A Run-Down of Australia's Finest Wines

“The Australian wine investment market has evolved significantly over the past few years. Grange, once Australia’s only serious investment wine, now leads an ever-growing list of wines regularly traded for both profit and pleasure, with new players entering the fold.” This statement from the September issue of the Drinks Business is clear evidence of how the Australian wine industry is thriving. Consequently, this is the reason for the steadily increasing sales of Australian wine refrigerators online in the wine country. 

The wine industry in Australia has grown immensely over the last 200 years. Throughout those years, Here are 10 of the Finest Australian Wines: 

• Rockford. This is said to encapsulate the “traditional and contemporary winemaking philosophies and embracing the inherent qualities of old-vine shiraz.” The vines used are very old, with ages ranging from 60 to 140 years. 

• Penfolds. Penfolds represent the most robust and the best of Australian winemaking. An example of this is the Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. Langton describes this wine as “a medium to long-term cellaring style of wine. If you can wait the distance, Bin 707 builds up into a wonderfully complex and interesting wine.” 

• Mount Mary. The best top vintages of this kind are 2006, 2005, 2004, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1984, 1982, 1981, and 1979. 

• Moss Wood. This was discovered by Dr. Bill Pannell in 1969. In the early 1980’s, Pannell was given the reputation of having produced highly perfumed cabernet that was restrained and powerful. 

• Leeuwin Estate. An example of this is the Art Series Chardonnay. With this wine, they showcase the skill needed in marrying wine and wood. 

• Henschke. An example of this is the Hill of Grace, which is considered as the most famous single-vineyard wine. 

• Giaconda. This wine is made from Australia’s white grapes. 

• Cullen. Made in Margaret River, Western Australia, this wine strengthens the reputation of Australia as one of the greatest producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. 

• Bass Phillip. An example of this is the Reserve Pinot Noir. This is produced in the South Gippsland, Victoria. 

• Penfolds, Bin 95. This rightfully deserves to be at the top spot of the finest wines in Australia. Penfolds the oldest in the country and is responsible for kick-starting the modern way of Australian winemaking. 

Such high-quality wines only deserve the best storage like top-of-the-line wine fridges. For the best Australian wine fridges to keep your wines in, visit www.relaxathome.com.au

Keep on visiting Home Relaxation Guide for more information regarding wine storage and other wine storage products. Also visit  our official Relax at Home website. You can also Like Us on our Official Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

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Benefits of Taking a Wine Appreciation Course

Wine collecting is a growing hobby among people in Australia.  It’s becoming more popular to own a wine refrigerator in Australia as more and more people are growing their wine collections.

Amateur wine collectors are seeking knowledge and want to be informed about the wines they are purchasing and drinking by enrolling in Wine Appreciation Courses.  It’s not your typical classroom situation as most wine appreciation courses allow wine enthusiasts and collectors to expand their knowledge in a hands-on environment allowing you to refine your knowledge and palate. Some courses may even be held at a winery where the wine is produced.

If you’re searching for a class, choose one which had a limited number of students as it allows stronger and more intimate interactions with the instructor.

If you’re just looking for a fun activity, you should look for a course which runs on the weekend where you and a group of friends can gather to taste and learn about wine.  For those more serious, classes may be spread over a number of sessions.

Below are Some of the Benefits and Things you Will Learn when you Participate in a Wine Appreciation Course, which may vary depending on whether you undertake a basic or advanced course:

1.   You will learn more about the many wine techniques, wine terminology and basics such as how to describe the aroma, color, and taste.

2.   Gain a better and deeper understanding of the different variety and characteristics of grapes. There are many different grape varieties each with unique characteristics.  You will find out about how wine is actually made, highlighting the winemaker’s role.

3.   Learn more about the best way to match wine with food. Wine is enjoyed more when it is paired with the right food. Certain flavors bring out the real taste of the wine.

4.   Proper serving and storing of wine. Wines are sensitive to light, temperature, and humidity. They may advise you to buy a wine fridge in Australia. Relax at home offers wine fridges which provide the perfect environment for your bottles so they can preserve their taste and aroma.

5.   How to create a wine list that is varied and interesting, and learn how to cost wine lists correctly and manage the inventory. As wine collection can be a lucrative business, you need to know how to manage and create an inventory of your bottles.

