Event, Bar, Winery or Restaurant, another on Bad Somm Service and compiled a little 99 cent e-book called Wine Etiquette For Everyone: How To Feel Like A Pro In Any Situation Involving Wine. Fast-forward a couple of years and as it would turn out, my level of detecting aromas and flavors has also identified more BS in the wine community. Check it out, though I may have a couple or repeats in here as some things still really bug the hell out of me:

restaurant-449952_960_720I recently dined at a restaurant that served wine and allowed BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). The waitress took the bottle I had brought in, opened it up out of my view (guessing there is one corkscrew in the place) then returned with the bottle, and presto, the cork was removed right through the now ripped foil. I had no choice but to remove the jagged remains from the top of the bottle myself. Why they would serve wine this way I don’t know. It’s just plain ugly and the diner has to do the work.

This is one a few people mentioned to me on Faceboook: Attending a catered party, complete with hired bartending services, and the bar ends up being low on basic supplies and the server is ill-trained.

Holding the wine glass by the bowl instead of the stem is only appropriately called for if the wine is too cold and the aromas are closed off. (I’ve been known to cup a frosted glass – another pet peeve – of white wine as I can’t detect a damn thing when the wine is served icy cold.) The stem is there for a reason, please use it. It allows you to easily swirl your wine so you can enjoy its color and aromas.

Anyone with the inability to handle a cork mishap hasn’t been trained properly. I’ve actually had to step in to rescue a broken cork from a bottle, or to wipe down the inside or outside of the neck of broken cork remnants.

This is very common: not pouring a taste when you BYOW to a restaurant. Any bottle can be corked or deemed undrinkable. Why not show the courtesy, and if the bottle is not up to par, there you are ready to offer a suggestion for replacement. Seems like a no brainer to me. When I’m hosting a party or working a wine event I always taste the wines before serving.

Please taste through your wines before subjecting a diner or guest to a pairing. Wine and cake is not my favorite pairing. Neither are cocktails and cookies. Like and like works with food: a good example is a big Cab with firm tannins will help break down fat in a big steak. But a sweet wine with an equally sweet dessert isn’t for everyone. Port alone or with a little chocolate is good, while a Sauterne is nice with a blue cheese, the rest you can keep to yourself.

Bad glasses: if you really don’t like the glasses offered at a restaurant enough that it negatively changes your experience, bring your own. A restaurant may not carry the latest Riedel or crystal glasses for the sole reason that they are expensive, highly breakable and not the easiest to fit in their dishwasher. Get over it or pack up and bring in your own.

If you serve wine in individual carafes please don’t empty the entire carafe into the wine glass. It’s not a show. Pour about two ounces, or up to the widest portion of the glass. Overfilling the wine glass won’t allow for swirling.

Ignoring a drip: really? Come prepared with a cloth napkin nearby when you serve wine. The diner shouldn’t be responsible to wipe up a drip. Or, if left unnoticed, have their clothing stained.

Over chilled white wines: I understand the majority of people like wine bucket service for their sparkling. It’s a nice show. But unless it’s 90+ degrees out I would rather discern the serving temperature myself of a white wine. If a white is served too cold aromas are shut down.

This should be obvious but while guests watch a server opening a wine they will notice dirty fingernails. Please clean up before serving. Egads people.

Not a biggie but the foil capsule is the bottle’s “dressing” and shouldn’t be completely removed. I’ve been told it’s easier for the staff, among other reasons, but it’s not supposed to be served that way and a wine person will only presume that you just don’t know any better.

Many a time a bottle is presented and poured with the label hidden in the palm of a hand. Please turn the bottle around, holding with one hand by the back and the punt, and confirm it was the correct one ordered. The bottle should then be shown to all of the guests at the table if possible.

This is fun to watch but not appropriate: holding the bottle between your knees or under your arm to retrieve the cork. If you simply can’t maneuver it, then place it on the table to help you balance the bottle while opening.

This happened to me once in a very high-end restaurant: The waitress and I both watched as the sediment slid out of the bottle and into my glass. Really? Stop pouring and replace the wine. She didn’t.

Snobs, I’ve touched on this one before but have since have to add: please be careful on social media. Your “expert’s rant” is subject to commentary so unless you know something to be a fact, and of value to others, keep it to yourself. Expressing an “elevated view” of wine makes you look like a snob, some of your followers may feel like veritable idiots and is a complete disservice to the wine community.

This video from Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) on opening wine is valuable, and if you want more there are four in the series you can watch here.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: bar, cork, corkscrew, etiquette, glasses, restaurant, riedel, sediment, somm, tannins, wine service, winery

Wine 201: Three Women on Wine

September 23, 2016 by evebushman

Trio of Ladies Bring Their Certified Wine Knowledge Into your Home or Business!

L to R - Eve Bushman, Danise Davis and Beth Greenwald

L to R – Eve Bushman, Danise Davis and Beth Greenwald

SANTA CLARITA September 2016 – In April of 2016 it was announced that three local Santa Clarita women had achieved their AMERICAN WINE SPECIALIST® certification in the “first globally-recognized course on American Wine” provided by the North American Sommelier Association.

These ladies, Eve Bushman, Danise Davis and Beth Greenwald, have also obtained a Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wine and Spirits from the London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

All three are ready for their next challenge – being the go-to for wine education in private homes and local businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley and beyond.

One to two hour classes, sometimes longer for parties, with up to 20 guests for one teacher, a second teacher for an additional 20 and our third teacher for up to 60.

Class Descriptions

Wine Tasting for Beginners

From how to select wine to all the other “how-tos” such as opening a bottle, serving, testing for cork taint, detecting aromas, flavors and making a general conclusion as to the quality of the wine.

Single Varietal Wine Tasting

Learn how to discern what you like in, say a Chardonnay, by tasting several from different areas, winemakers and oak treatments.

How to Taste like a Sommelier

Beyond a beginner’s class, learn what we do in examining a wine. This does include learning to spit so that you can taste several wines in one sitting, as well as making a quick educated decision about the quality of a particular wine.

Wine and Food (appetizers, main and/or dessert) Pairing

Wine is not just something to rinse the palate between bites of food. Learn how some wines complement food while others can actually make your food taste bad.

Chocolate Tasting

This can be a revelation, not just a sweet treat. By moving from dark to light chocolate, some with dried fruit and nuts, you will be surprised at how quickly your palate can be educated on chocolate as it is by wine. (Wine can be included.)

Wine Service Training for Bars, Wine Bars and Restaurants

Educate your wait staff on everything on your wine and cocktail list. From which wines/cocktails should be paired with which foods, to basic wine service and maximizing checks and tips.

Wine Tasting Party I

We will educate you on holding your own wine tasting party with tips on stemware, service tools, what wines to buy, how to serve them and what to pair it with. If you have a theme, or need help with a theme, we begin there.

Wine Tasting Party II

As above, however we will host your wine tasting party for you by providing service and entertaining how-to tips for your guests.

Prices are $100 per hour per instructor. Wine, food and venue is not included in pricing but can be obtained for an additional fee. Contact Eve Bushman at Eve@EveWine101.com for questions and bookings.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: aroma, bottle, Chardonnay, chocolate, eve bushman, flavor, food pairing, north american sommelier association, Oak, restaurants, santa clarita valley, sommelier, wine 101, Wine and spirits education trust, wine education, wine pairing, wine service, Wine tasting, WSET

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