I talked with a potential client the other week and the first thing he asked me, “How cheap can this be?” My response was, “You may have to see someone else. The price is what it is and if you want just some cheap racking order them from some company off the Internet and be done with it.  I knew I was not going to get my on-site fee, so why

Be Kind To Your Wine!

even bother with this one. The more we talked, I knew he would go with someone else and cost was the only thing on his mind.

  People that are interested in getting a climate controlled room built, for the most part are more concerned with the right technology. Cost should be a factor, but not the only

Poly Coat Finish, Cork Floor

factor. A wine cellar does not have to cost a fortune, if you watch a few things. Racking doesn’t have to be furniture quality. The inexpensive redwood makes a great look for your cellar. Stay with individuals and stay away from solid diamond bins. They are very costly, due to all the wood used for them. If you want diamond bins, order open diamond bins. They storage is about the same, but for a lot less money. Also stay away from quarter round displays. Again a lot redwood is used, so this is expensive. Go with

Open Bins, Kits

designer kits to start off with. These can be changed down the road very easily if need be. A tile floor can keep your expenses down, as opposed to a cork floor. If in a basement, you could seal your concrete floor, for the time being. So there are a lot of things that you could do, to make your wine cellar less expensive, not cheap!

  The only place that you DO NOT want to skimp on is the cooling unit, insulation, and vapor barrier. Any of these areas that you decide to go cheap on, could be very detrimental to your wines. Getting the right R-factor in the ceiling and the walls, is very important. Don’t forget the vapor barrier on the right side of the walls. Your cooling unit should always be oversized, never under sized. So even in these times you can afford a wine cellar. Don’t let your wines suffer under the kitchen counter, or tucked away under the stairs somewhere. If  your wine collection is still in the growing stages, you could get a wine chiller from your local wine store, until you can are able to make that decision for your new wine cellar.

As always, If you have any questions about wine cellars..E-Mail us and we will get you the right answers..Not just “It’s good enough”

Remember my new book..

“Life On The Road With The Master Wine Cellar Builder”

is available at your favorite bookstore,www.magnumcellars.net, and Amazon.com  Also in e-book format.

Cheers

john@celebritywinereview.tv

Concrete wall on right side

your measurement on the floor only, you will have some problems.

This wine cellar was a mahogany
with a dark stain, and to add to the beauty of the racking, there was a
polycoat applied. When I first got to the jobsite I did take my tape measure to
the walls and the floor. The only discrepancy I found was, there was an inch
difference from wall to wall by the ceiling. The concrete wall on one side was
immovable. I just figured I would cross that bridge when I get to it. So now I
am looking at the plans to start this wine cellar

This racking came from the manufacture out of San Diego, California,
Whole Cellar Company. I have installed their racking several times over the
years. This particular style of wine cellar racking is about as close as you
can get to have a “furniture look wine cellar” as you can get without paying

Great shipping

three times the amount. Whole Cellar ships the racking in bubble wrap and also
cardboard to insure you get your racking without the dings and dents. I don’t
know of any wine cellar builder that enjoys fixing new racking, before you even
start the job.

Working on this job was a different experience for me. The lighting
was not installed yet, nor did I have access to electricity, without sharing it
with everyone else on the jobsite. So when some tripped the breaker, I would
have to wait about ten minuets before the lights were on again. The jobsite
itself had more going on than just my cellar. They were having an addition
built along with a courtyard, movie theatre, a stage, and also an outdoor pizza

Theatre next to wine cellar

oven. The workers on the job were extremely friendly, which came in handy when
I needed help with lifting some of the double-deep racking onto the base
cabinets. Every other Friday they would have a big cookout and I was always
invited.

As I started to build this wine cellar, the space quickly got smaller.
My base cabinets were taking up too much room. I now had very little space to
do anything in. Finally the day came to where things were shaping up. I now had
the back row of cabinets and racking installed. As I started to install the
wall cabinets on the left side, trouble came in numbers. I needed another 5/8
of an inch to make my corner. The only place to get that 5/8 of an inch was to
rebuild on of the wall units. This is why I always say to make sure your wine
cellar is built by a wine cellar builder, not just by some that is not familiar
with wine racks.