6.   Dealing with Suppliers.  This is useful for those who will make a business out of wine. It is important to learn to deal confidently with suppliers who will be partners in the business. Suppliers are your way to accessing the best wine bottles. Dealing with them the right way will open doors for you to find the right wines for the right price.

7.   Understand the role of the sommelier and their role in the restaurant. The sommelier is a wine steward who takes charge of your wine collections in the restaurant.

For more information about wine storage, or you simply want to buy wine fridges, visit www.relaxathome.com.au.

Keep on visiting Home Relaxation Guide for more information regarding wine storage and other wine storage products. Also visit  our official Relax at Home website. You can also Like Us on our Official Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

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Wine Bottle Closure: Cork or Screw Caps

If you have opened a bottle of wine but haven’t consumed all of the contents, you can store the wine so that you can enjoy it at a later time. If you’re a keen wine enthusiast, most likely you have already invested in an affordable wine fridge which you can place the opened bottle into for storage which will maintain the correct temperature and conditions needed to preserve the wine.  But first you need to properly close the bottle’s mouth in order to keep the aroma and flavor sealed in the bottle.

When you purchase a wine, it comes with one of two types of seals; the traditional cork cap, or a screw cap.  Which of the two is the better way to choose? How does the cork differ from the screw cap and what sort of protection can your wine bottles get from them?

Corks
The natural cork is the traditional method for bottle closure. Over the centuries, it has been used by wine enthusiasts and makers. However, it’s not uncommon for a smell to emanate from a bottle when a substance called TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole) is formed when natural fungi (in the cork) comes into contact with certain chemicals which are used to sanitize the cork.  Once this happens, the wine becomes contaminated resulting in a musty smell and unpleasant taste. This is known as ‘corked’ wine.

There is also the synthetic cork which is made of plastic. Though a good alternative to the natural cork, it has been discovered through the years that it cannot prevent oxidation.

The cork, with its porous nature, tends to let air into the bottle, causing it to undergo oxidation.

Though the cork has been popular over the centuries, newer and better alternatives are here today.

Screw
The screw is deemed as the better alternative to bottle closure because it prevents oxidation, as well as the musty taste from corked wine.

This was shown in the 30-month study conducted by the Hogue Cellars which compared synthetic and natural corks with the screw called Stelvin cap.

Though the drama of uncorking a bottle of wine is eliminated with the use of the screw, the results of the unspoilt taste can be worth it.

Today, more and more people are purchasing wines which have a screw cap bottles.  The taste and flavor are very well preserved.  It’s also becoming more common for households to have a wine fridge in Australia.

Protect your wine collection from spoiling by having your own affordable wine fridges from Relax At Home.

Relax At Home is the leading provider of quality and affordable home equipment in Australia. It has a display center but you can also reach them through their website at www.relaxathome.com.au where you can find different images of its stocks. With Relax At Home, you are assured of a stylish and quality wine fridge in Australia

For more information about wine, wine aging, storage and wine storage products, visit Relax at Home website. You can also Like Us on our Official Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

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The Growth of Wine Industry in Australia

The wine industry in Australia has evolved over the past 200 years.  The country now consistently lands among the top 10 countries in wine making, and it is even considered as among the few countries that produce every one of the major styles of wine. In such growth, a major development in wine preservation has come forth: the use of affordable wine fridges. 

Wine production in Australia took a while to start because of the lack of native grape varieties that are suitable for making wines. The pioneering winemakers imported varieties of grapes from Europe.  The wine which was produced was shipped back to the United Kingdom.

In the 1800s, wine production in Australia finally began to spark. Between 1820 and 1840, vineyards were being established by settlers in the New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia areas. Then, the growth spread to Victoria and to South Australia. This was both an inspiration and motivation for the wine producers to attempt to produce more. So, in 1822, about 136 liters of wine were shipped by Gregory Blaxland to London, garnering him a silver medal from the forerunner of the Royal Society of Arts. Five years after continued production, they eventually earned gold Ceres medal.

The discovery of gold in eastern Australia in 1852 temporarily robbed vineyards of New South Wales and Victoria of human labor. But the demand for wines continually increased, thanks to the diggers. Hence, between 1860 and 1872, a rapid expansion of vineyards took place due to the enactment of the Land Selection Acts.

