In fact, if most people were to walk into their favorite bar or restaurant and notice their wine was being served through a tube, they would do a double-take. However, an increasing number of luxury restaurants and bars across the U.S. are jumping on the trend, and for good reason: Wine on tap is eco-friendly, cost-effective, and maintains the flavor and integrity of the wine to a pitch-perfect degree.

Four Essential Elements of Serving Excellent Wine on Tap

If you’re considering this trend, keep the following elements in mind:

1. Storage Temperature

The storage temperature of your kegged wine should be about 55 degrees fahrenheit, with a minimum temperature of 40 degrees F and a maximum up 75 degrees F. Since the keg is less susceptible to variations in temperature and the high volume of the liquid can withstand temperature fluctuations, the range here is a bit larger than the range for traditionally stored wine. The same storage temperature applies for both red and white wines.

2. Serving Temperature

There’s a pretty major difference between the serving temperature of white wine on tap versus red. Reds can be served at temperatures ranging from 55 to 65 degrees fahrenheit. For wine wines, aim for a chilly 40 to 45 degrees fahrenheit.

3. Gas Type

Although you can use either nitrogen or argon for wine on tap, most people recommend nitrogen. The ideal blend is about 75% nitrogen and 25% carbon dioxide, and it also happens to be readily available. Guinness, a staple in many restaurants and bars, uses this blend too.

4. Equipment

A high-grade stainless steel dispenser (304 or better) is imperative, since a lower grade will taint the flavor of the wine. Fortunately, since stainless steel is an increasingly popular choice from fermentation to storage, finding the right dispenser for your wine on tap is easier than ever. For your tubing, consider Barriermaster Flavourlock, which prevents oxygen permeation and therefore changes in flavor.

—Meg Northrup is a writer and wine connoisseur who works for Micromatic.com, a leader in the wine on tap trend

The post The Luxury of Wine on Tap appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

People are always wonder what’s in and what’s out in home decor. Paint colors may change yearly, but key ins and outs center on how we live our lives.

What’s in and what’s out for home building, home improvements and home decor?

What are today’s pickier homebuyers seeking?

What are Realtors and decorators and savvy home remodelers suggesting to their clients?

• WHATS IN:
  Natural flooring: Think (certain) woods, stone and removable coverings (area rugs).
  Elevated water faucets. It’s the way we cook and live.
  Deeper earth tints and hues throughout.
  Water elements/fountains in the north and southeast sections of the home (nod to compass Feng Shui).
  Climate-appropriate garden plantings.
  Wine cellars.
• WHATS OUT:
  Stainless steel appliances are high maintenance.
  Bamboo flooring: Much promise, poor wear-ability.
  Staircases that face front door: Bad Feng Shui.
  Wood laminate flooring: Too clicky.
  Wall-to-wall carpeting throughout the home.
  Wet bars.
• Care to add to these lists?

I find more and more buyers welcoming clean surfaces that are easily relieved of dust and dirt.

They want floors that can be thoroughly cleaned, sinks that can accommodate both mop buckets and pasta pots, and area rugs, especially in the kitchen and dining areas, that can be sent out for cleaning–or better yet, washed and dried at home on a more frequent basis.

Wine storage is in; wet bars are out. Homeowners have tried bamboo flooring and found that it warps and lacks in wear-ability. The ubiquitous stainless appliances? Fingerprints and smears are a nightmare. These finishes, unless newer ones that resist prints,  are NOT meant for real cooks and families!

Moreover, more and more people are discovering allergies to dust mites. They wish to avoid all conditions that invite their habitation and reproduction. Dusty draperies and musty carpeting are quickly losing favor with many buyers.

Finally, it only makes ecological sen$e to utilize native plantings that thrive in native conditions. Our San Diego gardens bloom best with plantings that require little water and lots of sunshine. New Orleans, Houston or Dayton, Ohio would naturally offer different blooming conditions.

What home decor trends are you seeing in your area of the country?

The post WHAT’S HOT/NOT IN HOMES THIS YEAR appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.