Got plans for Valentine’s? If you’re single and have no plans of dating, you’re probably thinking of spending the Love Day alone. Here’s good news for you! February is going to be really fun, especially if you are into wine. There are three huge wine festivals happening in Florida next month, and these are only a few of the events lined up in 2016! Take note of these gatherings and you’re sure to have an awesome time!

Florida’s Top 3 Wine Festivals this February 2016

When most people think of February, they think of love and romance. But if you’re single, you might find yourself unable to relate to them. If you’re neither in a relationship nor planning to be in one soon, you might perceive February as simply another month in your year. That will change if you find out about the festivities happening next month. The Love Month is now more exciting, especially if you love wine, because there are three grand wine tasting events happening in Florida in this season.

Wine enthusiasts, regardless if you’re single or taken, can look forward to having a great time in February 2016. Florida is home to a vast number of wineries and vineyards, and three huge wine festivals are happening in the state next month.

Mark your calendars and join the fun on these dates:

1. February 6th through 7th: The Clearwater Beach Uncorked 

This pre-Valentine gastronomic event is labelled as the grandest beachfront wine festival on the west coast of Florida. What better way to enjoy fine-tasting wines than on a beautiful shore with the breeze brushing through your face? You can have the time your life sitting on the milky white sands of Clearwater Beach while sipping on a glass of your favorite wine.

Besides the many types of wine to choose from, you can also gorge on a wide assortment of delicious dishes that will surely enliven your taste buds! Clearwater Beach Uncorked is a yearly gathering that features the most renowned culinary experts in Florida. They will be serving guests with a vast array of mouth-watering delicacies, including oysters, cheeses, and aperitifs.

If you want to spend the weekend at the location, you can check in at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa. The hotel offers special discounted rates for all guests of the wine festival.

You should also consider purchasing VIP passes if you want to enjoy extra privacy during the festivity. All VIP guests will be given an exclusive tent where they can drink a collection of premium wines and champagnes. Holders of these special tickets will also be provided with complete access to the Grand Tasting Tent.

Get more details about the Clearwater Beach Uncorked by clicking here! 

2. February 14: The Oakland Park Valentine’s Wine and Food Festival

Move from a beach celebration to a party in the park! On Valentine’s Day, go to Jaco Pastorius Park at 4000 N. Dixie Highway and join the Oakland Park Valentine’s Wine and Food Festival. This is an annual event where various musicians and DJs play live music in the park while guests sumptuously enjoy flavorful food and delicious wines.

The extravagant festival will begin at 3:00 in the afternoon and end at 11:00 in the evening. Those who want to get inside the park early should purchase VIP passes. Holders of these special tickets will be granted access to the venue an hour before the festivity officially starts.

The celebration welcomes people from all age groups. This means that children can join the festivity. The organizers have set specific rules for minors attending the event. Minors will be required to wear a special band during registration. This is so that wine vendors can easily identify them and avoid selling alcohol to them. All minors are also mandated to always be with a friend or family member who is above 21 years old.

Planning to attend this event? Get more details about the Oakland Park Valentine’s Wine and Food Festival by clicking here!  

3. February 24th – 28th: South Beach Wine and Food Festival

The love bug is usually gone by the time Valentine’s Day is over. But this does not mean the partying has to stop as well. There is still one more festive gathering happening after February 14, and that is the South Beach Wine and Food Festival on the 24th through the 28th. Treat yourself to one final hurrah and go to this grandiose festival, which will be held in multiple locations in Miami Beach, Florida.

This festival is one of the most celebrated wine tasting events in the country. This gastronomic occasion is a star-studded gathering that features the brightest stars in the culinary and wine business. World-renowned talents from different countries will be serving exquisite gourmet dishes and select wines. Join this festivity and get a chance to meet the superstars in the food and wine industry!

 This wine tasting celebration is hosted by Southern Wine and Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU). The income earned from this gathering is given to FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Southern Wine and Spirits Beverage Management Center. Now on its 15th year, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival has already raised over 22 million USD for its beneficiaries.

Interested in joining the South Beach Wine and Food Festival? Get the details that you need by clicking here! 

US Cellar Systems, a California based wine cellar manufacturer that we work closely with recently announced an important new innovation in one of their commonly used components. The LRC Expansion Valve is now externally equalized. Learn how this is to be installed and some of it’s performance advantages.

New Expansion Valve

The LRC Expansion Valve looks almost like a pressure regulator, mounted inside one of the US Cellar Systems refrigeration system for wine cellars. It is a common component in all of the series offered by US Cellar Systems, except for the CC series.

Wine Cellar Refrigeration Technical Update – New LRC Expansion Valve Saves Time and Effort This valve is now externally equalized. This gives the system better performance on all of the systems and makes it more convenient to adjust.

Installation of the New System by LRC

When installing, add a T with an access shrader. This has a key advantage. You will be able to measure your evaporator coil pressure at the evaporator, instead of having to go all the way out to the condensing unit to look at your gauges. This makes adjustments to your system much more convenient.

