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THE STOMPER
The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com
May, 2002 Issue #22
http://www.grapestompers.com 1-800-233-1505
Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Monday - Friday
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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 it.
Instructions to cancel 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 - Bung (Stopper) Sizing Chart
=> New Products
=> Bonnie's Bin - Happy Mother's Day!
=> This Month's Specials
=> Tom's Cellar - Your Security is Important
=> Feedback from Our Customers
=> Guest Column - Start a Winemaking Club
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Yadkin Valley Wine Festival - May 18 - Elkin, NC
=> Corky's Winemaking Definition
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
*^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter
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FEATURE ARTICLE: Bung Sizing Chart Now Online
By Brant Burgiss, Editor
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Happy May everyone! Hope you're ready for a summer full of
winemaking fun. Have you started your summertime wines
yet? If not, there's still time to do so!
A customer of ours wrote to suggest we provide an easy
way to help you decide which size bung (stopper) to order
for your carboy or demijohn - and we thought - HEY!
What a great idea for a new page on our web site...
So we took all the bungs we could find, measured the tops
and bottoms of each one, and created an easy to read chart
with the results. Now you'll be able to find the right
sized bung like a pro!
You can see this sizing chart on our latest web page:
http://www.grapestompers.com/bung_sizing_chart.asp
This page also provides an example so you can see how
the chart works.
We hope you'll enjoy this new page on our web site... and
will refer to it whenever you have the occasion to order
your next rubber stopper.
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 #2108 Green "Dead-Leaf" Bordeaux-style
wine bottles, 750 ml, tapered body with
punted bottom, per case of 12.... $8.99
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BONNIE'S BIN: Happy Mother's Day!
By Bonnie Brown, Manager
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'Tis the season to reflect on Mothers. The be all and do
all core of most families. Wow, what a load that is! Give
us a break that day kids!
When I think of the program 'Frontier Homes' seen on PBS,
I am so thankful to be living in the 21st century! We do
NOT have it all so rough. Each generation of mothers has
it a bit easier than the last. I take this opportunity to
wish all of you mothers "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY"!
We have a great selection of T-Shirts in stock for that
special day and would love to ship one to your mom! You
might even recall something really meaningful that you
could remind her of. I bet she would love to hear what
memories YOU have! Share them with the family. Then sit
back with a wonderful glass of wine and reflect on what
you want to leave in a memory box for others.
There are some great white wines to start so they will be
ready for the 4th of July weekend. I am looking forward to
an ice cold Fume Blanc poured over fresh strawberries,
blueberries, and raspberries! With that, I will go water
my berries and rack off the wine! It pays to plan ahead
when it comes to our wines!
Enjoy... another glass and keep remembering!
Bonnie
May wisdom be with our leaders today...
May we all help to raise wise leaders for tomorrow...
'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 May 2002 are:
Save over 10% on 2 different Wine Kits
AND
Save over 12% on our Automatic Bottle Filler
AND
Get a FREE airlock and bung with the purchase
of any carboy in stock
AND
Save over 17% on Montrachet Wine Yeast
AND
Save over 20% on Sambuca Liquor-Quik Kit
(Italian liqueur that tastes like licorice)
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
3229 VDV White Zinfandel Wine Kit 43.95 38.88
3271 Grand Cru Pinot Gris Wine Kit 55.00 48.88
2688 Super Automatic Bottle Filler 16.94 14.88
2701 Red Star Montrachet Yeast, 5 gm 0.34 0.28
2758 Sambuca (Licorice) Liquor-Quik 3.64 2.88
2201 Carboy Special -
2204 Buy any carboy (6, 5, or 3 gallon size) from us
2205 this month and get a FREE airlock and bung!
3200 Complete White Wine Starter Kit 246.68 175.00
3100 Complete Red Wine Starter Kit 259.79 185.00
The two wine kits shown above will make about 30 - 750 ml
bottles of great wine in as little as 28 days. These wine
kits are OUR MOST POPULAR SELLERS among all wine kits!
The automatic bottle filler is a life-saver... it's like
having a third hand! It stops automatically when the
bottle is full. Neat, huh?
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 ($26.59 value):
- Free Wine Labels (text of your choice)
- Free T-shirt (sizes available: M, L, or XL)
- 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: Safe and Secure at grapestompers.com
by Tom Burgiss, Owner
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Each month, I look forward to the opportunity to "chat"
with all of you in our newsletter.
Seems like time flies, and before I know it, I am at the
computer typing out another article for you to gaze upon.
So here we are in May already!
This month I wish to talk to you about security. Your
security. When I started grapestompers.com, I pledged
to never to sell our customer's names to a third party.
We have this policy in place, it has been followed and
will continue to be followed in the future. Personally,
I despise ordering something via the Internet and
immediately start getting unrelated pitches from companies
that I have never heard of (or for that matter, were aware
that they even existed)!
