Tag Archives: Chicago residential wine cellars

Chicago Wine Cellars – the Right Way to Fill the Wine Glass

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When serving wine to your guests, it is essential that you know the right amount to pour into the wine glass. After picking a good quality wine from your wine cellar, wine rack, or wine cabinet and popping the wine bottle open, should you fill the wine glass up to the rim, halfway, or less than halfway? These are the questions you have to ask yourself when serving guests during a dinner party in your Chicago home wine cellar or serving wine in a restaurant.

Many articles that I have read regarding the proper pouring of wine in the wine glass discuss this differently. Many have a variety of opinions on how much should be poured into the wine glass. Nonetheless, I have here a summary of what these different articles have been saying for everyone’s reference.

Chicago Wine Cellars – the Right Amount of Wine in a Wine Glass

When buying your wine in a bar or a restaurant, you have three main goals. First, to get your money’s worth. Second, savor every sip you take of your wine. The third is to enjoy the aroma of the wine as you swirl it in your wine glass.
Many restaurants and bars that offer wines have various stands on how much wine should be poured into a glass. It is said that in most restaurants they usually pour about four to five ounces of wine into a wine glass.

You may also request for your wine to be placed in a carafe so that you can pour your preferred amount of wine. This is not only to get value for your money but also to limit your alcohol intake. Despite the fact that wines are said to be beneficial for one’s health, too much of anything is bad. Hence, one should drink in moderation.

I have read one article which states that for red wine glasses, the amount of red wine to be poured is at least 1/3 full. Moreover, sparkling wines should fill about ¾ of the glass, and white wines should be at least half of the glass. Others follow the rule that a wine glass should be filled to the widest part of the bowl.

In general, most bars or restaurants do not have a standard measurement for the amount of wine to be poured into a glass. The reason for this may have something to do with the culture and tradition in the area.

When serving your guests during an occasional dinner party in your Chicago residential wine cellar, you must ensure that their glass is filled less than halfway.  This is to allow them to swirl the wine to release desirable aromas and to decrease the risk of spilling.

Chicago Wine Cellars – Guide to Hosting Wine Tasting Parties

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Wine tasting parties are often engaged by enthusiasts and collectors to enhance and explore their experience and knowledge about wines and sometimes even to “show off” and display their collection in their wine cellars and wine storage cabinets.

Hosting a wine-tasting party need not be a chore or a burden. It could be (or should be) a fun and exciting activity. A wine-tasting party is similar to a book club where participants discuss the merits of a book and express their thoughts about what they read while also being open to other participants’ views and opinions. Below are some tips to guide you in hosting wine-tasting parties in your Chicago home wine cellar.

Wine tasting is best done with people who are not necessarily your good friends, but with people you are comfortable with and who share the same interest and appreciation of wines. When done at home, it is a good opportunity to display one’s collection in his or her Chicago custom wine cellar to fellow enthusiasts and share information.

Wine Tasting Parties in Chicago Home Wine Cellars – Tips to Follow

It is important for the host to determine what kind of wine tasting party he or she wants to give. Is it formal with rating and scorecards? Or is it informal where tasters can express their opinions and views freely?

Scorecards should indicate what tasters are focusing on, otherwise, guests can be given blank index cards to encourage them to take notes and thoughts to be shared with the group.

Is it a round table kind of wine tasting where guests are seated while discussing the merits of the wine? Or is it a free-flowing party where participants freely roam around and assess the wines and at the same time discuss the paintings on the walls and the wines in the host’s Chicago home wine cellar?

For the number of participants, 8-12 is a good number since the size is neither too small nor too big that one hesitates to share his views. It is also important to determine the number of wines to be tasted and whether it is a blind tasting or not.

WINE TASTINGUsually, 6 kinds of wine are used in wine tasting. Each person is served approximately 2 ounces of wine. Blind tasting occurs when the host decides to cover the label of the wine bottle with a brown bag and discuss its characteristics and merits.

It is not necessary for the host to prepare a full course meal to cap off the wine tasting. Finger foods can be served and shared after the wine tasting so as prolong the enjoyment of the party with fellow enthusiasts. During the tasting itself, bland or neutral tasting biscuits or bread can be served to cleanse the palette in between wines. Servings of light cheese will also do the trick.

The host must also prepare enough wine glasses for the guests. Each wine can be poured into one glass to be discarded right after, or a bucket with water for rinsing can be prepared for cleansing in between wines to avoid contamination of flavors. Guests are advised not to wear too much perfume which could distract wine tasters from smelling the real aroma of the liquid.

No matter how the host wants to stage his wine tasting party, what’s important is the sharing of ideas and thoughts with people with which one shares an interest and appreciation. Wine tasting parties are different and unique activities meant to be learned from, enjoyed, and enhance one’s experience.

Chicago Custom Wine Cellars – Wine & Food Pairing Tips

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WINE & FOODPairing wine with food is as exciting as finding the right pair of shoes to match your new dress or suit. You need to find the right match in order to look good.

Pairing wine and food doesn’t need to be expensive as long as it tickles your taste bud. The best thing to do when you pair wine with a certain food is an experiment.

Don’t be afraid to explore the world of food and wine. With so many types of wine stored in your Chicago custom wine cellar, it may take a while for you to find the perfect combination, but once you have found it things will become more fun and interesting. There are no rules in food and wine pairing, only recommendations or suggestions.

Wine and Cheese

WINE & CHEESEIn pairing wine and cheese, it is recommended that you start from the same region where they came from. For example, Parmesan cheese and Italian Chianti go well together. For convenience in looking for a certain type of wine in your wine cellar, you can organize them by region. Click here to learn more ways to organize your custom wine room.

Another trick is to pair a harder type of cheese with wine that contains more tannin, while the creamy cheeses can be paired with a wine that has more acidity, like Chardonnay.
You might want to ask which wine is best paired with cheese- white wine or red wine? White wine is best paired with soft cheeses and stronger flavors, while red wine is best paired with harder cheeses and milder flavors.
Some soft and creamy cheeses leave a layer of fat on the palate which interferes with the flavors in reds, making it monotonous and bland. Though both wines work with cheeses, many wine enthusiasts believe that whites tend to pair better with cheese.

Wine and Chocolate

Choosing the right wine in your Chicago custom wine cellar to complement the right chocolate is the key to having a successful wine and chocolate pairing. Below are some tips to achieve this.

WINE AND CHOCOLATE
– The wine should be sweeter than the chocolate.
– Pair red wine with darker chocolates.
– Complement lighter-bodied wines with lighter and elegant-flavored chocolate, or intensely flavored wine with bittersweet chocolate.
– Chocolate desserts must be paired with sweet dessert wine.

For beginners in the world of wine and food pairing, try to use the mix-and-match approach. Make sure that your wine collection in your Chicago residential wine cellar is organized properly for pairing to be more fun and less hassle.

If you want to start your own wine cellar project, choose an expert wine cellar builder with excellent customer service. Contact Wine Cellar Specialists at 866-646-7089 or simply click here for a FREE 3D wine cellar design package!