Now the weeks are going by and I am wondering if I will ever get this
wine cellar done. The pass thru opening and storage for the ladder came into
play as I thought I was getting to the end. Now the question comes to mind,”How
will I fit a 91 inch ladder into an 86 inch opening”? I have two of these
openings to contend with. So if I can’t get another ladder in time, the only

Ladder in a small space

thing left to do is raise the opening, simple right? All the racking being set
in place now, this becomes another challenge. After three more days of fighting
a small opening and re-doing the racks, my ladder is now able to pass thru from
one side to the other. Did I mention I had to also cut the width down by an
inch earlier? Yeah, this was a wine cellar for the books. But you know at the
end of the installation, it was all worth it when my customer came in to look
and was amazed with his new wine cellar. We toasted the new cellar and all of a
sudden, here is another satisfied customer.

So as I leave you this week, just remember what I always say about the
person you select to give your wines a home. Make sure that they are qualified

4000 Bottles

to make changes that are necessary in the field. If he can’t, the outcome could
be a disaster.

What do Robert Redford, Jay Leno, Regis Philbin, A UFO, and John Schnieder, have in common?  Want the answers? My book  “Life On The Road With The  Master
Wine Cellar Builder” is now available at all your
favorite bookstores and Amazon.com, www.magnumcellars.net, also at Authorhouse.com.

As always,

May all your wines taste great

john@celebritywinereview.tv

In the beginning, only custom racking was only available, which
only the wealthy could afford. This held true, regardless of the size of your
wine cellar whether it was 500 bottles or 10,000 bottles. Details and styles of racks

Custom Wine Cellar

used in the design were all made to order. The cost of racks for a wine cellar at this time soared through the roof.

Over the years, people have wanted to store their wines, but the
cost far exceeded the wine itself. So the need for a less expensive type of
racking came into play. The manufactures listened and the kit racks were born.

First let us define the difference between custom racking and kit
racking:

Kit racks:

Kit racking also come in variety of sizes and shapes sheet for walls, corners, archways and pieces for columns for you to use.

Because wine rack kits are mass-produced, suppliers were able to
keep them in stock for immediate shipping and were able to keep the price down
for the general public. Because their assembly is simple it also helped to keep
the installation cost down as well providing the customer with an overall

Kit Racking Stained

savings over a custom wine cellar. A lot of the kits on the market still need a
qualified wine cellar builder. But kits aren’t the answer to every wine cellar
application. There are some things that you should know and consider when
deciding whether to use kit racking or go with custom racking.

Custom Racking:

In most cases custom racking is more of an investment because most
people associate it with building a showcase cellar. Custom racking uses higher
grades and more exotic woods, more bottle displays, waterfalls, solid diamond
bins. They could also use special finishes, display lighting, etc and is made
to fit your space exactly. With a custom wine cellar, if you dream it, convey it to your designer, your new wine cellar can become a reality.

Although the kit rack installation is simplified and it can be trimmed in the field, to give you a more custom look. You have to be careful of your design and how much modifying you are planning to have your wine cellar builder cut to make it work. Remember the more modification your wine cellar builder has to do, the more money it could cost you. Many people plan their wine cellar without considering the extra cost involved for additional racks, which you may need to buy. A lot of times you will need these extra racks to trim and make your wine cellar look better. Unfortunately, you will throw the unused portion of the racks away, adding to the cost as well as the additional labor associated with trimming.

A lot of manufacturers try to make it easier by offering “modified” versions of some of their racks. But you still have to consider that it is an extra rack that needs to be assembled and installed. Now what you thought you where saving, you may have simply made up in additional installation and racking costs.

When you look at the cost of custom racking instead of kits, it just might surprise you. First of all many custom racks come in different grades of wood, and if you keep the design simple, the installation is a straight assembly without modifying needed in the field.

Custom or Kit Racking?

Remember the racks for this wine cellar is made to fit your space. You can vary
the heights and get more capacity and a better fit for your new wine cellar.

