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THE STOMPER
The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com
January, 2002 Issue #18
http://www.grapestompers.com 1-800-233-1505
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Welcome to the latest issue of "THE STOMPER", a newsletter
of winemaking hints and other wine-related articles.
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a
subscription and have an interest in home winemaking.
Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.
Feel free to pass along this newsletter to your winemaking
friends; we only ask that it be sent in its entirety.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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=> Feature Article - Wine Labels Made Easy
=> New Products
=> Bonnie's Bin - Holiday Recap
=> This Month's Specials
=> Tom's Cellar - Working Hard in Winter Wonderland
=> Feedback from Our Customers
=> Guest Column - Why Red Wine Is Good For You
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Corky's Winemaking Definition
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
*^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter
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FEATURE ARTICLE: Wine Labels Made Easy
By Brant Burgiss, Editor
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Happy New Year from our family to yours! As I write this,
the entire state of North Carolina is covered with snow -
it's a shame it didn't arrive in time for Christmas!
This month, we'll be focusing on a topic that's almost as
fun as making wine - making your own wine labels.
Whether you want to learn how to make labels from scratch,
or discover some helpful tips and tricks (like learning
how to keep the ink from running when the labels get wet),
be sure to check out the latest page of our web site:
http://www.grapestompers.com/articles/wine_labels.htm
It's a story that will surely "stick" in your mind!
Here's to you... and Happy Winemaking!
You can write to Brant at webmaster@grapestompers.com
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NEW PRODUCTS
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Here is a list of products recently added to our catalog:
- Item #2914 Wine Pump Bottle Saver $8.25
- Item #2916 Replacement Seals (for item above) $3.66
- Item #3149 VDV Red Zinfandel - Reg $53.13 Special $47.66
- Item #5410 Bumper sticker $1.00
"Squeeze Me, Press Me, Make Me Wine"
And don't forget to order your FREE personalized wine
labels anytime you purchase a grape concentrate kit. We
have made some new label designs for Valentine's Day!
Call us at 1-800-233-1505 and ask us about them.
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BONNIE'S BIN: Holiday Recap
By Bonnie Brown, Manager
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A very active month just passed by! I do hope you all had
a wonderful Holiday time. If you didn't get all that you
wanted, give us a call, we can round out the gift situation
for you!
I missed the smells of "holiday baking and cooking" so I
started a wine to make up for it. It is so nice to have
the sounds and smells of normalcy back in my life.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+ HA HA +-+-+-+-+-+-+
What does the grape say when stomped?
Nothing, it just wines a bit!!!
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Tom and I snuck into work during the holidays. Inventory
and all that paper work has to be done by the end of the
year. Being closed really helped us get that done. I hope
it didn't cause major problems with you, our friendly
winemakers. Remember, winemaking is very forgiving!
Suggestions for January? Spiced or mulled wines or ciders,
the more robust wines such as Zinfandel, Rosso Grande and
the mellow fruity Shiraz. Enjoy them from now 'til spring
when the lighter fruity wines take us away! We change our
wine taste along with the seasons at our house.
Here is a big wish for a "HAPPY NEW YEAR" May peace reign
over war.
We thank our ancestors for all the freedoms we have now!
Well worth fighting to keep!
GOD BLESS THE USA AND THOSE WHO DO THEIR PART!
'Tis a wonderful day in the mountains. . .
Life is too short... to drink bad wine... so make your own!
