Wine Racks Blog

Beaujolais Nouveau is the most famous of the vins de primeur – wines that are permitted to be sold the same year they are harvested. Released the third Thursday of November, the BoVo seems to go hand in hand with the holiday season. It’s a lighter, fruitier wine with very little tannins.

Now, I know the bum rap that Beaujolais Nouveau gets – it’s immature, just grape juice with alcohol - but I think it’s a guilty pleasure. It’s pretty inexpensive, and since it’s meant to be served slightly chilled along with food, I think it’s a great wine for impromptu winter dinners with friends. In fact, it doesn’t even need a dinner to go along with it! Just load up a serving cart with some good bread, cheeses and a bottle or two! It appeals to the part of me that likes to snack on leftovers directly from the refrigerator, with the door open. In pajamas.

Plus, Beajolais Nouveau is a great choice for when you’re making mulled or warmed spiced wine. Because of it’s light nature, it doesn’t take on that cloying quality that some hot wine drinks have. Try topping off your next party with a few rounds of warm BoVo! You and your guests are sure to be delighted.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a big, furniture sized wine rack on the blog. Tabletop wine racks are great for small spaces, but if you have the luxury of a large living space, why not make the most of it? There’s no sense it not enjoying life to the fullest, and there’s no sense it not taking advantage of extra space to show of your love of wine and wine racks. So, let’s take a look at this Bistro Wine Rack!

Elegant and beautiful, this Celtic Bistro Wine Rack will help with storage, display and organization all in one. Two lower hand stained rattan baskets function as removable drawers while two open shelves and a top rack are extremely versatile. Twelve bottle racks and a set of glass holders makes this an ideal addition for any beginning wine connoisseur. Decorative scrollwork laces the top for a classic touch.  Constructed of powerful, dependable metal, with rattan storage baskets.

I love how the strong metal complements the natural beauty of the rattan baskets! This is the sort of centerpiece style wine rack that lets your guests know that:

You are have very good taste.

and

You like wine.

I’m always impressed if I’m at somebody’s house, and I can tell what their passion is as soon as I enter! Take my friend Emily, she is a dedicated stamp collector. When you go into her house, you are greeted by posters of stamps. She has stamp themed china in her kitchen. She even has sheets with stamps on them! So, if you like wine, why not get a big wine rack? It only makes sense!

All right. I’ve been asked about this particular product too many times now, so it’s finally time we talk about The Wine Rack.

Yes, the Wine Rack is a bra type apparatus, that can be filled with wine, beer, or any other beverage. It can hold up to 25 ounces, and increase your bustline up to two cup sizes! Apparently, the younger crowd likes this sort of thing for pub crawls, or concerts or other things. However, I can think of several reasons why this is not a practical way to store wine.

1. Wine needs to be kept at a proper temperature. If you are wearing this, chances are your wine could be getting up to 80 or 90 degrees. That would utterly ruin the quality of your wine, and degrade the taste of the wine.

2. If this is meant to sneak wine into establishments that would otherwise not let you drink alcohol, I’ve got news for you - that’s illegal, and you will end up in jail. You might think jail is glamourous, and you will get to meet Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton, but that is not the case. I think. I wouldn’t know for sure, because I’ve never been to jail, because I don’t do things that would involve jail as a consequence.

3. If it increases your cup size by two sizes, you will stretch out your shirts. Buying new shirts in this economy seems like an unnecessary expense.

Now, I know I sound like a stick in the mud, but I’m not. I know how to have a good time. One time, in college, I stayed up so late that I was 5 minutes late to my morning history class. So don’t tell me that I haven’t lived on the edge. I just think wine racks are serious business, and you shouldn’t have your wine rack be part of your wardrobe!

Anyway, what do you think? Let me know in the comments!

Sometimes I think it would be really cool to be a superhero. First - you have superpowers (By the way, choose quick! Flight or invisibility! You can’t have both, and whichever one you choose shows the character of your inner being.) Second - you have a cool costume, which really solves that ‘what should I wear today’ issue. Third - You get a cool superhero name. My superhero name would be Conflict Diamond. Fourth - you have an inner sanctum, with recessed areas only available to you. As a middle child, I would have greatly appreciated that while growing up.

Well, this is a wine cellar that is truly appropriate for any aspiring superhero. The Spiral Cellars will come to your home and create a custom wine cellar for you. They can create walk-down cellars, hidden door cellars and more. I’d want one where I pull a candle stick, and the fireplace moves away to reveal an epic wine cellar.

Check this one out!

Pretty cool, eh? All you need is a loyal butler and you’re good to go.

But I must admit, stately Wine Racks Blog Manor isn’t quite - well - stately enough to accommodate a wine cellar of this size. That’s why people have taken the idea of a spiraling wine rack, and scaled it down. Way down. Down enough for your kitchen table. May I present Le Loop?

Le Loop is a single bottle wine rack, perfect for a countertop or table. This stainless steel loop has pewter bead accents at the tips. Le Loop is tres chic, no? The good thing about this wine holder is that it’s perfect for the Fortress of Solitude, or that cheap one room apartment that Peter Parker lives in. In fact, it’s downright super. It will also be a great addition to a mere mortal’s home, and anyone who says otherwise is a villain.

So, you don’t have any counter space. And you don’t have any floor space. Cabinet space? Forget about it.

If this is your situation, you may have given up on having a wine rack. But guess what? Storage possibilities are all around you - literally! How about a wall mounted wine rack?

This Wine and Stemware Rack is a great solution for a small kitchen. It holds up to five bottles of wine, and can hold up to 15 wine glasses. Don’t worry, there are retaining bars on top of the rack - and the grooves they make hold the wine bottles in place. Plus, if you’re not much of a wine drinker, but enjoy shaken drinks like martinis or cosmopolitans, this wall mounted rack would be a great way to accommodate liquor bottles and cocktail glasses.

