Category Archives: Wine Cellars

Choosing the Right Wine Racking System in Vancouver, Canada

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Wine racks are the most ideal places to lay wines. Wine racking systems in Vancouver, Canada come in various styles, sizes and materials. How do you choose which wine racks are best for your wine collection? This article discusses tips on how to determine the right wine racking systems for you.

How to Choose the Right Wine Racks in Vancouver, Canada

Genuine wine lovers know the importance of proper wine storage. You can never truly enjoy wines if you do not know how and where to store them. The best place to keep them is in a residential custom wine cellar in Vancouver, Canada, with durable wine racks installed.

Wine racks Canada

Effective Wine Racking Systems

Why are Wine Racks a Necessary Part of Wine Storage?

There are many reasons why wine racks are an ideal wine storage solution. One reason is that they are durable. Wine racks can be made from a variety of materials. Wooden wine racks and metal wine racks are among the most popular and most durable types. Another reason is that wine racks are aesthetically pleasing. You can flaunt your wine collection to your guests and friends. That’s why you need to have a beautifully designed wine racking system.

6 Things to Consider When Choosing a Wine Racking System

Wine racks in Vancouver, Canada come in various styles, sizes and materials. How do you know which ones are right for your wine collection? Here are 6 things to keep in mind:

Wooden Wine Racks Canada

Beautiful and Durable Wooden Wine Racks

1. Analyze Your Wine Storage Needs

There is no rule that states that you should only have a single wine rack, but before you purchase or have built a lot of wine racks, you should first analyze your wine storage needs. To be safe, it is wise to take into account the size of your wine collection. Not only should you note the amount of wine you consume in a week, but also the amount of wine count the amount of wine you consume in a week, but also the amount of wine you plan to store. Also, consider whether you want to have a fixed number of wine bottles or, if you intend to have a continuously growing wine collection. This will help you determine the size and type of wine racking system you need.

2. Consider Where You Install Your Wines

True wine lovers know that wines can never truly be enjoyed if they are not at their best, and wines cannot be kept in that state if they are not placed inside a wine cellar. Wine storage is undoubtedly an integral part of the wine drinking experience. Therefore, before you decide to purchase wine racks, you should already have a wine cellar to install them in.

Wine cellars are an ideal storage place for wines, because they can provide wines with the appropriate temperature and humidity for them to age properly. Wine cellars also protect wines from sunlight, which could otherwise damage them.

Understanding What Wine Cellar Cooling Units Are

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A wine cellar refrigeration system is an integral part of a wine storage solution. It is responsible for providing the cool temperature and humidity to wines inside a wine storage room,so that they can age and develop properly. Without a good cooling system installed, a wine cellar will be rendered useless.

What is a Wine Cellar Cooling Unit?

A wine cellar cooling unit is similar to a regular air conditioning unit, but not quite the same. A wine cellar cooling system is specifically built to cater to the wine storage needs of wine cellars. Only a wine cellar cooling unit can provide the specific temperature and humidity levels that wines need to develop their aromas and flavors. At its core, a wine cellar refrigeration system is an air exchanger. It basically provides cool air to a wine cellar, while removing the warm air that rises to the top and sending it into an exhaust room.

 

Basic Elements of a Good Wine Cellar Refrigeration System

Wine cellar refrigeration systems in Vancouver, Canada come in various shapes, sizes and configurations. It can be really difficult to determine which brand is best fit for your wine storage room.To make it easier to choose the right wine cellar cooling system, here are the standard requirements of a quality wine cellar cooling unit:

1. A Good Wine Cellar Cooling Unit is Durable.

It is imperative that your wine cellar cooling unit in Vancouver, Canada, has a long lifespan. Generally, the longer the lifespan of a refrigeration system, the more expensive it is. Wine cellar cooling systems that are on the lower end of the market usually last around 1 to 4 years, but there are a few that are known to last longer when used under the ideal conditions. High quality wine cellar refrigeration units can last from 5 to 7 years, with some brands lasting even longer.

2. Choose Wine Cellar Cooling Units That Produce Minimal Noise

A wine cellar cooling unit is the most common source of noise in a wine storage room. The problem with noise is that, if it is excessive, it can cause vibrations in the wine racks and there by disturb the aging and development process of the wines. The amount of noise that a wine cellar cooling unit produces depends on its quality and on how it is configured. Some types of cooling units produce minimal noise, while others are very noisy.

3. Your Cellar Refrigeration Unit Should Be Efficient

The efficiency of a wine cellar refrigeration system is essential. How does the cooling unit perform the task at hand? There are cooling units that can cool a room to the ideal temperature, but cannot maintain it for very long. Some cooling units have trouble functioning should the outside temperature become too warm or too cold. There are also some refrigeration units that have a problem with temperature uniformity, producing cooler and warmer spots through the custom wine cellar.

Many times, the design and construction of the wine cellar play a large role in how well the wine cellar refrigeration system functions. If a wine cellar is not properly insulated, and if it isn’t completely air tight, a wine cellar cooling unit will fail to function effectively. Also, if you install a cooling unit that is too small for a large wine storage room, the unit will fail to do its job properly, and can even be damaged.

Types of Wine Cellar Cooling Systems in Vancouver, Canada

There are various types of wine cellar cooling units in Vancouver, Canada, but they can be categorized into two basic kinds.