You can write to Bonnie at bonnie@grapestompers.com
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THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS
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grapestompers' specials for the month of January 2002 are:
Save 10% to 13% on selected Wine Kits
AND
Save over 10% on our Electric Transfer Pump
AND
Save 20% on our popular Bronze Cork Opener
AND
Save over $70 on the purchase of a
Complete Winemaking Starter Kit
which includes a RED or WHITE Concentrate
(see wine kit selection below)
Item # Description Reg. Price SPECIAL
3149 VDV Red Zinfandel Wine Kit 53.13 47.66
3280 Spagnol's Mist Peach Chardonnay 38.41 33.33
2620 Electric Transfer Pump 79.95 71.77
5104 Estate Cork Opener, Bronze 99.95 79.99
3200 Complete White Wine Starter Kit 246.68 175.00
3100 Complete Red Wine Starter Kit 259.79 185.00
Here's what you get with the COMPLETE Starter Kit:
If choosing the Complete WHITE Kit, your choice of either:
Fume Blanc, Piesporter, or Chenin Blanc VDV concentrate
If choosing the Complete RED Kit, your choice of either:
Valpolicella, Shiraz, or Cabernet/Merlot VDV concentrate
PLUS ALL THESE GOODIES:
Tom's Winemaking Video Bottle Rinser
Fermenter Bucket with lid Three-Piece Airlock
6-Gallon Glass Carboy Carboy Brush
Bung (stopper) Bottle Filler
Five feet of vinyl tubing B-Brite Sanitizer
Portuguese Hand Corker FermTech AutoSiphon
2 Cases of 750-ml Bottles Long Handled Spoon
Bottle Washer Adapter Brass Bottle Washer
Bottle Drainer, 45 station
AND YOU GET THE FOLLOWING ITEMS FREE ($16.59 value):
- Free Wine Labels (text of your choice)
- Free $5 coupon towards your next concentrate purchase
- Free Corks (30 corks, enough for one batch)
Just think: This complete kit offers EVERYTHING a brand-new
hobbyist would need to begin making his own wine. All you
need to decide is which wine kit you want!
And don't forget... you can always return your winemaking
video and receive a credit for $19.95 on your next
purchase... that's like getting the video for free! All
we ask is that you return it in good condition.
This is the best deal we've ever offered on a complete kit,
so don't miss out... order one for yourself or a friend
today. Ask for RED Complete Kit # 3100 or WHITE Kit # 3200
and be sure to let us know which wine concentrate you want.
NEW! Now you can "personalize" your Complete Kit -
Let's say you don't need or want some of the items that
normally come with the Complete Kit... just give us a call
at 1-800-233-1505 and let us know which items you don't
need, and we will adjust the price of the equipment kit
accordingly. Likewise, if you'd like a different wine kit,
just let us know and we can adjust the price.
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TOM'S CELLAR: Working Hard in Winter Wonderland
by Tom Burgiss, Owner
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Happy New Year! We love to celebrate good news, especially
when it involves one of our fine wine family customers!
We are shouting with pride because one of the winners of
WineMaker Magazine's Annual Wine Label contest was our own
Jean Taylor. Her "New River Edge" label, based on a picture
taken from the front porch of her parents' house in the
mountains of NC (which overlooks the second oldest river
in the world), received one of the Silver Awards. Look for
her award-winning design in the latest issue of WineMaker
Magazine (1-800-900-7594).
So a big congratulations to Jean from grapestompers.com!
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Whether you're ready or not, now is the time to get set for
the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday. "Wait a minute!"
you might think. "I just got through Christmas!"
So why the fuss about the holiday of love?? By ordering
your favorite 28-day wine kit now, you'll be able to make
a batch of wine in time for gift giving on Valentine's Day.
We've made some new labels especially for this holiday!
Call us at 1-800-233-1505 and we can describe our newest
wine labels to you.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Use small round velcro closures on wine
bottle boxes to keep the fold down top
closed. Two sets work great, provided the
wine bottles are all the same height!
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Because of the holiday season, inventory, winter weather,
and many, many orders (thank you!), we've gotten a little
bit behind in order processing.
To correct this situation, we have recently hired two new
employees, Harry and Faye Thurston (a retired couple), to
help us on an "as needed" basis. We apologize if our
service has not been up to your expectations and pledge
that this will improve! Thanks for your understanding and
patience. Just remember, you can always give us a call at
1-800-233-1505 to find out your order status!