Last but certainly not least, if your new wine cellar is strictly functional wine cellar or a show case, your wine racks should have some aesthetic value to them. Try to avoid creating a cookie cutter wine cellar design. Let a professional wine cellar designer create a unique home for your wines. I can honestly say that I have never designed or built the same wine cellar.  I have used wood, lime stone and
metal in conjunction with a wine cellar. By combining these together in a
single wine cellar design it can afford you a more functionality, unique and a more
interesting wine cellar.

So if you are considering a wine cellar in your home or a commercial application, be creative, don’t be afraid to explore with colors, tile, stone, metal, or anything

A Wine Cellar Needed Here!!

else you would like to incorporate in your new wine cellar.
I am always available to answer question on building your new wine cellar. Or do you want to store your wines like this?

As always may all your wines be great!!!

john@celebritywinereview.tv

Remember to look for my book available now at amazon.com, barnes and noble, and at www.magnumcellars.net

Founder and Managing Director, Brian Dimarco

Austrian wines have exploded on to the wine scene in the past few years, but can often leave unfamiliar consumers confused and overwhelmed due to the plethora of Grüner Veltiner and Blaufränkisch wines – many organic, most from small, single vineyard plantings. One of the best resources Austrian wine consumers can turn to are those that import the wines – the ones that really know them inside and out, know the market and know the potential each has to become your new favorite wine.

This month we sat down with The Barterhouse, Inc. Here’s what they had to say:

What makes Austrian wine so unique? What makes it stand out from other regions? Austrian wine is something that was once a very “niche” wine not known to the rest of the world. The cold climate and diverse soil allow Austrian wine to take on everything from a crisp, mineral personality of a grüner to a smoky, creamy pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon. What people don’t know is how strict the wine rules of Austria are. If it isn’t good enough, it doesn’t get bottled. That allows us to distribute only the best from Austria and we are proud to do it.

What influenced your decision to work with Austrian wines? As stated above, we wanted to help put Austria on the map. We believe in the superieur quality of the wines and want New York to be able to enjoy it with us.

Which producers do you distribute? Highlights? We distribute Leo Hillinger (Burgenland), Anton Bauer and Paul Direder (anton’s protegé) from Wagram, Tegernseerhof (Wachau) and Steininger ( Kamptal). I can’t choose a favorite, we have such extraordinary wines from each producer, but Hillinger blaüfrankisch Leithberg and Tegernseerhof T26 grüner are standouts.

Which states are you distributed in? NY, NJ, DE, CT, MD, PA, MI, VA, Washington DC.

What’s your favorite Austrian varietal? Region? Why? Grüner, definitely from any region. It’s the indigenous grape there and the best representation of the country as a wine making whole.

What’s your favorite food & wine pairing for the season? Our favorite “traditional” pairing is of course, grüner and asparagus. We had a great lunch with one of the Steininger wine makers where she paired sparkling grüner (called Sekt in Austria) with asparagus and cod. It was amazing. We are also enjoying Anton Bauer’s Wagram pinot noir with a lovely prociuitto and fig flatbread served at Todd English’s Olives restaurant.

Where do you see the future of Austrian wine heading? It is gaining a major foothold in the industry. A year ago, there wasn’t much to be said about it, but now Wine Specatator features it and there was just a three page spread in the latest issue of Tasting Table magazine.

Anything else you’d like to add? Just try different wine regions, even if they aren’t well known. Austria has definitely proven that taste and word of mouth can catapult a country’s wine into the spotlight. You could easily find the next big thing in the back of a wine shop.

Note: The wines found in this portfolio are exported from Austria by Klaus Wittauer, owner of KW Selection. We interviewed him a couple months back as well – check it out here.

Someone told me once that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I suppose you are wondering what all of this has to do wine cellars?
This week my job took me to new wonders again. I can not get my mind
wrapped around on how contractors/builders could build such a beautiful home
and get the wine cellar so screwed up?

Oh yeah, they forgot to call in an expert!

