Book Review: Passion on the Vine by Sergio Esposito

If you have any interest in wine, food, Italy, or travel then this is the book for you. In 1999, Esposito founded Italian Wine Merchants in New York City. And as one of the directors of IWMH, Esposito continues to lead the store in raising the profile of Italian wine in this country and influencing both colleagues and collectors with cutting-edge selections and services. With more than 20 years of experience in the world of Italian wine, Sergio Esposito is recognized by industry insiders as the premier Italian wine consultant in the United States.

The book takes us through the authors childhood in Naples. His family moving to Albany NY. His lifestyle change between the two countries. His obsession with acquiring knowledge about food and wine...whether it was when he was a waiter, sommelier, or becoming an owner of Italian Wine Merchants.

Sergio takes you on a tour through the beautiful wine making regions of Italy, with up close and personal visits with some of the premier Italian wine makers in the world. You feel as if you are visiting with him...the way the author describes every detail...as if you were part of their family. You'll visit their wineries, meet their families and partake in meals the author shared with the wine makers. Together they discuss the importance of food and wine pairing, and how, when done well, enhance each other and represent one of the essential aspects of an enjoyable and elevated quality of life.

The book is funny and at times charming. When you open this book and begin to read, it is much like a bottle of fine wine that develops and evolves over time. Overall the book is a great read. It has a little for each of us. Those interested in how wine is made...those interested in Italian food...family...travel..think of it as part travel guide, part wine guide,and part reality show. In 1999, Esposito founded Italian Wine Merchants in New York City. And as one of the directors of IWMH, Esposito continues to lead the store in raising the profile of Italian wine in this country and influencing both colleagues and collectors with cutting-edge selections and services.

So buy the book at Amazon, open a bottle of Barolo or your favorite Italian wine and enjoy reading Passion on the Vine by Sergio Esposito.

Cheers!

Joseph & Curtis Custom Wine Cellars

Madison, NJ - Custom Wine Cellar Design & Construction

Our latest custom wine cellar project had pretty much all of the elements we could ask for...Design, tasting room, wine cellar, paint finish, cooling system, stone arch, and of course wine racking.



When we first met our homeowner, we walked what would become the finished basement and where we would be designing the wine cellar and tasting room.



We started with a blank canvas (1 cinder block wall)...we decided to take the clients to a previous cellar to get a first hands look at (un-stained mahogany and a stone arch) the customers decided that they loved the arch...but wanted a more "finished" look for the racking (we chose mahogany with a water based stain).

The stone we picked was irregular flag stone (3 different types for contrast within the stone). The homeowner decided to make the cellar the focal point of the new basement by adding 2 windows and a glass door which really makes the basement look fantastic.



After completing the framing, vapor barrier, insulation, Sheetrock, elect, stone arch we went to work on the cellar racking. The design took advantage of the obvious areas for display (under each window we built a custom stand alone display rack for the clients showpiece bottles. We also carried the display rows through all of the racking and in the center of the arch. We also added 2 sconces on the "legs" of the arch which really bring out the colors of the stone. The next part was the tile which was selected with the racking and stone colors in mind.



We picked out a reddish earthy tone tile, oversized and carried into the tasting room. Once the tile was laid we had our painter use all three of the "elements" of the two rooms...(racking, stone, and tile) and we came up with a distressed stone effect, which made the cellar and tasting room appear to be in the space for a very long time. We built custom mahogany cabinetry for the tasting room and finished the space with a wine barrel tasting table with 4 bar stools.



We used a "split" cooling system with the condensing unit sitting in the mechanical room. The homeowners were blown away with the final space! (the wife delighted with the tasting room and the husband about the storage space).

And once again everything was finished on time and of course on budget. Please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us online for all of your custom wine cellar needs, and remember Joseph and Curtis Custom Wine Cellars perform all phases of the project from design, to construction, to stocking tips.

Check back for more...

Cheers!

Which wood species is right for your custom wine cellar?

By far the most popular wood species to use when building custom wine cellars are Pine, Redwood and Mahogany. Each wood species is unique in its own way. Like many aspects of wine cellar construction, many of your decisions will depend on whether or not a cooling system will be used; choosing your wood species is no exception.

Pine is the least expensive of the 3 popular wood types but it cannot be used if you are planning on utilizing a climate controlled system in the cellar...it will not hold up. One advantage of Pine wood is that it can be stained to match the aesthetics of the rest of the wine cellar.

Here is an example of stained Pine racking:



Here is an example of Pine racking (without stain):



Redwood is a beautiful wood species and comes in two choices - Premium Redwood and All Heart Redwood. Please note that Redwood does not stain well due to the oils present in the wood. Premium Redwood is the least expensive of the two redwood species and has much more variations and color in the wood whereas All Heart Redwood is much darker and consistent. It is a good idea to leave either Redwood unfinished. Redwood will withstand the humid conditions within the wine storage room because it contains natural wood preservatives within it.

Here is an example of Premium Redwood racking:



Here is an example of All Heart Redwood racking:



Mahogany is the last of the three wood species commonly used in wine cellar construction. Mahogany is ideal because it is the most durable. Mahogany will not warp or swell. It is resistant to decay due to dampness, making it perfect for the higher humidity levels typically found in wine cellars with climate controlled systems. For our customers that want that "furniture grade look" Mahogany is by far the best choice because it is ideal for stain and lacquer applications. Chemicals in stain and paint can travel through corks and ruin the flavor of wine! So if you choose to stain we HIGHLY RECOMMEND using a water base stain.

At Joseph & Curtis Custom Wine Cellars we offer a wide range of Mahogany species available; Malaysian Mahogany, Genuine Mahogany and African Mahogany to name a few. The Mahogany that we use is harvested from farms that certify the sustainability of their products.

Here is an example of Malaysian Mahogany racking:



Here is an example of Malaysian Mahogany racking (without stain):



For a sample of our mahogany species, or any other wood species we offer, please give us a call at (908) 337-2204 or contact us online, we would love to assist in bringing your wine cellar dreams to life!

Check back for more about building custom wine cellars.

Cheers!