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Here is a winter idea - Start a "new club" in your
neighborhood. Many couples have formed "dinner clubs"
that rotate from home to home each month. So why not
consider adding winemaking to your activities? Each month
make a different wine, and go home with extra bottles of
wine! After all, each carboy produces 30 bottles of wine!
Five couples allows each couple to take home 6 bottles.
OK, make that 5 bottles of wine, because some will be
consumed at the dinner!
In Canada, where I first came across this concept, single
ladies living in apartments get together and made three
different wines. Then they divided up the loot - each lady
getting 10 bottles of each wine for her racks! This way,
they can build up a nice inventory of different wines in a
relatively short time!
Don't laugh now, but we have some of that going on by the
"5 Chicks in Florida" and every time they call me, they're
laughing and giggling. I can't tell if they are enjoying
making or drinking the wine at the time of the call!
For large orders (over 200 pounds), we ship by truck and it
saves the "5 Chicks" a bunch on the freight bill.
If you are interested in getting large orders, call me for
special pricing!
You can write to Tom at tom@grapestompers.com
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FROM OUR CUSTOMERS
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As you might imagine, our office receives quite a bit of
correspondence - mostly through e-mail - here are some
comments we've recently received:
Thanks for helping me get started in wine making. Your
web site is very informative and your company seems people
oriented - that's a good way to be. Knowing nothing about
wine making I need someone that can tell me how to proceed
without talking above me.
-- Steve Zellner
Woodruff, SC
Tom,
Thank you for the promptness in your shipping! My package
arrived today. Have a happy holiday!
Thanks again,
-- Jennifer Harris
We have a group of 6 people that get together for wine
tasting of home made wines which are mostly of the fruit
variety. At the last tasting, I gave everyone your tests
#1 and #2. It was the hit of the party and so much fun.
Thanks so much.
NWHMWT (North Wisconsin Home Made Wine Tasters)
-- Dick Mitchell
Wisconsin
I just wanted to thank you for your prompt delivery!! I was
very surprised to see the order arrive before Christmas and
it made my father a very happy man on Christmas!!
Once again, thank you very much for all your help and
prompt attention to my order!
-- Callie Fleming
Amboy, IL
Tom,
I got the order yesterday and am quite pleased the
stabilizer is a much better bargain than my local
(now-defunct) supplier provided. These corks are
considerably different from others I've used, but I like
the looks. I'm anxious to try them out.
Thanks for the Pogopelli labels. I think I will hold them
back for the event of Pogopelli's christening this spring
or early summer. I think a few bottles specially labeled
for the occasion will be just the ticket.
I am attaching the Jalapeno Wine recipe I told you about.
My only regret is making 1 gallon rather than 5. The NEXT
batch will be 5, that's for sure. I've been cooking with
it some and am VERY pleased. I am also attaching an example
of my present labels. I would be interested in pricing
plain gummed paper if you sell it that way.
I printed out all the previous editions of The Stomper and
look forward to absorbing the wisdom therein. I too
enjoyed our chat and look forward to doing more business
with Grapestompers!
Thanks much,
-- Bob Endicott
Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Thank you Bonnie. This is going to be a great Christmas
surprise for my husband. I'm so glad I found your web site.
Sincerely,
-- Brenda Davis
Chesterfield, MO
Tom,
Since you were so nice to me when you got my order wrong
before, here is another order. I appreciate doing business
with a good company and good people.
Hope you have a great holiday season.
-- Jeffrey Vaughn
Tuscumbia, AL
Bonnie,
My order arrived today. All in great condition. Your
new labels are great. I can't wait to get the wine going.
Hope you have a great Christmas and all the best to
everyone for 2002.
-- Donna Oakes
Dorchester, IA
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GUEST COLUMN - Why Red Wine Is Good For You
reprinted from an Associated Press article, Dec. 21, 2001
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London (AP) Researchers say they have discovered the
crucial component in red wine that explains the so-called
French Paradox, or the way the French can eat lots of
cheese, buttery sauces and other rich foods and still
suffer less heart disease than Americans. The explanation
is pigments called polyphenols.