The next century proved to be another fruitful year of wine production in Australia. The wine market expanded when the trade barriers between states were abolished through the Federation in 1901. During this period, the famous names were McWilliams, Penfolds, and Seppelt.

Sadly, many of these established vineyards collapsed during the First World War. It was only in the 1950s that the wine industry started to recuperate, this time making South Australia the center of production. From then up to today, the wine industry in Australia has grown rapidly and is now a source of employment for many Australians.

There are three major wine regions in the country: New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

The most notable producers in South Australia are Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, and Coonawarra; Victoria has Swan Hill, Yarra Valley, Rutherglen; and New South Wales has Hunter Valley, Mudgee, and Riverina.

This rapid growth and increasing popularity of Australian produced wines has brought about the need for an affordable wine fridge for every wine collector or drinker. A wine refrigerator in Australia is a staple appliance for wine enthusiasts, as it helps them preserve wines by making them age and taste better in time.

For more information about wine, wine aging, storage and wine storage products, visit Relax at Home website. You can also Like Us on our Official Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

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Wine Chillers: The Right Solution For Quickly Cooling Wine Bottles

If you want to serve your wines chilled for better taste and smoothness, you will need to have a durable wine chiller that you can get only from the best supplier in Australia, Relax at Home. A wine chiller, unlike the regular kitchen refrigerator, is not too cold for your wines. Also, since it does not get to be opened too frequently, the temperature is more stable. 

Here are the Two TYPES of Wine Chillers:

1.   Instant Wine Chiller

From the name itself, means that you can actually have chilled wine in an instant. This is made possible with a device whose one end you attach to the bottle. All you have to do is pour the wine out and you will have chilled wine.

The advantage of using this is that you don’t have to allot some minutes into putting the wine bottle in the fridge and risking it to freeze and explode.

2.   Electric Wine Chiller

The electric wine chiller is another way to chill your wines. It looks like a container for your bottle but is so much smaller than the wine chiller or your own wine fridge. It is another durable wine chiller that can cool or warm up your bottles to the desired temperature. It has a digital presentation of the temperature achieved by the wine.

Getting either of these two is beneficial because these do not eat up space in the kitchen or in the living room. The sizes are small, not far from the size of the bottle, which allows you to bring it anywhere you want or to any part of your house where your guests are staying.

With this, you must buy wine fridges online because you will have a wide variety of choice. You can order your own durable wine fridge from Relax At Home. Your wines, particularly your sparkling wines, reds and whites, can be chilled so you can serve them in their perfect taste.

For more information about wines, wine aging, storage and wine storage products, frequent visiting Relax at Home website. You can even Like Us on our Official Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

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Knowing the Science of Wine Aging

Collecting wines can be a science. This is because wines themselves are a combination of chemical compounds which interact with each other in given environments. Collecting wine is not just a modern day hobby. The earliest records of it were seen in 7,000-year old pottery jugs buried on the floor of a Neolithic kitchen in Iran. Besides that, the catacombs were used by Romans to store their wines. The French also turned to digging wine caves to store their wines. And today, there are the more modern and sophisticated methods and devices of storing wines which include wine refrigerators in Australia.

WINE AGING is the process of letting the components of wine like sugars, acids, alcohols, esters, and phenolic compounds to react and cause the wine to mature. They mature when they gain a complex mix of complimentary flavors.

Wine aging is an important process for wine collectors because it allows the wines to develop their full flavor potential. If you haven’t tried it yet, tasting wine right after it has fermented does not taste good. It tastes nothing like the end product which ends up in your glass at a restaurant. It’s much like grape juice that has gone sour. Only through wine aging will you be able to taste the perfect wine.

Oxidation is a factor when aging wines. Red wines are fermented in their skin which has tannin, a component that acts as anti-oxidant. Thus, wine is preserved for a longer time. However, it is also possible to age white wines because it has a strong backbone of acidity which helps it age too.

If you are thinking about aging wines, then whites can be stored for up to 5-7 years. On the other hand, reds can be stored up to 30 years or more.

If you want to store your wines and make them last longer, then buying a wine storage device is a required investment. You are encouraged to buy wine fridge online through Relax At Home’s website at www.relaxathome.com.au. They have the best quality wine storage devices for your precious wine collection.

For more information about wine, wine aging, storage and wine storage products, visit Relax at Home website. You can also Like Us on our Official Facebook Page or Follow us on Twitter.

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