We have talked about this so many times before proper wine cellar insulation; I feel that maybe no-one is listening. This is going to be the subject of yet another bad wine cellar build.
I went to this residence this week to install a couple of very simple items. A cooling unit, the Eurocave INOA to be specific, and of course the wine
racks. Does this sound just like one that I just did a few weeks ago? This
started out to be just like any other job. Before installing the cooling unit, I
took my measurements on both sides of the wall, inside the cellar and outside

Looking out of the wine cellar

the cellar, just to make sure I don’t cut the holes in the wrong place. As I
cut the first hole I noticed that there was not a vapor barrier. Did I mention
my first cut was outside the cellar? I cut out the opening and started to move
some of the insulation. To my surprise I found that the contractor used
insulation with the backing towards the wine cellar. Then to make things even
worse, they had the vapor barrier on the wrong side of the wall also. They had
it on the wine cellar side, which is commonly known as the “cold side”.
This is a problem since now there is a chance for mildew and mold to grow
inside the wine cellar. If you don’t know by now, mildew and mold ARE NOT the
best things for the safety of your stored wines. This probably won’t happen for
a while and maybe you might move from this residence and it becomes someone
else’s problem. The only person that is responsible for this bad installation is the
contractor. As I said before the contractor or builder that builds the room for
your wine cellar should be held accountable for any and all damages done to
your wines.
This is why I always tell anyone interested in building a wine cellar, be wise with your investment. Get some input from someone that had a wine
cellar built, whether it was good or even a bad installation. Most importantly get the right person to build your next wine cellar. A builder that is familiar with a climate controlled rooms.
The contractor that built this particular wine room probably is a great
kitchen, bathroom builder, and if he built the house, he did a great job. They certainly knew enough to put up a vapor barrier and insulate the room. It just happened to be on the wrong side.
The other thing that was done in this wine room was the electric. They pre-wired for a split system, as I was told. A split system also would take copper lines for the Freon to go from the evaporator to the condenser. I did not see anything that resembled any copper lines. One more thing that was done to this cellar. They installed a drain line inside the walls of the wine cellar and left it somewhere in the wall. At this point, all of this is now irrelevant due to
the fact that we used a self contained system, Eurocave  INOA.
All of this for a wine cellar that should only take about three days tops to do. Again it seems like I am waiting for the FED EX guy to show up. They finally told us he would be there the next day. I went to the job-site early, just in case he might show up before the eleven o’clock appointment, only wishful thinking on my part. Finally the third day of wait, the guy shows up in a tractor trailer and is by himself. As I helped him unload the truck, people that drove a car larger than a KIA or a Pruis was a little bit upset. You see he is blocking part of the street and did I mention we were at a country club? Just makes things worse.

It was the end of the day now and I was going to start the next day on finally getting this wine cellar together. Thursday came without a hitch until the customer told me they were going out of town stating Friday and they would not return till Sunday night. Now this little job has turned into a giant pain. Good thing I am retired and don’t have to work for a living, Ha Ha!!

The finished product will speak for itself, now that it is completed. The room will house about 1400 bottles of great wine. The racks themselves are made from Mahogany with a dark stain. The darker part of the tile floor picks up some of the colors from the racks. All in all it turned out to be a great wine cellar, from my part anyway. The insulation and vapor barrier, well that is another story.

So isn’t your next project worth your time and money to have some build
your wine cellar correctly. Remember next to your wife and children, your wines
that you will store in your new wine cellar, shouldn’t you be considerate to
them. They might make you some money in the future or just taste great.

As always, May all your wines taste great!!!

john@celebritywinereview.tv
So remember that if you like reading about my wine cellars and adventures,

check out my new book.

Now available at amazom.com,barnes and noble, www.magnumcellars.net

Enjoying 2009 white Burgundy from Domaine Jacob (under $17, courtesy of Garagiste) at the Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City (the corkage is only $5) - excellent, lively, mineral-infused, flavorful, Chardonnay with no new oak. I expect value-driven red Burgundies to do well in 2009, across the board. But the whites in 2009 may be hit or miss. This one certainly hit the nail on the head. Fantastic with New England clam chowder.

Below is the same wine, equally excellent with fish and chips, and Maine lobster rolls, and fries!

