Posted on September 29th, 2011 by Chris, under Wine Rack Accessories, Wine Racks · No Comments
Collecting wine is an enjoyable and fascinating hobby for many people not only up and down the country, but globally across the World. There are a few differing reasons as to why wine is collected, it could be just for fun, an individual or companies financial gain, generally stored for drinking or for hotels, restaurants and bars. One thing remains in all of this though, and that is that wine should be treated with the greatest of care.
Wine Bottle Neck Tags / Labelling
Wine is usually stored in wine racks, but this can vary, whether it’s a traditional wine rack, a fancy modern wine fridge or simple but effective, wine cellar cubes. A problem with storing wine can be that it’s a nightmare to find certain bottles if you have a large and spread out collection. A simple solution to this is to use wine bottle neck tags to label each bottle, a select row or column or a certain wine type or range. It really does make it a lot easier to find and pin point that bottle of Red you were previously struggling to find!
.jpg "http://www.wineware.co.uk/images/products/main/7224(1).jpg")
Wine Cellar Sleeves
Another annoyance that can occur when storing wine actually occurs when a bottle is retracted from the storage position. We sell Wine Bottle Cellar Sleeves which are a great addition to any collection or cellar. The cellar sleeves act as a protector for the label against dust, stains, insect marks and damp and even between the bottle and the rack as they minimise any tearing of the label when bottles are withdrawn from the rack without the usual care. These are ideal for wine label lovers, hotels and restaurants as there is nothing worse than being presented with a nice bottle of red at the table with half the label missing!
Label Protectors
The Label Protectors can also be used for preventing labels from ripping, but can only be used in conjunction with traditional wine racking. The Label Protectors sit nicely on the metal part of the rack which the bottle neck is placed on. When a bottle is drawn out of the rack, the label hits a piece of smooth plastic rather than hard edged metal.
Bottle Protector Sleeves
The Protector Sleeves are a good combination of the previous two, but can also be used in transport as they supply more protection to the bottle. The polypropylene sleeves are easy to use, simply feed them over the neck and place over the largest diameter of the bottle. These also prevent labels from snagging which is a huge plus point when collecting wine.
Wine collecting can be an expensive and time consuming past time, but just a few simply things can prevent your collection from losing value because of a few snagged labels and makes it easier to find those wines you long for to match your food with!
Click here for more Wine Rack Accessories.
Posted on September 14th, 2011 by Lynsey, under Corkscrews, Wine Accessories · No Comments
Drinking wine is all about taking time to enjoy the finer things in life. Whilst some would prefer to rush open a bottle of the finest, we believe that the tools and rituals that have been traditionally associated with wine drinking greatly enhance the experience. Even something as simple as opening a bottle of wine is to be savoured. Wineware has an extensive selection of corkscrews. Here are five of our best:
1 | Air pressure Corkscrew – Menu
We’re huge fans of air-pressure corkscrews here at Wineware, and this example from Menu is a simply immaculate looking device. Smooth lines, elegant shape and solid materials, it’s a piece of modern design that will look at home in any contemporary kitchen. And this Air Pressure Corkscrew isn’t just aesthetically simple: there’s an elegance in the way that pumping a little air into a bottle will remove a cork. Simply insert the needle, and pump the cork out. Easy.
On this Menu model, the needle is sheathed in a removable lower section that also contains a foil-cutting knife. You also get a Menu decanting pourer in the set, a device that encourages the favourable processes of aeration as you pour from the bottle.
2 | Red Alert Corkscrew – L’Atelier Du Vin
From a certain angle, the Red Alert corkscrew looks an awful lot like a colossal squid attempting to prise open a submarine full of drunken sailors. But it’s not merely an oddity: That organic, curvy look is a truly cutting edge design that will open eyes and promote conversation, which is what you doubtlessly want whenever serving wine. Also available in Black, we prefer this red version because it isn’t afraid to be eye-catching. And the action of a strong, well-designed lever-corkscrew is a revelation in itself.
3 | Waiter’s Friend Double Lever Corkscrew – Wineware
Whilst we shouldn’t blow our own trumpet, our Waiter’s Friend corkscrews are an affordable twist on a tried and tested design. Entirely portable, with a rosewood handle, two step lever and a serrated knife for removing foil, there’s no situation where this corkscrew isn’t a valued friend. And when you’re not packing it into the cool-bags for a summer picnic, it even comes with a high quality gift box.
4 | ‘Grands Crus’ Corkscrew – L’Espirit and Le Vin
The phrase ‘the Rolls Royce of Corkscrews’ is one I shouldn’t resort to with too much enthusiasm, but if you want to open your finest wines with a surplus of class, you can do a lot worse than L’Espirit & Le Vin’s ‘Grands Crus’ Corkscrew. An exquisite looking device encased in pewter and brass, it has plenty of fine detail on its exterior. However, the real beauty of the device is on the inside. The mechanism is based on an Edward Thompson design popular among corkscrew collectors, that has been in use since 1802.
In the wine world, anything that has survived even longer than the Bordeaux classification of 1852 has got to be especially distinguished. It features a 2 pillar design with a thread within a thread: turn clockwise to remove the cork from the bottle and then anti-clockwise to easily remove the cork from the screw.
5 | Rosewood Champagne Sabre – Chateau Laguiole
Corkscrews are, rather unfortunately, completely pointless when opening a bottle of bubbly. So having a classy corkscrew around to multiply the opulence of a champagne accompanied banquet is a rather empty gesture. Thankly, Champagne opening has Sabrage, the art of lopping the neck off a champagne bottle to enjoy its contents. Traditionally practiced by Napoleon’s Hussars, few of us have an actual sabre above the fireplace with which we could open our bottles. Fine, handmade champagne swords like this rosewood example from Chateau Laguiole fill the void, and if used properly, they’ll definitely set the tone for an evening of fine dining.
Posted on August 24th, 2011 by Chris, under Whisky Glasses · No Comments
Whisky tastings are highly entertaining and educational events enjoyed with groups of friends or fellow whisky lovers. Varying themes can be accommodated such as Single Malts, Blended Whiskies, Islay Malts, Speyside Malts, Scotland Only, Bourbon, Rye – the list goes on. All whiskies taste differently due to many factors, the area of production, the grain, the distillation process, the time and method of ageing will all play a serious part in the final nose, taste and appreciation of every whisky. Read the rest of this entry »
