Wine has become one of the favorite hobbies of Israelis • No doubt we learn slowly but surely and enjoy falling in love with everything that wine has to offer, even when it comes to space design • Books have given way to coveted wine bottles and the wine fridge has become a kind of status symbol •
Two in one kitchen
Photo:
Courtesy of York
International Wine Day falls on February 18th.
It is not certain that you will be able to equip yourself with a new wine library by then, but you may be able to make friends with the idea by then, and arrive at a tasting (hoping that everything opens by then) a little more know and understand.
When did the wine libraries even enter the home living room?
Well, even before the first car was invented, homes in Europe, especially in France, were characterized by wine cellars.
In the 70s of the last century cars became very popular and they required parking solutions.
The wine that had hitherto lingered in cool, dark cellars had to part with them and make way for the family car park.
Now, it is necessary to find a suitable solution for the line.
And so in the late 1970s the first wine refrigerator in France was designed and created.
Talks with wine people indicate that the wine industry has been recording a steady growth of about 5% per year, since 2009. This increase is the result of a global world that makes it easier to visit the world, experience and be exposed to different cultures, including wine consumption culture.
In addition, the online selection makes buying wine from Israeli and international sources accessible.
And another thing, in recent decades we have witnessed more and more Israeli winemakers returning from studies and many years of specialization around the world: Tal Pelter from Pelter Winery returned from Australia after completing his studies in viticulture and viticulture and established the Pelter Winery in the Golan Heights;
Little Shaul set up TEL on its own winery, after specializing in wine production in the US and local wineries and more.
Around all of this a wine culture began to emerge.
It is true that the French and the Italians overtake the Israeli in the round in terms of the amount of consumption per capita, but we are taking significant steps to reduce the gap.
"Evolutionarily the library is a development of the wine refrigerator"
In addition to these, the hospitality culture in Israel has become established.
Remember the days when we would arrive, knock on the door and enter?
So today's Israeli has refined a bit.
He returned from relocation in Silicon Valley, and had to get used to opening a diary to schedule a play date with the kid from kindergarten or coffee with a friend from the neighborhood.
The planned and orderly schedule affects the Israeli, even if in a small way. We are still a bit sloppy and voyeuristic, which is fine, but the influences of the big world are giving their signals, whether we like it or not.
Another tier is the socio-economic status of a market segment of relatively young guys who have become rich as a result of exits, especially in the high-tech industry.
People who have made big money and are looking for gadgets and other toys that are reserved for the upper millennials to mess with.
So next to the Lacasian library, or sometimes in its place, a wine library was located in the living room of some of us.
Evolutionarily, the library is a development of the wine refrigerator, explains Dorit Lehemi Jersey, CEO and owner of a hand company, which designs, manufactures and installs libraries and wine rooms.
The Israeli consumer adopts the wine culture slowly but surely.
Jersey Breads explains that today there is a phenomenon in which wine lovers receive a message from a certain winery owner about a particularly high-quality vintage and allow him to purchase barrels.
After 3-4 years the buyer is notified to come and take 100-200 or more bottles that have been bottled from the barrels he has purchased.
He needs to store these bottles somewhere and the wine library is the solution.
"It is possible today to adapt wine refrigerators to a wide range of budgets through small changes and thus make the purchase much more accessible."
So true, not everyone buys barrels and bottles them, so there are other designed and professional solutions.
The new generation of wine refrigerators makes it possible to store a large number of bottles.
Michal Baron Sheps, one of the owners of Eurocave and founder of the ANAVA wine library brand, explains that there are refrigerators that can hold more than 230 bottles.
Wine refrigerators can stand as an item on their own or be built in as an integral part of kitchen cabinets.
Next to the large refrigerators there are extra small refrigerators that allow storage of 12 bottles.
These refrigerators will be suitable for integration in smaller apartments or in the office.
Many wine refrigerators are equipped with a vacuum stopper that draws the air out of open bottles, prevents oxidation and keeps them fit for drinking even after a few days.
Baron Sheps explains that even when it comes to the refrigerator, the design options are very wide and can be combined with elements such as integral doors, perimeter lighting, the ability to control the direction of laying the bottles and more.