Then an excellent Chianti Classico from a very solid producer Il Molino di Grace from the very good 2006 vintage. Got this wine for under $15 from Vinopolis in Portland, Oregon. Excellent bargain – and a very substantial Chianti, combining earthy black cherry and tar. This could age a few more years. Fabulous with a Blue cheese burger with crispy bacon (yum!) from Oasis in Palo Alto. Enjoying by the Boronda Lake at the pristine Foothills Park (exclusive for Palo Alto residents only!).

And finally, one of the best whites I’ve ever had – and it’s not a white Burgundy. This 1998 Southern Rhone Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Vieux Telegraphe was not a beginner wine – incredibly complex, with scents of herbs and honey. Savory and dry yet full of sweet ripe fruit, satiny texture, and freshness unexpected of a wine with 13 years of age. Enjoying with Krishna after a tough (20-min ) tennis “battle”!

Get more Iron Chevsky at the Iron Chevsky Wine Blog at www.ironchevsky.com

Becky Suriano, at 27 years old is the creator of Wine Me? A company out of New Jersey. She told me that she really did not know which path to take in life. She is

Hand Painted Goblet

natural born artist and tells me a bit of rebellious party girl. When she graduated from West Virginia University, she always knew working for some else was not in her future. This was after many hours of labor Becky had as a server in the restaurant industry. Going from chain restaurants to fine dining, Becky always knew waitressing was not her God-given talent, so she decided to
pursue what was.

It was after attending a lecture by Elizabeth Gilbert, Becky’s favorite author; she had the light come on. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love” shared words from her spiritual journey on finding herself, “Obey what is clear.” Some people find early in life which road to take. Becky at this point knew it was painting. Becky felt as though her favorite author was now speaking directly to her. At that point, she knew that she had to turn her dreams into reality. Becky was determined to start her own business and that’s exactly what she did.  In October
of 2010, the birth of Wine Me? came to be.

Becky, who enjoys sharing a bottle of wine in the company of good friends thought to herself, “Why not just drink? Drink in style.” Now, Becky and her friends enjoy drinking a bottle of wine while also making a fashion statement.

There was a good business move on Becky’s part. Becky and her friends attended various wine festivals, instead of sampling wines out of the glasses the festivals provided. Becky and her friends decided to bring their own hand painted glasses.

Great Wine Glasses

She knew she had a great marketable product when people at the festivals would flock to her and her friends asking where they bought their wine glasses. She now knew that the glasses were a great idea.

Becky now spends countless hours’ hand painting the glassware. Her paintings range from trees to owls, to custom orders. These glasses have become to go to brand for hand painted wine glasses.  Nowadays you can find Wine Me? at wine festivals, flea markets, craft shows. Her glasses have even been in some art galleries. Becky tells me that she loves to travel to different shows to share her love for painting through her glasses.

Today Becky is a one woman show company. Busy from morning to night, she takes care of production, marketing and sales. Because there is such high demand for her trendy glassware Becky says the possibility for manufacturing is not out of
the question.
So if you are looking for something different at your next
wine tasting, get in touch with Becky Suriano at Wine Me?

www.winemecompany.com

You can also like them on
Facebook at facebook.com/winemecompany.

For custom orders email winemecompany@gmail.com. Wine Me?

Did I mention that Wine Me? Will also ship to you anywhere in the world?

As always, May all your wines taste great

john@celebritywinereview.tv

So remember that if you like reading
about my wine cellars and adventures,

check out my new book. Available at amazon.com, barnes and noble, www.magnumcellars.net

Two of the white wines I was very excited about, are not tasting so good anymore. I had stocked up on 2008 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis (from Piedmonte, Italy) and 2007 Chante-Perdrix Condrieu “Authentic” (from Northern Rhone, France). 1-2 years ago they tasted great (see my old raves here and here), but in the past year, they have fattened and lost some of their freshness. I am glad I am down to my last bottle of each, while they still taste okay, especially when paired with just the right food.

This is a reminder that stocking up on wines to keep them for years is not always a good idea, particularly when it comes to Arneis (the white grape of Roero) and Viognier (the white grape of Condrieu) grape varieties. You’ve been warned!