Posted by Hayden Allen on Wed 6th June 2007 at 07:29 AM, Filed in Luxury Drinks
Now here’s an inspiring gadget; The Winepod allows you to make all your own wine with the assistance of your computer.
You control the aging, fermentation and pressing via the wireless connection to software on your computer.
The software is named Dashboard and it will keep you organized, sorting all the information about your wine and asks you relevant questions to provide you with the exact wine you’re looking for. The machine does he rest!
Although it’s around £1750, if you’re a big wine fan and always fancied a go at making your own then this is for you. You don’t need acres of vineyards or even a beret, just a wireless connection and a computer.
NEED ONE? Click here
Posted by Peter Brady on Fri 1st June 2007 at 03:34 AM, Filed in Luxury Drinks
The most expensive bottle of wine ever sold was the 1787 vintage Sauternes from Château Yquem that went for a record US$100,000. That’s £10,000 a glass!
The purchaser was a fine wine collector from the US.
But at over 200 years old what will the wine taste like? “Château Yquem is a sweet wine made in Bordeaux from completely shrivelled up, late harvested grapes. It has the concentration that enables it to mature for many years, even centuries. Apart from the taste, the enjoyment of wine as old as this is a remarkably nostalgic experience. In 1787 when peasants in Bordeaux were picking these grapes, George Washington became the first President of the United States, the French Revolution began, George III was King of England and James Watt was developing the steam engine!”
Posted by Peter Brady on Fri 27th October 2006 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Luxury Drinks
Considered to be the “Rolls Royce” of wine storage, the EuroCave Elite is a beautifully crafted facility that can be individually tailored to accommodate up to 400 bottles (not as much as competitors) in two separate units split by a humidor for up to 1,000 cigars.
Temperatures are maintained within three separate self contained areas.
The unit is designed in Beech wood, hand crafted by professional cabinet makers and finished in a choice of 7 wood shades.
Retailing for £14,975 ($27,700) the Norcave really is a sumptuous product, but does is it offer an effective substitute for a proper basement cellar. I’m not sure. If you’re a genuine wine buff then you might want to consider the Eurocave Elite for wine easy to hand and a secondary storage facility like the Spiral Cellar for your more valuable stock.
Posted by Peter Brady on Wed 25th October 2006 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Luxury Drinks
If you’re looking to add something a little different to your home, look no further than this ingenious spiral cellar.
Retailing from £7,300 with SpiralCellar they are aesthetically appealing and an ingenious way of incorporating a ready made cellar into a large kitchen or garage.
Every spiral cellar is the same diameter, but the depth varies depending on how many bottles you wish to store. Depth options run from two to three metres, the biggest of which allows for storage of up to 1,600 bottles. If you need something a little smaller then you could go for a Mini Cellar, which is accessed by a simple wooden staircase, rather than a spiral, and allows storage for up to 770.
The prefabricated units regulate temperature, humidity and light levels. Construction apparently takes 5 days to complete.
Posted by Peter Brady on Tue 24th October 2006 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Luxury Drinks
Many luxury homes incorporate wine cellars or other facilities for storing your chosen tipple. But, is it really the ideal conditions for storing those vintage bottles?
Here are some tips for ensuring that your burgeoning wine collection isn’t damaged by the lapse of time.
1. Temperature is probably the most important factor in securing your wine collection for the future. This should remain at a steady 11-12 degrees celsius for optimum maturation.
2. A degree of humidity is important in maintaining the cork’s integrity. A dry cork will shrink and deteriorate allowing the wine to oxidise.
3. Light can rapidly degrade wine so it’s important to keep bottles in dim conditions for most of the time.