Wine Cellar Refrigeration System Adjustment

Use a 3/8” nut driver or a ratchet and a 3/8” socket.

You can adjust the valve by turning the head on the top of the regulator. To increase pressure you turn clockwise. To decrease pressure you will turn counter-clockwise.

Caution! Remember to make small adjustments. Never go all the way in with the adjustment. If you go too far in you can damage the diaphragm and then the expansion valve will no longer adjust. This damage will not be covered under warranty, so be very cautious when making adjustments to prevent such harm to the system.

Contact US Cellar Systems for Support and Advice

If you’re in need of technical support for your wine cellar refrigeration system, contact US Cellar System here: +1(562) 728-5774.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of their systems, feel free to contact sales and customer support: +1(562) 513-3017.

This new expansion valve has important advantages; they can give you more information about it if you’re interested in learning more.

Since the housing bubble burst, homeowners have adjusted their expectations concerning how to grow the value of their home.  It’s no longer adequate to throw a fresh coat of paint on the walls and flip it. Now, more than ever, Maryland homeowners are turning to wine cellar builders to help them increase the value of their home.

Wine—A Growing Market in Maryland

Wine is growing in popularity in the state of Maryland. There are now over 400 wines made in the state. Wineries in the area are also are growing in reputation with over 60 wineries to visit in the area.

But anyone who understands wine will tell you that you can’t just put that fine bottle in the back of a closet and leave it there for years and expect it to grow in quality. Proper storage means maintaining a constant cool temperature in your wine room. It’s no surprise that the new trend in luxury home modification is the addition of custom wine rooms.

Build Your Own Wine Cellar

In the good old days the common method of thinking when it came to growing your home value was to remodel the kitchen, adding granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. A home theater or hot tub was also a welcome addition. But now it’s not uncommon to see low rent apartments with granite counter tops. Most housing units have a hot tub. And even more modest homes can feature state-of-the-art surround sound with their flat screen displays at very low cost.

Luxury home owners are then faced with a real challenge to make their home stand apart in the competitive marketplace. It’s not surprising then that many owners in Maryland are turning to builders like Coastal Custom Wine Cellars in Baltimore, to help them find the edge. A beautifully designed, temperature controlled, wine cellar or room gives these homes the edge they need, driving up resale prices. They can be enjoyed while the homeowners live there, and truly appreciated when it comes time to sell.

Coastal Custom Wine Cellars Baltimore

2708 Leppo Ln

Finksburg, MD 21048

+1 (443) 821-0321

Wine cellar refrigeration systems are an essential part of wine storage. Wine cellar cooling units provide the ideal temperature and humidity inside a cellar for wines to be able to age tastefully. A good wine cellar cooling system can provide a temperature of 55 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity of approximately 70%. Here are the things that you need to look for when choosing a wine cellar cooling system:

1. Check How the Cooling Unit Works

Most wine cellars are configured with a self-contained cooling system, known as forced air cooling. In this system, two fans are utilized. One fan functions to circulate the cool air inside the wine storage room while the other fan forces air through the condenser coils on the outside and exhausts warm air that has risen to the top of the storage room. This configuration is very efficient, especially if your wine storage room is in an area where the temperature outside varies 30 degrees Fahrenheit above or below the appropriate wine storage temperature range.

2. Check for Temperature Control Mechanism and Digital Display Apparatus

Wine cellar refrigeration systems that are made by quality manufacturers usually have electronic temperature controls, as well as digital displays. These features are very helpful, because they allow you to have precise control over the temperature and humidity inside the commercial or residential wine cellar in California. Not only do electronic temperature controls make sure that temperature readings are accurate, they also prevent fluctuations in the levels. Digital displays are a great addition, because you can read and gauge the condition inside the storage room any time.

3. Check the Cooling Unit’s Noise Level

The noise level of a unit is one of the major factors to consider when choosing a wine cellar cooling system in California. There are many manufacturers today that are dedicated to creating a wine cellar refrigeration system that is quiet and vibration-free. There are wine cellar cooling units today that utilize an absorption technology wherein compressors are not needed and vibrations are not generated. Choose the refrigeration units for your cellar wisely, because vibrations can damage your wine collections.

4. Choose Cooling Systems that are Easily Repaired or Replaced

Wine cellar refrigeration units in Vancouver are as much as an investment as your wine collection. You want to make sure that your beloved wines are aging efficiently by investing in a quality cooling unit. In case your refrigeration system breaks or wears down, you want it to be easily repaired or replaced, so that your wines won’t suffer being stored out of the ideal temperature and humidity while waiting for the unit to be repaired or replaced.

The design and construction of a custom wine cellar in Vancouver, Canada should be well thought out, so that it can meet the essential requirements for proper wine storage. The following are the basic parts of a custom wine cellar and how they should ideally be.

