------------------------------------------------------------ THE STOMPER The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com January, 2002 Issue #18 http://www.grapestompers.com 1-800-233-1505 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ARTICLE: Wine Labels Made Easy By Brant Burgiss, Editor ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ NEW PRODUCTS ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ BONNIE'S BIN: Holiday Recap By Bonnie Brown, Manager ------------------------------------------------------------ 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!!! +-+-+-+-+-+-+ HA HA +-+-+-+-+-+-+ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ TOM'S CELLAR: Working Hard in Winter Wonderland by Tom Burgiss, Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ 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! +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 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! +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ FROM OUR CUSTOMERS ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ GUEST COLUMN - Why Red Wine Is Good For You reprinted from an Associated Press article, Dec. 21, 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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." ------------------------------------------------------------ How To Be A Guest Columnist For STOMPERS Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------ 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?? ------------------------------------------------------------ CORKY'S WINEMAKING DEFINITION ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ NEXT MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS ------------------------------------------------------------ - 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ LIST MAINTENANCE ------------------------------------------------------------ To SUBSCRIBE to the STOMPER winemaking hints newsletter, send a blank e-mail to newsletter@grapestompers.com with a subject line of: subscribe stomper To UNSUBSCRIBE from STOMPER winemaking hints newsletter, send a blank e-mail to newsletter@grapestompers.com with a subject line of: unsubscribe stomper Past issues of the STOMPER can be found at http://www.grapestompers.com/newsletter/archives ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------