If you want a wall mounted wine rack that’s a little bigger - and you like a modern, minimalist look, here’s the Estate Wine Rack. This wine rack is crafted from steel and chrome - so it’ll really give your kitchen a clean look. It’s a whopping 35″ wide, so you’ll be able to fit a plethora of wine bottles and stemware. 

Another bonus of wall mounted wine racks is that they can actually help free up space in your cabinets! No more accidentally knocking over wine glasses when you reach into your cabinet - they’ll be safely stored on the wine rack!

There’s something very charming about the Fuji Wine Rack. This wooden wine rack can hold up to 12 bottles of wine. I think what I really like about it is how the wine bottles alternate from tier to tier. It reminds me of a building block set.

This one of those wine racks that also works well as a serving table! Or put your favorite wine guide on the top of this table.

The Mendoza Rolling Wine Cart has all the potential to become party central. It can hold up to 8 bottles and 12 wine glasses. It has a storage drawer, and there’s a railing around the open storage area - so it can safely hold more bottles.

Plus did I mention it rolls? That’s a great feature for dinner parties - you know how it seems everybody first congregates in the kitchen, then the party moves out to the dining room and living room? Just roll the Mendoza Cart wherever you need it as the evening progresses!

I’m really starting to like floor wine racks?Have you seen any good ones out there lately?

It happens to the best of us - you’ve got an open  bottle of wine left over. Or perhaps, you got a less than stellar bottle - and you just don’t feel like drinking it. Don’t pour it down the drain! Give it a new, delicious life as Spiced Wine Syrup.

Spiced Wine Syrup is a totally decadent way to utilize leftover wine. Sweet, spicy, and boozy - it’s the perfect accompaniment to vanilla ice cream, or drizzled over brownies with whipped cream. It’s also good for dunking biscotti! Also, poached peaches or pears with this syrup - utterly sublime.

Mulled Wine Syrup

• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 vanilla bean (split with insides scraped and mixed in)
• 1 star anise

Place everything into a medium pot or a skillet. Bring it to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and reduce until the liquid is reduced by a third. It will be slightly syrupy - it’ll get even more syrupy as it cools. Strain out the spice solids, and refrigerate your syrup.

Now, I do believe this keeps indefinitely. However - I can’t say that for sure because it never lasts too long in my house!

Do you need a way to store your delicious, gourmet, extra fancy mulled wine syrup? How about a Glass Canister with a Rubber Seal from StacksAndStacks.com? The rubber ring creates a vacuum seal that protects the quality of your food. Plus, it’s pretty enough to bring out to the table!

How do you deal with leftover wine? I’ve heard some success stories about turning it into red wine vinegar. If I try that, I’ll let you know. Who knows what we can create by plumbing the depths of our wine racks?

You know that big movie with transforming robots - well, there’s a wine lover’s equivalent! Behold! The Expandable Wine Bar.

Way cool. This expanding wine cabinet provides a small footprint during the day. It has storage for 9 bottles, glassware, and a pull out drawer. However - when company comes over - it transforms into a full wine bar. Perfect for entertaining. You can serve snacks, people can gather around and drink, and when the party is over it transforms back into it’s smaller form. It’s 16″ wide in its small size, and 50″ wide when it’s in full form.

I love versatile furniture like this. It’s all about the element of surprise. “Oh hey everybody, gather round my wine bar. What? You don’t see it? Well, here it is!”. Then, wait for the applause.

So, if you’re looking to upgrade from your smaller wine rack - take a look at the Expandable Wine Bar!

Remember how a few years ago, it seemed like Merlot was everywhere? And then Sideways came out, and Pinot Noir took the spotlight. Well, I have a recommendation for the next great red wine - the 2006 Imagery Grenache! Imagery Winery is a sister winery of Benziger. It’s almost like a boutique winery - they have the freedom to create wines with creative blends of varietals. If you get a chance to wine tasting in Sonoma County, you must stop by the winery! Not only is it a gorgeous place to walk around, the tasting staff are some of the nicest people you’ll meet.

The Grenache was one of those wines I tasted, and something clicked in my brain. How had I gone so long with never drinking this!?! It’s a medium bodied wine, with fruity cherry/berry notes. What’s really interesting about this wine is that it has a deep, almost smoky, finish. It pairs well with a lot of food, including chocolate cake (I attest to this from personal experience).

That fateful day at Imagery led to me buying 3 bottles of the Grenache. Three bottles - that can be a tricky amount for storage. But that’s why tabletop wine racks like the Axis Vertical Rack were invented! This attractive chrome rack is designed to hold a trio of bottles, and is perfect for a kitchen counter.  Sometimes you don’t need a big wine rack. Sometimes the best wine rack is small, stylish and even a bit of a conversation starter. Kind of like Imagery Winery, and their wines.

No, I’m not talking about those compressed carbon pieces that everyone seems so keen on! I’m talking about this Diamond Wine Rack!  

This is another example of how modular wine storage can change your life. This understated wine rack can hold up to 24 bottles of wine. And, since it has an open design - it can even hold differently sized bottles. You’ll have a central space for wine storage, whether you’re collecting magnums, splits, or standard sized bottles.

You can also stack multiples of this divided wine rack - perfect for growing collections. I like the dark finish, too.

I’ve recently been hearing about keeping wines in a closet - it seems to be a good solution when you aren’t ready to invest in a wine cooler, or if you don’t have the space for a wine cellar. This wine rack  from StacksAndStacks.com would be a terrific way to keep your wines, and your closet, neatly organized.