Wine is a sacred beverage that has been consumed all over the world for thousands of years, but it’s still getting more popular. Global wine consumption has been steadily increasing since the mid 1990s, according to the Financial Times. From 2012 onward, Canadians flocked to the internet in record numbers to buy wine online. Wine of the month clubs with seasonal auctions, dynamic price lists, and home-delivery services have been steadily growing their memberships by offering uncommon vintages not found on LCBO store shelves. This trend, along with a rise in DIY winemaking, has sparked a third social phenomenon – the rise in popularity of wine cabinets.
Storing your diverse collection of fine wine inside your home or office means you’re always ready to entertain friends, and you have the perfect wine to pair with any meal. Since storing wine is difficult to do well, and not many people have a proper wine cellar, there are purpose-built machines made to emulate the moist chill necessary to keep wine in good condition for long periods of time. And now-a-days these cellarettes are so well made they masquerade as handsome home furniture pieces.
Manufactured all over the world, wine cabinets for sale at Rosehill Wine Cellars come in all styles to match any modern home design. There are small, modern, stainless steel units designed to hold a dozen bottes and be hidden under countertops, all the way up to huge hardwood armoires that hold hundreds of bottles. Experts on the subject, the Rosehill Wine Cellar’s blog describes antique Colonial-age cellarettes which was the name of the furniture from which this entire category of modern appliances evolved.
Wine Cabinets are now mainstream design elements. When spotted amidst upscale décor they are conversation pieces that become the perfect showcase for ostentatious oenophiles. Such furniture is the mark of a man or woman with a sophisticated pallet, and someone who saves for the future. They’re also the best options for urban collectors who cannot put proper wine cellars in their condo apartments.
Wine should not be stored for long periods of time in a normal refrigerator. Kitchen fridges are often much too cold, and the constant disturbances caused by the fridge door opening and closing are unsettling for the delicate substance in the bottle. Similarly, wine should not be stored in a kitchen cupboard, or anywhere near the stove. For these reasons, wine cabinets were invented.
Refrigerated wine cabinets were brought into existence by the French company EuroCave, but now-a-days many other suppliers also manufacture these exquisite furniture pieces which bring fine wines out of the cellar and into our living spaces.
Le Cache wine cabinets employ CellarPro cooling units to maintain chilly temperatures inside their hermetically sealed chambers. If you look carefully at the top of the cabinet, behind the glass, you can see the cooling unit. These state-of-the-art refrigeration systems have a reputation for being very quiet. They are top-vented so you can place them tight against the wall. The wooden body has all its inside seams entirely sealed and the interior of the cabinet is coated with special insulation. Placing the unit in direct sunlight beside the window (as seen in the photo above) is probably not the smartest idea, but the rig does have tinted double-paned glass to provide its contents additional thermal and UV protection.
Designed by Martin de Blois, Le Cache European Country Series wine cabinets evoke the timeless elegance of European furnishings. Architectural details such as crown and base molding, paneled sides, hardwood French doors and hand-carved accents showcase fine wine collections with a sense of luxury and style.
Consider a wine credenza for length under paintings and mirrors across a wide dining room space, or it can be used to divide a room with sofas on the other side. Unlike the other Le Cache cabinets, the Euro Credenza is back vented so needs to sit 3″ away from the wall or any other furniture piece to allow for air circulation. The model is popular because of the handy top surface. The photo shows a 350lb model that is 40 inches high and 71 inches in length by 32 inches deep. Le Cache wine credenza is available in three different colours.
Downtown wine collectors’ who choose to store their wine offsite in a common wine cellar facility often bring home a couple dozen bottles which they keep close at hand in stylish wine fridges. These very practical units are designed to live under kitchen counters beside regular fridges and the some of these units have partitions which allow their owners to set specific temperatures for red and white wines to allow for immediate drinking temperature.
Marvel High Efficiency series wine cabinets are designed to be placed under counters in-line with other appliances. They have stainless-steel glass doors and black frames which are overlay ready. Marvel makes wine fridges to blend seamlessly into many different cabinetry styles. Their High Efficiency series models have slide-out shelves with maple wood facings.
Wine lovers are called oenophiles, wine fans are called aficionados, and those with knowledge of viniculture are labeled wine connoisseurs. As far as we know the act of collecting wine doesn’t yet have its own cool nickname. But there’s probably a moniker coming soon. Collecting wine is all the rage again as our Instagram generation seeks high culture experiences, and they like it when everything on the menu is made of stories. No beverage could ever be wealthier than wine when it comes to origin stories, rich with culture and whatever myths the vintners can imbue on their labels.