The pigments are not present in white wines or rose, and
they seem to be less potent in grape juice.
Polyphenols inhibit the production of a peptide that
contributes to hardening of the arteries, researchers
reported yesterday in the journal Nature. In experiments,
polyphenols in red wine decreased the peptide endothelin 1
produced by cells taken from cow's blood vessels.
Endothelin 1 is a potent constrictor of blood vessels, and
its overproduction is generally thought to be an important
factor when fatty deposits clog arteries, said the
researchers, from the William Harvey Research Institute at
the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
In the study, the cow cells were exposed to extracts from
23 red wines, 4 white wines, one rose and one type of red
grape juice. Researchers found the decrease in endothelin
levels was related to the amount of polyphenols in the
wines.
The whites and roses, which contain little or no
polyphenols, had no effect on endothelin 1 levels. Red
grape juice, with abundant pigment, was markedly less
potent in reducing endothelin 1 than red wine. The
researchers said that finding suggested that something
in wine making changed the properties of the pigment.
Researchers said they believed that the pigment came from
the skins of grapes used for red wine. In whites and roses,
the skins are removed before fermentation.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Save all of your used wine corks for next
year's Christmas craft project: a cork wreath!
Simply use a hot glue gun and glue corks
(standing up) onto a straw wreath base
that you can buy inexpensively at any
craft store. For the best effect, make
sure the corks are placed so that their
bases are close together, and glued all
the way around the wreath.
When you're finished, add a red bow and
hang on your door!
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
The type of grape also appeared to be important. Four of
the six most effective red wines in the study were made
entirely or partly from cabernet sauvignon grapes.
"The key message is moderate consumption of red wine is
likely to prevent heart disease, but we have no evidence
that white wine or rose would have a similar benefit,"
said Dr. Roger Corder, who led the study.
The lower incidence of heart disease in France, despite a
diet rich in butter and other fats, has led researchers to
look to the consumption of red wine, another staple of the
French diet.
Other studies have shown red wine helps fight heart
disease, and scientists have theorized that the benefits
are caused by antioxidant compounds that prevent or slow
the damaging effects of oxygen on the body.
Corder's research shows a different mechanism altogether.
He said it is a more plausible explanation for the French
Paradox.
David Klurfeld, a researcher at Wayne State University who
linked red wine and a reduction in heart disease in 1981,
noted that the cells were tested in a dish and said it is
unclear how polyphenols work in the body. However, he said,
the research opens another pathway that should be pursued.
"Is this the only mechanism, or is it a combination?
There's not enough evidence that points us in any
direction," Klurfeld said. "We're basically playing spin
the wine bottle here."
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How To Be A Guest Columnist For STOMPERS Newsletter
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If you'd like to be our next guest columnist, simply
send your three- or four-paragraph article to
articles@grapestompers.com. If your article is selected
for use in a future STOMPER newsletter, you'll receive
the attention of thousands, a coupon good for a discount
on your next grapestompers.com order, as well as our
heartfelt thanks. So what are you waiting for??
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CORKY'S WINEMAKING DEFINITION
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Ullage
- The airspace in a carboy found between the top level of
wine and the bottom of the bung (rubber stopper).
During secondary fermentation and bulk aging, ullage
should be kept to a minimum - say around 1 to 2 inches -
in order to prevent oxidation of the wine.
Look for other wine-related definitions by clicking on
the 'Glossary' button from our home page at
http://www.grapestompers.com
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NEXT MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS
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- More Winemaking Stories from Tom's Cellar
- Another Surprise from Brant
- More Specials
- The next article from Bonnie's Bin
- Our Next Guest Column
- More Customer Testimonials
- New Winemaking Products
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LIST MAINTENANCE
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Copyright (c) 2002 grapestompers.com
Boring Legal Stuff: Content is gathered from sources
considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of this info
cannot be guaranteed. Opinions expressed by guest
columnists and customer letters are those of the authors
and not necessarily those of grapestompers.com
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