1. Self-Contained Wine Cellar Cooling Systems

A self-contained wine cellar cooling unit has both the evaporator and condenser contained in one single housing. There are two subtypes of self-contained wine cellar cooling units and they are:

a. Ductless Self-Contained Wine Cellar Cooling Units

This is the easiest to install, because you simply mount the cooling unit through the wall of the home wine cellar. An HVAC professional is not needed for the installation of this unit. The major advantage of ductless self-contained wine cellar cooling systems is that they are very cost-effective. The common complaint for this kind of cooling system is that it produces a lot of noise in the wine storage room.

Wine Collecting 101: All About Large Format Wine Bottles

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One of the most common problems that wine enthusiasts face when collecting wine is wine storage. It always is a challenge when you want to add large format wine bottles and odd-shaped bottles in your wine collection, but you only have regular-sized wine racks.

Have you ever wondered why wineries would make large bottles of wine when they seem so impractical when it comes to where and how to store them? Why can’t wineries just make all wine bottles identical and standard-sized? Learn more about large format wine bottles by reading through this article:

Wine Bottles Sizes

Various wine bottles sizes in Canada

1. Large Format Wine Bottles are Rare

Some wineries only produce large format wine bottles for very special wines, and they only release them for very special occasions. There are wineries that only use large format wine bottles to showcase vintage wines, and release them only during the winery’s anniversary or for other occasions like a charitable event.

2. Wines in Large Format Bottles are Usually Higher in Quality

Wine ages through a chemical process called oxidation. In this process, the chemical components of wine are exposed to a small amount of oxygen. Take note that proper maturation happens with only a small amount of oxygen. Too much exposure to oxygen can ruin the flavor of wine.

In every wine bottle, there is a small amount of oxygen trapped in the empty space called an ullage. When the wine bottle is big, the amount of oxygen in it is relatively smaller than the volume of wine. This means that the oxidation of wine is slower. Slower oxidation often translates to better wine aging, and therefore, a higher quality of wine.

This also means that if you want to put away a wine bottle for a special occasion many years in the future, a large format wine bottle is a safe bet. Since oxidation is slower in large format wine bottles, they will reach their peak long after 750ml bottles have reached their prime.

3. Large Format Wine Bottles Are Highly Resistant to Fluctuations in Temperature

Fluctuating temperature is one of the enemies of wine. Wine needs to be stored in the ideal temperature, with minimal to no fluctuations. Large-format wine bottles contain a larger volume of wine. Larger volumes of liquid take longer to warm or cool, and therefore are more resistant to the damages caused by constant temperature fluctuations.

This does not mean, though, that you should settle for less than ideal custom wine cellar conditions. Your wines, whether in large format wine bottles or standard wine bottles, should be kept in a residential wine cellar that can provide the ideal conditions for proper wine storage.

4. Large-Format Bottles Look More Fitting For Occasions

When we have celebrations and parties, we want everything to look grand and festive. Nothing looks more grand and festive than large format wine bottles. Wines in these bottles look impressive, and they are an immediate attention grabber.

Wine Racks in Canada & Their Various Kinds

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Wine racks in Vancouver, Canada come in various styles, shapes and sizes, depending on your needs. They can be used either for simply displaying wines in your home or for long term wine storage. Wine racks can also be made from various materials.

Learn more about wine racks by reading through this page:

Wooden Wine Racks

A few of the most beautiful types of wine racks in Canada are those made from wood. Wooden wine racks are commonly made from Pine, Oak or Mahogany. Wooden wine racks in Canada can store from a few wine bottles to hundreds and thousands of them.

Wooden wine racks are very classy looking, and there are many stain options to choose from. These kinds of wine racks are durable as long as they are kept in the right conditions.

Modular wine racks in Canada are the best because you can add onto them as your collection grows.

Metal Wine Racks

There are many different kinds of metal wine racks. Those made from brass or stainless steel are the most common. Metal wine racks are the most durable kind. They can last for many years, but you will have to protect it from rust formation for it to remain durable.

Wine Flaws and Vancouver Wine Cellar Cooling Systems

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How do you make sure that the wines you have in your collection are of the best quality? Ensuring freshness and taste quality of wine is quiet a challenging task. But, with proper wine storage, your wine will surely satisfy your guests’ palate during a party in your Vancouver custom wine cellar.

Poor storage conditions often result in wine flaws. Wine flaws are minor attributes that cause wine to be less than enjoyable. By keeping wine in a wine cellar that can stabilize temperature and humidity, proper storage can be achieved and wine flaws can be prevented.

We have this notion that the longer the wine is stored, the better it tastes. Basically, we all have to remember that only a small percentage of fine wines on the market benefit from long term aging. Most wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release.

Common Causes of Wine Flaws and Tips for Proper Wine Storage

Too Much Heat

We have to take note that it is important to keep wine cool, but not too cool. Heat is the number one enemy of wine, but make sure not to keep it somewhere so cold that it could freeze. If the storage area is too hot, wine often become oxidized and get “cooked”, resulting in flat aromas and flavors. This is why wine racks must not be placed near sources of heat such as appliances.

Vibration

Vibration must also be avoided so as not to disturb wine’s sediments. Disturbed sediments can cause unpleasant flavour in wine. Wine must also be kept in a dark area because too much exposure to light can affect the quality your most precious wines. Keeping these wines without much further consideration may result in wine flaws.

Poor Wine Storage or Transportation