In general, she explains, it is now possible to adapt wine refrigerators to a wide range of budgets through small changes and thus make the purchase much more accessible.
She says that in Eurocave they took their favorite features and made adjustments to them - for example, in some refrigerators they chose slightly simpler shelves, but still very high quality, and added lighting and a more designed handle.
That is, they took the basic and a drop that upgraded it.
Another solution that helps offset costs is designed library units that do not require plumbing and can be installed in the home without having to drill into the walls, an ancillary operation that in itself increases the cost of the project.
"The wine can be stored in slightly less technological but no less aesthetically spectacular methods, such as the terra cotta hive"
If refrigerators and libraries don’t speak to you, the wine can be stored in slightly less technological but no less aesthetically spectacular methods, like the terra cotta hive.
Terra cotta hives are a spectacular decorative item that adds color and lots of style to the space.
You can place them on the work surface in the kitchen, on the floor in the living room or anywhere else, depending of course on the size of the hive you will build.
Terra cotta hives usually come in pairs so that everyone can build a hive of their own size.
In terms of design, this is the whole world.
Beyond choosing a storage solution (library, refrigerator), the way the bottles are placed also has a decorative meaning - there are libraries and refrigerators where the bottles are placed horizontally, others where the bottles are placed with the cork towards the front and those where the bottom is facing the front.
In terms of keeping the bottle of wine there is no meaning to the manner of the discount.
The preference in this matter is purely decorative.
The libraries can decorate the main wall in the living room or be located under a staircase.
Jersey Breads says that in fact through careful planning and professional execution any space can be turned into a professional space for storing and preserving wines for many years to come.
Although the Israeli is sometimes a little embarrassed to adopt manners from abroad, he overcomes and makes the move. We like to entertain today. We like to show off our knowledge a bit, and the turtles will prove what hospitality looks like on the purity of the wine (made by themselves). Different wines in dedicated glasses - whoever becomes an amateur understands, knows how to differentiate between a glass that is suitable for white wine and the one that is suitable for red.
If you are in the direction of your own wine refrigerator or library, it is important to know that in addition to being decorative, they must do well with the goods inside - the professional wine libraries and refrigerators that are supposed to preserve and enhance the wine are equipped with a climate control mechanism.
Jersey and Baron Sheps breads attach great importance to temperature.
They explain that Israel is a warm country with the ideal climate range for growing a rich variety of grape varieties and for producing quality wines.
However, the extreme changes in climatic conditions between the seasons and even between day and night, do not allow the wine to be preserved optimally and for a long time, so quality climate control is of great importance.
"We learned to serve wines in decanters, to pour different wines in dedicated glasses - whoever becomes an amateur understands, knows how to differentiate between a glass that is suitable for white wine and the one that is suitable for red."
In terms of materials it is important to choose dedicated materials that are suitable for such a library.
Substances that have undergone processes that prevent swelling, salivation and fungus.
The skeleton, lintel and doors must also be fitted and ensure durability over time.
Improper selection can result in a space that is not properly sealed and insulated (due to improper doors or unprofessional installation), condensation on the windshield and a decrease in the quality of the wine.
Internal shelves made of unadapted materials may get deformed from the lack of a sufficiently accurate calculation of weights.
Baron Shanpas further sharpens and explains that the attention given to the issue of insulation and sealing is more important than many other details related to the refrigerator and wine libraries.
She explains that they seal the refrigerator cube from all directions and only then insert the system and mechanisms.
She also emphasizes that there are dedicated solutions for those whose home is close to the sea, so heat systems are incorporated into the profiles that help create a temperature regulation that prevents condensation.
So until you choose which of all the options speaks to you, check if you are properly equipped, at least when it comes to decanters and serving glasses.
5
things to keep in mind before planning a wine library or purchasing a refrigerator
Ability to design custom.
Make sure there is an array of service, support and accompaniment even after the sale, as well as, product warranty.
The architectural design must be complete - from the design to the delivery.
It is mandatory to combine climate control, not to compromise on the quality of the glass and to ensure quality thermal sealing.
Adjustment of the raw materials that will ensure durability over the years.
