Wine Racks and Bars

Natural cellars are the ideal place for wine conservation, as they are dark, free from outside disturbance and have a highly specific climate. But, it is rare in a transient modern world to find such a natural environment to keep one’s wines.

 In 1976, EuroCave of Lyon, France was the first to develop a self-contained wine cellar that recreates the natural cooling environment of a chateau wine cellar. Suitable for small, growing, and extensive wine collections alike, these wine cellars are flawless in temperature and humidity control, remarkable in hand craftsmanship, and supremely beautiful.

EuroCave wine cellar and wine storage cabinets recreate the climate found in natural cellars in the following ways:

Temperature:
The two worst enemies of wine are extreme temperatures and fluctuating temperatures. A constant temperature of between 50°F and 57°F is considered ideal for wine to reach its full potential in a wine cellar.

The speed of biochemical development in wine is directly linked to temperature; it is therefore not a good idea to leave wines to mature at too high temperatures. Temperatures from 50°F and 57°F are generally considered to be optimal for wine to reach its full potential.

Fluctuating temperatures repeatedly dilate and contract the wine in the bottle. These variations quite simply tire the vintages, sapping their organic vitality.

All EuroCave wine cellar cabinets are equipped with an original Twin Process heat regulating system (double hot/cold) that recreates the climate in the best natural wine cellars. Thanks to high precision sensors, the Twin process operates in real time to make the required corrections to keep an ideal temperature, producing hot and cold to keep the interior of the cabinet at a stable level. In this way even if the cabinet is exposed to extreme temperatures, (from 32° to 95°F) your bottles are preserved at a constant temperature of 50°F and 57°F.

Darkness:
Light rapidly degrades wine through irreversible oxidation of the tannins.

Light, and especially ultra violet rays, will break even through the dark green of the bottles, causing damage to your wines very quickly. Just as in underground wine cellars, your wine should be stored in total darkness, especially away from UV.

EuroCave wine cellar cabinets have opaque or glazed doors treated to filter UV and thus protect the wine from the light. The Lighting option available in the Classic cabinets is designed to meet this wine preservation criteria: this cold light contains no ultra violet and generates very little heat.

 Natural Ventilation:
A constant supply of filtered outside air is essential if unpleasant smells and mould are to be avoided.

Wine is a living product, it lives and breathes through its cork. The quality and renewal of the ambient air in a wine cellar are determining factors in wine preservation. A good wine cellar should always have an inlet of air from the outside, and it should be filtered so as not to introduce any undesirable smells. 

EuroCave wine cellar cabinets benefit from natural ventilation through a breather effect. The air is directed by an opening at the top of the cabinet, equipped with an active charcoal filter, and then escapes through an opening at the bottom. The constant and progressive renewal of air thus avoids mould and the development of unpleasant smells.

Hygrometry:
This is an essential factor, enabling the wine corks to conserve their sealing properties.

The ideal humidity rate must be higher than 50% :
Respect for well defined hygrometry conditions is an essential factor in good wine preservation. The enlightened enthusiast will undoubtedly know that a too low hygrometry level will dry out the corks and make the wine cry, and could allow air into the bottle whilst highly saturated air will deteriorate labels, making identification a game of chance.

EuroCave wine cellar cabinets are equipped with SRA walls (Stone Relief Aluminium) which offer great heat conduction. The natural humidity in the air settles on the walls and distributes itself uniformly in the cabinet. An electric sensor measures the relative humidity inside the wine cabinet and a display shows you the level. If the humidity level remains too low for too long a time, a visual alarm gives you a warning. You can therefore enjoy peace of mind, in the knowledge that your wines are being well looked after.

Freedom from Vibration:
Vibration disrupts the slow process of biochemical development in wine and is often fatal to the best vintages. To leave a wine to mature in peace, all vibration must be eliminated, as this can break the molecules. Vibration will cause a mechanical agitation that will turn the wine.

EuroCave wine cellar cabinets have an original Vibration Exclusion System (VES) that ensures high performance anti-vibration barrier with several layers of protection. The compressor is separate from the cabinet walls with high performance Silent blocks, that avoid any transmission of vibration. The wine racks are equipped with several shock absorbers, thus restricting any residual vibration.

Wine Cellar Layout:
Moving bottles too often can be harmful to good wine preservation. It is highly recommended to have a wine cellar storage solution that avoids unnecessary movement.

EuroCave has designed the dimensions of its wine cellar cabinets bearing in mind the extreme weight and varied shapes of wine bottles. Bottles are arranged in layers 2 deep and are securely held in the recesses provided for this purpose.

EuroCave wine cellar cabinets are designed to optimize storage capacity: it is thus possible to keep 13 bottles on just one row of the rack, and up to 248 bottles on a ground area of approximately 1.6 ft².

Individually handcrafted in a thirty-step process, the EuroCave wine cellar will provide years of smooth, quiet, vibration-free service with the utmost ease of operation. Stored in these true wine cellars, your finest vintages will develop to their full potential. Also the security lock and key will keep your valuable wine collection safely protected.

Click to see the full range of Eurocave Wine cellars and cabinets

How often have you purchased a set of elegant wine glasses only to have them break and require a replacement set to be purchased? Unbreakable or break-resistant wine glasses, as well as providing longevity, are a great addition to your wine collection especially for outdoor entertaining.

Unbreakable wine glasses are made with several materials and come in a wide variety of styles -

Unbreakable Polycarbonate Wine Glasses
 

Transparent polycarbonate is unbreakable, safe for outdoor entertaining, yet elegant enough for indoor use. Polycarbonate unbreakable wine glasses are top-rack dishwasher safe. The glasses will not crack, scratch or become cloudy. Use indoors or out for stylish entertaining.

