Babies, Bottles, and Wine Racks...

Zzzzz's...a common occurrence in our home lately. It has been a few days since our last post and for good reason! A week ago I found myself at a hospital with my wife Brenna who labored for 30+ hours to finally welcome the newest member of our family, Tessa June; weighing in at 9lbs 2oz and 22in long. Brenna was an amazing trooper and currently is one of the best mom's in town...my natural bias I suppose.

Tessa at 3 days old

While it was fun to be a part of the "birth" of our company, Vetrina del Vino, the birth of my daughter has been life changing to say the least. With our business, Michael and I can plan, strategize, and be organized. With Tessa's arrival, my wife and I have found ourselves humbled by all of the things we don't know about parenthood.We are learning every day/night and getting sleep every minute we can, although, those minutes are few and far between.

Tessa June
by {j. rochelle photography} 

by {j. rochelle photography}

Not surprisingly, Michael has been an amazing business partner and has carried the production load of our business, while I have been adjusting to the new needs of my family. I look forward to doing the same for him when they add to their family in January with their second!!

***Watch for our upcoming post on another fantastic part of our business...Personalized Copper Engravings.  They are very unique and a perfect gift for the upcoming Holidays for the hard to please family or friend.***

Our small business shout out for the month of October is {j. rochelle photography}! Not only is the owner, Jenni, an amazing friend, mom, wife but she is an OUTSTANDING photographer. In the words of my wife Brenna, "if she can make me look good in family photographs eight days after having a child she can do anything with a camera." I have to say, it's true. She photographed my family (parents, siblings, Brenna, Tessa and I) this weekend and was such a professional. We gave my mom family photographs as a birthday gift and she did a great job of making sure my mom got the pictures she wanted, everyone felt comfortable and most importantly that we all had fun. Check out her blog at http://jrochellephotography.blogspot.com/ to see more of her work and how to contact her.

-Tom

Hockey Players & Wine Racks...

Every year the Twin Cities and surrounding areas hosts a tour called the Parade of Homes. If you have been to it, you know exactly how amazing these homes are; my wife and I like to call them McMansions. I personally like going to them to see the craftsmanship, detail, and decor of these amazing homes. This year we had the privilege of showcasing our Cellar Series wine racks in one of the luxury homes. (The Cellar Series racks are 87" tall and hold 20 bottles). The homeowner...Captain of the the MN Wild, Mikko Koivu!

Mikko Koivu, 2011-12 Captain of the MN Wild

The builder of the home had a great location for the wine cellar, right below the staircase to the basement. We worked with the mason that was sub contracted for the brick work to come up with the best installation plan for the space. The cellar was a modest 4' x 3' space, that allowed for plenty of storage as well as a great place to display and locate individual selections from the home owner's wine collection.

Before adding the bottles...

Bottles have been added!

Another great shot of the cellar!

So, if your life is anything like mine, you don't have a luxury home that would make it on to the Parade of Homes! That's the beauty of these wine racks.....you don't need a luxury home to accomplish something like this. All you need is to think a little outside of the box and you can turn a basement closet (or a portion of a closet) into a practical storage solution. No longer do we store wine in an old cardboard box or take up room on valuable counter space; NOW we Showcase it!  

Here's to a great 2011-12 season Mikko...

-Tom

Feel free to contact us if you are looking to outfit a space with our wine racks.  Contact us at sales@vetrinadelvino.com and we can help get the ball rolling!

The Story of the 1st Wine Rack...

Once Upon a Time...In a land called Minneapolis, the first wine rack was created. On this day the skies were clear, the sun was shining AND smiling, there was a gentle breeze, and for a moment in time the world stopped as the first hole was drilled into an old 2x4 of rough pine. Snow White was singing in the background and we were both whistling while we worked.

OK, so obviously that isn't how it all happened. The reality is that I have no idea what the weather was like outside and we were in Michael's unfinished basement, while Allison was taking care of Lydia. We can only assume that the soundtrack was them watching Snow White, but only the non-scary parts. I happen to enjoy the first version of the story better, it just sounds more whimsical so we will stick with it!

After measuring, calculating; using math skills that we once learned back in school, we finally had come up with the right distance between holes as well as the degree in which the holes would be drilled in at. The last thing we wanted to have happen was for our finished prototype to drop bottles once they were placed in - NOT a good scenario!! Fortunately, everything worked great as we tested it over and over again. Fast forward through some staining sessions, some poly and the finished product was just one step away. The final piece, which we believe sets our wine rack further apart from the rest, is the hammered copper discs on the top and bottom of the rack. Che un capolavoro bellissimo! (What a beautiful masterpiece!)

First wine rack, displayed at Michael's house.

Top down look at the first rack - love it!

Stay tuned for more blog entries and even a FREE Wine Rack Giveaway!!  We have also added a way for you to receive emails when we update our blog...it's on the top right of our page.  Have a great weekend!

-Tom

It all has to start somewhere...

March 2nd, 2011.....a big day for me!  I crossed the line into my 30's (don't worry - I survived with a full head of hair intact thanks to my Lebanese genes) AND I crossed the line into my second round of running a personal business. On my 30th birthday my business partner and lifelong friend incorporated our business, Vetrina del Vino. Michael and I first met at John F. Kennedy HS in Bloomington, MN back in 1995 and now, 16 years later, we are starting a new adventure that will allow us to stretch our creative muscles as well spend time together with our wives knowing it's "business" versus pleasure.  In reality, both of our wives know it's a pretty even mix but it sounds better that we need to head out on a Friday night to "work".

At Mike & Allison's wedding in '04 - Mike on the left, I'm on the right

Vetrina del Vino, means "Showcase (or Feature) the Wine" in Italian. While neither of us are Italian, I could pass for one and Michael spent a semester in Italy in college; so maybe that makes us "part" Italian?!  Either way, we definitely enjoy Italian food, wine, and decor.

As they say.....It all started a couple of years ago when Michael was remodeling his dining room and was looking to display his selections of wine. He wanted a way that would not only fit the style of his Tuscan decor, but store a significant quantity of bottles without taking up valuable floor space. Out of this desire came the creation of our main product, the 16 bottle ladder wine rack. After refining the design, utilizing the racks in both of our houses and for numerous family and friends, we decided to produce these beautiful wine racks in the hopes that you will enjoy them as much as we have!

Both Michael and I have always been entrepreneurs at heart. I started and sold a credit card processing business in my 20's and love the experience of making something out of nothing and being able to provide for my family while doing it. Michael's family owns and runs a Brick and Stone business and Michael loves getting to not only help people create something beautiful but see the process through from beginning to end.

We would be nothing of course without our beautiful wives! I married Brenna December 27th, 2008 and have loved every minute (well, 99% at least) of this amazing thing called marriage. Our first child will be joining us ANY day now - literally. Brenna was due yesterday...looks like our baby is all snuggled up in mama and doesn't want to come out yet. We will be ready when she does!!

Our honeymoon in January 2009

Michael married Allison on October 4, 2003 after dating through high school and college. They have loved seeing each other grow and how their marriage has grown deeper and stronger with each passing year. They have one adorable daughter named Lydia that I might note is also brilliant as she thinks I'm pretty awesome. They are excitedly planning for the arrival of their second daughter in January of 2012.

Mike, his wife Allison, and daughter Lydia

These two women are amazing because they not only LET us do this second "job" that takes up lots of time and energy but they encourage us and cheer us on at every turn.  ;-)

-Tom