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History Guides & Advice

Name: Wine Hardware
Address: 1617 Locust St, Walnut Creek, CA, 94596, US
Telephone: (925) 944-1084

Where the habits came from: cellars, bottles, corks and the long argument about how wine should be kept.

4 articles
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Plan my cellar All articles

Stacked wine barrels lit warmly inside the Walnut Creek showroom

Three opened wine bottles, corks and corkscrews sit on a counter.

Start hereHistory

Wine Varieties & Their Characteristics

Wine varieties become easier to remember when you connect names with something in the glass. Compare fruit, body, freshness and texture, keep a note of bottles you enjoy and use those observations to choose the next grape or…

August 15, 2023 · 10 min read

Everything filed under History

History
When to Age Wine & When to Open It
July 25, 2023 · 13 min read
Deciding when to age or open wine begins with the actual bottle and your own taste. Keep producer and vintage information, note how comparable…
History
Wine Regions & Styles to Explore
June 20, 2023 · 8 min read
Exploring wine regions is more useful when each bottle gives you a point of comparison. Keep the origin, grape and producer with your tasting notes…
History
A Brief History of Wine
July 7, 2016 · 5 min read
Wine history becomes more memorable when it connects a place, a tradition and a bottle you can discuss. Use the broad story as context for exploring…

What we do about it

Bring the questions to the showroom

Wine Hardware sells the equipment in these articles and designs the rooms it goes into.

Design the room
Bottle count, layout, racking and finish for a closet, an under-stair space or a whole basement.
Cool it properly
Heat load worked out for your room, then a WhisperKOOL, Wine Guardian, CellarPro or CellarCool unit sized to it.
See it in person
Racking, cabinets and glassware at 1617 Locust St, Walnut Creek. Weekdays, or Saturday by appointment.

Restaurant hallway lined with a glass-front wine display cabinet

Tipsy Tuesday

Bring Mike the article and the detail you want to understand. Call (925) 944-1084 to talk through your wine or cellar question. The newsletter form below is a beta preview.

This beta form does not subscribe your address or send an email. Contact the showroom for current information.

While you are here

Can Wine Hardware quote the project in these articles?

Mike can help you work through a project estimate. Email him dimensions, a floor plan or photos to compare the layout, cooling and materials, then agree on the scope and details needed for a quote.

Do you sell the equipment you write about?

We stock and sell WhisperKOOL, Wine Guardian, CellarPro, CellarCool, VintageView, Modularack, Transtherm, Le Cache and Marvel, plus glassware and accessories, from the Walnut Creek showroom.

Where do you work?

Design and installation across the Bay Area, from Walnut Creek and Danville to Berkeley, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Napa and Sonoma. Equipment can ship beyond the Bay Area; ask for a freight quote on large items.

Other shelves worth a look

61 articles
Wine Education
The reading that makes a collection more fun to own: grapes, regions, labels, glassware and serving temperatures, explained without the theater.
49 articles
Wine Tips
Short, practical answers to the questions we get across the counter every week.
18 articles
Basics
Start here if the wine is new. Tasting, serving, storing and buying, without a single word you have to look up.

Start here

A photo is a good place to start.

Wondering what the room could hold? Call Mike at (925) 944-1084 with a rough bottle count and dimensions. He can help you compare layouts and cooling options before you decide what to buy.

Plan my cellar Call Mike at (925) 944-1084