We have a secure site because we want you to feel confident
that your information is protected whenever you order from
us. When we get an online order from you, we will always
acknowledge receipt via e-mail within 24 hours (except on
weekends and holidays) to let you know your order reached
us successfully. If you ever place an order and do not
hear from us within the timeframe just described, please
call us immediately so we can get your order on its way.
Why do we care about your security? The reason is simple:
We do not want your personal information (especially your
credit card information) to be vulnerable to unauthorized
persons. Believe it or not - Sometimes we receive regular
(plain, non-secure) e-mails telling us the winemaking
products you wish to order, along with the credit card
number and expiration date. Please DO NOT EXPOSE your
credit card information in this manner. I realize that it
may take more time to fill out the secure order form;
however, it does protect you.
You may also wonder... why do we want to know your e-mail
address and phone number?
Well, for a couple of reasons... when we fill your order,
we want to be able to e-mail you the tracking (shipping)
and invoice information so you will know when to expect
delivery; also, if we have a question about your order,
we can straighten out any issues before your order is
packed and shipped. For instance, sometimes the item #'s
our customers provide do not match the description of the
item in question, so we would like the opportunity to call
or e-mail you for clarification.
One note here - please check your e-mail address twice for
any possible typographic errors whenever you order... and
remember that some businesses, while they may allow out-
going e-mails to most any place, may block incoming e-mails
if they do not match a company-defined list of "accepted"
domains. For this reason, we always recommend that our
customers provide their personal (not business) e-mail
addresses whenever possible.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
When you buy a floor corker from us, send
us your old hand corker and save money...
We'll deduct the value of your hand corker
from the price of your new floor corker!
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Some folks call and wish to provide their personal info
over the phone. That's fine... besides, we love to talk
with you! Lots of folks call our toll-free number to ask
questions about winemaking... and that's OK too... just be
aware that when I take your call, I may not be in the
bodega itself - I may be in my house across the creek
having a bite to eat. Often, when I get a call while at
the house I grab up any piece of scratch paper (sound
familiar, anyone?) and start to take notes. The only
problem with this "system" is that just this past month, I
misplaced one order and cannot find it anywhere! So
somewhere, someone did NOT get his order from us. If you
are that person, please let me know!
I realize that all I have written above is "mouthful", but
just remember - here at grapestompers.com we make an effort
to treat you like we like to be treated. ALWAYS!
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:
Bonnie,
Thank you so much for really explaining that to me! Now I
understand the whole 7 day thing... and appreciate you not
making me feel stupid!
I wonder if all your first time customers get this child-
like excitement that I am having... I will let you know
how it all goes.
Wow, that truly is service! Thank you!
-- Edith Smith
Wow! You replied so promptly! I'm impressed! Most
companies take a week or longer to get back to me!
Thanks you so much for the advice! It worked! There
was a bit of an air leak but it worked enough to get the
liquid going so I'm happy!
I'll be sure to tell everybody what a great company
you guys have!
Thanks again for such prompt attention to my problems!
I remain a happy customer!
-- Carolyn Brunoe
Warm Springs, OR
Tom,
Our order arrived sometime this morning before 10 am.
That's FAST.
Thank you,
-- Richard Grant
Conover, NC
Dear Tom and Bonnie,
Must tell you, dealing with you is like the "old family
business". You folks are so conscientious and personable.
-- Marie Eldred
Cambridge Springs, PA
Dear Tom and Bonnie,
Just wanted to say thanks for sending out my husband's
carboy last week and for the updated wine labels.
We both appreciate the "LUCAS CELLARS" labels.
I just really wanted to say thanks for all that you have
done with our orders - it feels very personal and welcoming
to both my husband and to myself :0)
Thanks again.
-- Diane & Dan Lucas
Delaware, OH
Hi Tom,
Does anyone on this list have a good design for a crusher
for small quantities of grapes?
Sincerely,
-- Tony Baker
New Zealand
tony.baker@xtra.co.nz
TOM'S REPLY:
Tony, I've never built a grape crusher myself, but I've
heard of folks doing so... in fact, have heard of some
pretty ingenious designs!
What about it, folks? Anyone out there able to point Tony
in the right direction so he can build his own crusher?
Please send your replies to him at tony.baker@xtra.co.nz
And Tony - let us know how everything works out!
Thanks, Tom
Tom,
I've been making wine for over 5 years. In fact, we're
about to bottle our 38th batch. Some have been 23L must
"kits", some have been concentrate plus juice.
I noticed you list something called "ice wine" kits.
What the heck is ice wine?
-- Bob Stevens
Jonesboro, GA
TOM'S REPLY:
Bob, I am willing to bet that you have made many friends
through the past 5 years!
