skybar™ ONE Wine System

I often wonder what the UPS and FedEx men that deliver packages to my house must think of me. About 4 or 5 days out of the week, they have deliveries for me of wines being sent from around the world, to be reviewed on WineJulia.com. Of course, when wine or any alcoholic beverage is delivered to a home, a photo ID and signature are required to make sure the delivery is being obtained by someone 21 years of age or older.

Yesterday, however, the box that the UPS man brought to my door did not require a signature, and he couldn’t help but comment on this unusual delivery, “I guess we all need a break every now and then.” Well, now I know what he thinks of me…

Anyway, I had an idea about what was in the box, and I rushed inside to open it: my new skybar™ ONE Wine System had arrived. The skybar™ ONE Wine System is an innovative and swanky machine used to chill, pour, preserve and display wine. Using the Quick Start Guide, I had my skybar™ assembled and ready for use within a few minutes. Before picking out a wine to christen my new machine with, I scrolled through the options by using a round dial to see what functions were available, and to become familiar with my new skybar™.

Menu options are shown in a LED display on the front of the skybar™, some of the options are: VIEW SET TEMP., SET BY WINE TYPE, SET BY TEMP., and TURN LIGHT ON or OFF. Because I had a delicious goat cheese and herb dip ready and waiting for me in the fridge, I decided to christen my new, swanky skybar™ with a white wine from Gascony, France: Domaine du Tariquet 2010 Chenin-Chardonnay.

After getting the bottle into position inside the skybar™, which was done with ease, I turned the dial to “Chardonnay,” which automatically set the chilling temperature to 50 degrees – the optimal serving temperature for the Chardonnay varietal. Other white wine options included Sauvignon Blanc, Fumé Blanc, Chablis, White Burgundy, Pinot Grigio and White Zinfandel. Although I could have chosen one of the other white wine settings, like Sauvignon Blanc or Fumé Blanc (which are very similar to Chenin Blanc), I chose Chardonnay because I wanted the Chardonnay characteristics in this 75% Chenin/25% Chardonnay blend to shine through. There’s a 5 degree difference between the Chardonnay setting and the Sauvignon Blanc or Fumé Blanc settings of 45 degrees. The 5 degree difference may seem minuscule to some, but the cooler temperature can actually mask Chardonnay’s full bodied characteristics; therefore, a 50 degree setting is perfect for the Chenin Chardonnay blend.

Once everything was in place and the chilling temperature was set, the LED display read, CHILLING, and when the wine was chilled and ready to be served, about fifteen minutes later, the display showed, READY. To pour the wine, simply press the button on the top of the machine to unlock the preserving mechanism, and press and hold the POUR button to fill a glass to the desired amount. The wine was, indeed, perfectly chilled, and the flavors were pronounced and most definitely palate pleasing. I was instantly in love with my new skybar™ ONE Wine System. My first experience with my new wine chiller was a true success, and the bottle of Domaine du Tariquet Chenin Chardonnay was thoroughly enjoyed.

Now that I know the chilling and pouring features work perfectly, it’s time to test the preservation system. To test the preservation system, which is said to preserve wine up to ten days, I’ve decided to choose a varietal and winery that I’m very familiar with: Pfeiffer Vineyards 2008 Blue Dot Reserve Pinot Noir. Pfeiffer Vineyards is located in the southern Willamette Valley, not too far from where I live. This luscious, silky smooth Pinot Noir was harvested during one of Oregon’s most touted vintages, and it is one of my all-time favorite Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley. Starting this afternoon, I’ll be setting the chilling temperature to Pinot Noir, a cool 55 degrees, and for the next ten days, I’m going to have one small glass of the Pfeiffer Pinot Noir each day – each day I’ll log my tasting notes here on WineJulia.com.

This experiment is not going to be easy for me, I am not known for having “left over” wine; especially, when in a household where wine is appreciated by both my husband and I. But, I do have single friends who enjoy a single glass of wine when coming home from a long day at work. On numerous occasions, I’ve heard them pass up the opportunity to purchase an excellent bottle of wine because they fear it will go to waste. Friends, this preservation log is for you! For me, I already know why I love the skybar™ ONE Wine System – my wine was chilled to perfection, it was poured into my glass with the touch of a button, and the bottle looks awesome at night when the display/ambiance light is on – which probably reveals the level of my wine geekiness.

Follow me over to the 10 Day Preservation Log.