Click on the image above for polycarbonate unbreakable wine glasses

Break Resistant Wine Glasses

To let a wine breathe merely means to expose it to fresh air. When a wine mixes with the air, it begins oxidizing. Depending on the wine’s type and age, oxidation can cause different effects, both desired and undesired.  

What wines need to breathe?

It depends on the wine. If the wine is tannic or has been closed for a long time, it will need time to oxygenate after opening. But most wines do not need it. For example, most white wines are ready to be consumed as soon as the cork is pulled. 
 
For a younger wine, breathing is normally not needed, as most of the wines flavors and characteristics will be immediately present upon opening the bottle.  
 
For an older wine, which has had time to age in the bottle, and which has been exposed to slight amounts of oxygen that seeped in through the cork, a longer amount of breathing may be necessary.

Sometimes, allowing an older wine to breath for 15 minutes to an hour will allow its deeper flavors, aromas and characteristics to show through, which otherwise might not have developed had the wine been opened and then immediately poured.
 
There are several ways to allow a wine to breathe:  
 
1. uncorking the bottle and letting it sit out for a few minutes to an hour.
 
2. pouring it into a decanter (a specially-designed glass or crystal container that permits a maximum surface area of the wine to be exposed to air)  
 
3. pouring the wine into a glass, and waiting a few minutes before drinking it.

See our wide selection of wine decanters to allow your wine to breathe.

In 2004, the movie Sideways was released, where it quickly received critical and public acclaim. The story centers on two friends who take a wine tasting trip as they wrestle with their own personal shortcomings. As the movie took off, so did the country’s fascination with all things wine. Today, fueled in large part by that film, more people than ever before are collecting and displaying wines. And although it may often be an overlooked element in most wine collections, the wine rack can be just as important as the bottles. In this article, we’ll provide you with an easy guide to choosing the best wine rack kit for your collection.

The first thing you should do is honestly evaluate your collection and its potential for growth. If you only plan on keeping 10 – 20 bottles at a time, it certainly doesn’t make sense to purchase a wine rack that holds hundreds of bottles. On the other hand, if you plan on increasing your collection, make sure you buy a wine rack with plenty of space.

The next consideration when choosing a wine rack is the material of the rack. While there are several different options available, the most popular tend to be those made of wood or metal. This decision is basically one of personal preference, as both racks look amazing and are very functional.

The next thing you need to determine is where you plan on keeping the wine rack. Do you have enough space to accommodate a wall-mounted or free-standing rack? Or do you only have enough room for a counter-top variety? Another thing you have to consider is that wine must be kept at very strict temperatures, and you must choose a spot in the home that allows for these conditions to be met. Your wine collection should be kept at between 50 – 60 degrees and preferably be kept in a cool, dark place.This is the reason many people opt for a freestanding wine rack in a wine cellar. If you do decide to go with a counter-top wine rack, it is crucial that you keep it away from any windows, as the sunlight will surely ruin the wine.

There are a few final things to consider before choosing the right wine rack for your collection. First, make sure the rack is strong enough to hold all of your wine bottles. This also includes any future additions to the collection. Secondly, make sure that all wine bottles are kept on their side, as this allows for the cork to stay moist and your wine to stay fresh.

This guide to choosing the best wine rack kit should help you make a better decision in displaying your own personal collection. Remember to choose a wine rack that will adequately showcase your bottles, while at the same time fitting into your space and budget constraints. Cheers!

by Hannah Roberts

Explore this site to find all your wine storage solutions!

Keep Your Wine Collection Tasting Good To The Last Drop

When in Doubt, Store Bottles Sideways
Though some wine bottles have screw-on caps or rubber or plastic corks, which can stand up to being stood up, most still come with natural corks. To maintain an airtight seal that protects the wine from oxygen and outside aromas, a natural cork needs to stay moist and expanded, says Andrea Robinson, a master sommelier and the author of Great Wine Made Simple (Broadway Books, $28). Store the bottle on its side, so the cork stays in constant contact with the wine. (Avoid storing bottles upside down in their packing cases, because sediment can collect on the corks.)

Keep Wine Away from the Light
If a wine is light struck, it has been subjected to bright light for an extended period of time and will taste “numb and dumb,” says Robinson. Although most bottles are made from tinted glass, which offers some UV protection, there’s still a risk of exposure. “The most important thing is to keep the bottles out of direct sunlight,” says Anita LaRaia, author of Pick a Perfect Wine…In No Time (Que, $17). Keeping your wine low to the ground or in a cabinet helps protect it from overhead fluorescent lighting, which can also do damage.

If You Can’t Keep It Cool, Keep It Stable
The ideal wine-storage temperature is 45° F for white wine and 55° F for red wine, but if you’ll be opening the bottle within six months, a warmer room temperature is fine. Just avoid storing bottles in pockets of high heat or in locations where temperatures fluctuate drastically, such as next to the dishwasher or stove. Above all, don’t stash a collection on top of the refrigerator, says Robinson. Overhead lighting and refrigerator exhaust give off a lot of heat, and the constant vibration can adversely affect taste.

Make the Second Time as Good as the First
Don’t feel pressured to down an entire bottle in one sitting. You can enjoy what’s left over as long as you recork the wine and store it properly. First, make sure the same end of the cork goes back in the bottle (the other end has been exposed to mold and odors). If the cork won’t go in easily, use the blade of a corkscrew to shave a notch near the bottom on either side, or pick up a reusable rubber stopper at a wine shop for about $1. Store the wine in the refrigerator, where the cold will help preserve it. (You can keep the bottles upright, since the air seal has been broken.) The acid in white wines, such as Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs, helps keep them fresh for about three days, whereas most reds should be finished in a day or two, says Robinson.

Written by Sarah Engler