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Wine Storage Blog

Custom Wine Cellars & Wine Storage Insights

Wine Storage Specialist:

Laina McConnell

  1. Creamy White Wine Sauce

    Creamy White Wine Sauce

    I came across a delicious, easy-to-make white wine sauce I felt compelled to share.  The only ingredient you may have to run out and get is heavy whipping cream! In a small to medium-sized saucepan, add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 3/4 to a cup of your favorite white wine.  Stir well while heating over...
  2. Red Sauce, White Sauce

    Red Sauce, White Sauce

    While looking for more sauces with wine as a primary ingredient, I came across two delightful ones on Tasting-Wine.com.  I’m re-posting the recipes here, and you can check out the source of these at Tasting-Wine.com. Red Wine Sauce This makes a thick, intensely flavored red wine sauce that's great on red meat. Ingredients •1/4 cup shallots, chopped fine •1 tsp...
  3. Mulled Wine: a Late Summer, Early Fall Treat

    Mulled Wine: a Late Summer, Early Fall Treat

    Traditionally known as a “winter” drink, mulled wine can also be enjoyed in the late summer/early fall season.  It actually makes a great segue into fall, and its familiar aroma often brings back happy childhood memories. (And since there is abundant evidence that connects our sense of smell with episodic memory, a warm cup may just surprise you with an...
  4. Death to Breath Mints

    Death to Breath Mints

    While good food and wine pairing is always to be encouraged, even the best wine can be reduced to ruin on one’s tongue under certain conditions.  Here are six things to avoid before sipping on what would be a delicious glass of vino: 1. Breath mints.  We all want to have fresh breath, especially on dates, but sucking on or...
  5. Wine Review: Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

    Wine Review: Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

    I’ve been a big fan of Gnarly Head’s Cabs for many years, and the Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 is no exception.  This regal, concentrated wine is rich with dark fruit flavor (currants, black cherries, and tart cranberries), and has a velvety “cab” texture that briefly exposes its well-integrated tannins just before a subtle taste of cloves and violets. ...
  6. Winery Quest Pro: an Awesome Wine Travel App

    Winery Quest Pro: an Awesome Wine Travel App

    It’s travel time!  Remember Jake Austad’s trek through California’s wine country?  Here’s a handy, travel app specifically made so that you can enjoy such an adventure: Winery Quest Pro.  Designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, this informative winery reference tool gives you everything you need to plan your California wine trip.  With 20 regional maps, filters for your...
  7. Wine Review: Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence 2007

    Wine Review: Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence 2007

    A “Red Rhone Blend” (a wine made from two or more traditional Southern Rhone grape varieties), this rustic French wine is a well-balanced, fantastic find!  Consisting of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Carignan, 20% Grenache, and 9% Syrah, its slight barnyard nose, common to many “old world” wines, also includes blackberries, raspberries, and candied scents.  On the tongue, wild berries...
  8. Marsala Wine Sauce and Turkey Cutlets

    Marsala Wine Sauce and Turkey Cutlets

    A few years ago, I was offered plain turkey cutlets at a dinner.  (The bland poultry was less-than impressive!) After giving them a second try, however, this time dressing them up with this delicious sauce, I discovered that they can easily make a satisfying entree. Here’s what you’ll need: 4 Turkey Cutlets 1/3 Cup Marsala Wine 3-4 Tbsp. Flour 2...
  9. WineStein Pro: a Wine-Pairing App

    WineStein Pro: a Wine-Pairing App

    Ever have questions when pairing food and wine?  With WineStein Pro, a “genius” application for your iPhone, you can select the perfect wine for every meal.  It’s like having a sommelier in your pocket, on call to offer advice. Simply enter your meal’s main ingredients, sauces and sides, and WineStein is ready to help!  Using cutting-edge artificial intelligence, the app...
  10. Wine Review: Block Nine Caiden’s Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009

    Wine Review: Block Nine Caiden’s Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009

    This relatively inexpensive Pinot Noir is quite a treat!  Beautiful garnet in color, its nose consists of violet, iris, strawberries, and black cherries.  Its velvet-like texture is soothing to the tongue, and its body is solid.  For fans of sweeter Pinot Noirs, the Block Nine 2009 is a good find; the typical earthiness that turns people off from many Pinots...
  11. Wine Collections: Fantastic Investments in Uncertain Times