1. Wine Cellar Walls & Ceiling

Wine cellars in Canada should be properly insulated. Wine cellar insulation should be at least R20, so that the temperature and humidity levels are kept from fluctuating. The interior walls of your custom wine cellar should be as inert as possible. Many wine cellar specialists would advise choosing Urethane for your cellar insulation, because it is efficient in sealing the walls and ceiling. Mineral wood is good to use too, but it should be properly protected from humidity, because otherwise it will lose its capacity to insulate after some time. Rigid insulation panels are a good idea as well.

To maintain the level of humidity in the wine storage room, a vapor-seal is essential. Make sure that your vapor-seal sheets overlap and are secured with adhesive tapes.

The paint used on the walls and ceilings of your wine cellar should be of mold-resistant latex. Bathroom paint is the best option.

In order to make room for a wine cellar cooling unit to be installed, avoid cellars that are completely surrounded by concrete.

2. Custom Wine Cellar Door

In order to ensure that the temperature and humidity in the wine cellar are stable, an insulated door equipped with weather stripping should be utilized. Cellar doors ought to be at least R16 insulation. Tell your wine cellar designer to have a window or a thermal glass on your door so that you may be able to see your wine collection inside the cellar without needing to open it.

Some people opt to have a lock on their wine cellar door, so that they can control access to the wine cellar. This also is a good idea, so that you can control how often the wine cellar is opened. Constant opening of a wine cellar in Vancouver, Canada can cause temperature and humidity fluctuations that are harmful to your wines.

3. Wine Cellar Flooring

There are various options to choose from when it comes to custom wine cellar flooring. The material you use should be resistant to humidity. Stones, ceramic tiles and marble are humidity resistant materials. If you want to use wood for cellar flooring, make sure that it is sealed properly, so that it won’t absorb humidity.

If you plan to construct your custom wine cellar in your basement, you can make use of the soil’s natural humidity by putting holes through the concrete basement floor. But before that, you have to make sure that the soil is not water logged and that there is enough drainage beneath the basement’s foundation to avoid water infiltration. You may also put holes in the cellar walls to increase the humidity level by 1 to 2 degrees. Don’t forget to cover the holes in order to keep insects out.

4. Custom Wine Cellar Lighting

The lighting you choose for your wine cellar in Vancouver, Canada should be that which generates minimal heat. Heat can damage your wines. The best type of lighting for wine storage rooms is LED. Some wines are not favorable to light. Light dimmers are recommended, so that you can adjust the light as needed.

5. Wine Cellar Cooling System

A quality wine cellar refrigeration unit can set the temperature and humidity inside your custom wine cellar to the ideal levels. There are various kinds of wine cellar cooling units. A wine cellar specialist can calculate the heat load in your wine storage room, so that you can identify the appropriate wine cellar refrigeration system for your cellar.

Wine is one of God’s gifts to men. It is a wonderful beverage, meant to be enjoyed and shared with friends and family. It is one of tastiest beverages. In order to make sure that wine tastes good, it is very important that you understand the essentials of wine storage. Here are the basics to keeping wine.

KEEP WINE COOL

There is nothing more damaging to wine than heat! When the temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, wine ages prematurely. This, in turn, causes it to taste awful. The ideal temperature range to store wine in is between 45 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

COOL IS GOOD BUT TOO COOL IS HARMFUL

A regular household refrigerator is not ideal for wine storage. The average refrigerator is configured to store perishable goods and other food items. The temperature in a regular fridge can fall below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature this low can cause the wine corks to eventually dry out, thus allowing air to seep into the bottle and ruin the wine.

Wines should never be kept in locations where they could freeze. Wine expands when it turns to ice. When it expands, it may push the cork out of the bottle.

To provide the right temperature for wine, you need a custom wine cellar with a wine cellar refrigeration unit installed. Only a wine cooling unit can provide the right temperature for wine storage with minimal to no fluctuations.

LIGHTS OUT PLEASE!

Ultraviolet light is another enemy of wine. Ultraviolet light degrades the quality of wine by causing premature aging. This is the reason why wine bottles are dark tinted; wine has to be protected from this kind of light. Sunlight and fluorescent lights emit ultraviolet light. LED lights are the best option for custom wine cellars in Miami, Florida.

HUMIDITY MATTERS

Ideally, wines should be kept in a wine cellar in Florida that has a humidity level anywhere between 50 to 80 percent. Too humid of a location can allow mold and mildew formation. Although mold and mildew may not necessarily affect wines that have been sealed properly, it can most certainly damage wine labels. Humidity levels that are too low can dry out corks and cause the oxidation of the wines.

GO SIDEWAYS!

Having your wine bottles rest sideways on your wine racks has two benefits. First, it makes sure that the wines are in constant contact with the corks, to prevent them from drying out. Second, horizontal wine racking saves a lot of space. This is especially good for those who want to store hundreds to thousands of wines.

NO SHAKING

Constant vibrations can be damaging to wines because shaking speeds up many chemical reactions in the wine. This, in turn, causes wine to age prematurely. Keep wines in a wine storage room that protects it from vibration.

Wine Cellars International provides more tips on how to build the perfect wine storage rooms for your beloved wines. They offer various kinds of custom wine cellars in Miami, as well as different designs of wine racks.