    Wine Collections: Fantastic Investments in Uncertain Times

    To date, the most expensive bottle of wine sold at auction was a 1787 label-less bottle with “Lafite” and “Th. J.” etched on its front; it was a bottle of wine which some believe to have belonged to Thomas Jefferson.  (The controversy surrounding this claim continues.)  Though the value of the wine was listed as “inestimable,” it sold for 105,000...
  12. Wine Cherry Treats

    Wine Cherry Treats

    They're like a Jell-O shot, but with the addition of some class. And cherries. What's not to love? You’ll need: 1 jar of maraschino cherries with stems 1 cup orange juice 7 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin powder 2 cups red wine, your choice! Rainbow sprinkles Coat two mini half-sphere silicone baking pans (the kind with 15 indentations per pan) with...
  13. Wine Review: Frey Pinot Noir 2009

    Wine Review: Frey Pinot Noir 2009

    It may be September, but it’s not too early to start planning your trip to the 2012 Millésime Bio, Europe’s largest and most impressive organic wine conference that takes place yearly in Montpellier, France.  Among the winning wines from 2011 was a curious 2009 Pinot Noir from Frey Vineyards.  (It won a bronze medal.)  What is most interesting is that...
  14. WineToMatch: an App for Android and iPhone

    WineToMatch: an App for Android and iPhone

    WineToMatch, an app available for both Android and iPhone, features a streamlined process that allows you to select your meal’s main ingredient, type of cuisine, additional traits, and other flavors.  From there, WineToMatch offers recommendations of wines that will best accompany your meal.  And for lovers of sweets, WineToMatch even suggests pairings for dessert items, too!  Overseen by Master Sommelier...
  15. Chardonnay Clam Sauce

    Chardonnay Clam Sauce

    Here’s a simple and delicious clam sauce recipe that's perfect for pasta, and perfect for the fall.  You’ll need: 2 Tbsp. Butter 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is usually best) 1 1/2 Tsp. Fresh, Minced Garlic 1/2 Cup Chardonnay 1 Pinch Salt 1 Pinch Black Pepper 8 to 12 Fresh Clams in Shells (or a can of baby clams...
  16. Creative Wine Racking 101

    Creative Wine Racking 101

    If you and your significant other have talked about creating your own wine cellar, why wait?  Though Vintage Cellars' wine racks are designed by experts, they can be assembled by novices in little time.  This means, with any of the Vintage Cellars wine racking kits, you’re destined for success!  Racks are designed to last a lifetime, and you can...
  17. Fun Wine Trivia

    Fun Wine Trivia

    Did you know that California is the 4th largest producer of wine in the world?  The three top manufacturers are France, Italy, and Spain. When aged, red wines often fade, eventually turning a rusty, brick red color.  White wines, however, become more golden with age before darkening to brownish yellow. When a wine is paired with food, the food and...
  18. French & American Oaks for Aging Wine

    French & American Oaks for Aging Wine

    Aging wine in oak barrels is expensive.  A single, 55-gallon barrel can easily cost more than $1,600.  Barrels made from oak found in the forests of Allier, Nevers, Limousin, and central France are worth even more.  What makes these barrels so costly?  Are wineries paying for the quality of wood, craftsmanship, or both?  The answer is: both; wineries pay for...
  19. Vintage Cellars Sponsors San Diego BBB Mixer

    Vintage Cellars Sponsors San Diego BBB Mixer

    Founded in 1921, the San Diego Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been at the forefront of advancing marketplace trust.  By providing carefully-researched information to the public, the BBB helps consumers make informed purchase decisions, and informs them of businesses they can trust.  Searching for businesses that meet the high demands of BBB accreditation is easy, and you can browse through...
  20. Time for Thanksgiving Wines

    Time for Thanksgiving Wines

    If you’re planning to host a fancy Thanksgiving, why not pull all the stops?  Instead of serving one wine with the meal, liven things up by serving several in graded succession.  For example, start with an apéritif either on its own, or with some light appetizers.  Muscat is an excellent choice, and helps prepare the palate for courses yet...

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