Ice wine comes from a type of grape is allowed to FREEZE
on the vine, picked immediately and made into juice.
Generally speaking, it has been said when you squeeze 5
of the frozen grapes it produces the same amount that one
normal grape will produce. By freezing it concentrates and
runs the brix higher than others. It finishes very sweet
and is used as a cordial after dinner, a sipping wine and
is not a wine you would normally consume while having
dinner.
The kits we have in stock makes 30- 375 ml bottles. You
make it in a 3 gallon (US) carboy. Next time, when in a
wine store, look for it. It will retail for around $25 to
35 dollars a bottle!
Thanks for stopping by grapestompers.com,
Tom
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GUEST COLUMN - Start a Winemaking Club
by Don Schiller, Minnesota
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Like winemaking?
Share it with others. Start a club!
Winemaking is a great hobby, but it is a continual learning
experience. The best way to enjoy wine and winemaking
is to share with others. If there isn’t a winemaking club
in your area, start a club and share your winemaking
information with others and learn from them.
Wine clubs can be structured with a board of directors and
follow Robert's Rules of Order, or more loosely with just
a place to meet and something to do once you get there.
How to start
You need to find others with the same hobby. Start with
your local winemaking supply stores. Talk with the
management. Often they will let you post ads and maybe
will let you hold the meetings there. They may even help
with some programs.
I have been a member of the Purple Foot Wine Club in the
Twin Cities for over 15 years. This year, I had the honor
of Vice President (as well as newsletter editor). In our
club, the VP schedules the meetings for the year. Our club
year is from Sept. through May. Our club was started 30
years ago and has about 90 members.
What should you do at meetings?
Always have a topic; something to do at the meeting. Make
sure your members know your topic so they can participate.
Some suggestions for meeting topics may include:
Technical - The leader gives demonstrations or helpful
hints on everything from using hydrometers, testing acid,
how to use fining and clarifying agents, how to blend
wines.
Technical Tasting - Tasting wines to learn about the wine
and what makes the wines flavors. These include how the
yeast affect fermentation and flavor, identifying wine
components (acids, tannins, oak), problem wines - identify
off flavors and how to correct them.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
If you print your own wine labels on an
inkjet printer, you can make them smudge-
proof by spraying them with a clear enamel
or clear poly or clear plastic spray before
applying your label to the bottle.
It will dry quickly and your label won't
smear or run if it gets wet.
Our thanks to Bill Coble of Gulfport, MS
for this tip.
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Commercial Wine Tasting - Why do this? You can buy Kendall
Jackson Chardonnay and always get a good consistent wine.
In tasting the wine, you can see how that type of wine
should taste. You can compare winemaking styles and
learn how you can use them in your winemaking, or, maybe
you will just find a wine that you would like to have in
your cellar.
Wine Competition - You have had your technical session and
have learned the tricks to make better wines, now compare
and compete against other winemakers. Use the Davis
judging form or the form from Los Angeles Home Winemaking
Club "Cellarmasters", at:
http://www.lafn.org/community/cellarmasters/score.pdf
I like this sheet, but there are other score sheets on the
web. Award ribbons or certificates if you like. If you
want to learn more on judging wines, send email and I will
send you an article I wrote for our club.
Guest hosts - If you get a good size group, you may find
wine representatives and wine supply stores that will come
to you and show you what they have to offer. Our club
recently had a wine blending seminar put on by one winery
and a sensory identification session put on by another.
Each session was followed by a wine tasting from the
wineries to tie it all together.
Social Events - A club shouldn't be all work, there should
be some fun too. If you have an opportunity to get fresh
fruit or apple juice, schedule a trip. Make it a social
event, include spouse and friends, and have a potluck
dinner in the vineyard or the orchard. A summer picnic is
a great time to get together and share some good food and
good wine.
There is just too much to put into this article. If you
want more information on any of these items and what we
have done in past meetings, just send email to
vintner@prodigy.net and I will provide more detail on
our club and past events.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Don Schiller is the vice president and
newsletter editor for the Purple Foot Wine Club in the
Twin Cities in Minnesota. He has been making wine for
about 15 years and has been writing articles for the
Purple Foot Wine Club newsletter for many of those years.
You can contact Don at vintner@prodigy.net
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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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Yadkin Valley Wine Festival Set for May 18 in Elkin, NC
By Tom Burgiss, Owner
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The first annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival will take
place in Elkin, NC on Saturday, May 18 from 11:00 AM to
6:00 PM at Elkin Municipal Park.
Lots of wineries will be present, offering samples of their
wines - and grapestompers.com will also be there, with a
booth full of winemaking supplies and other wine goodies!
Learn more about this inaugural event online at:
http://www.ejachamber.com/winepage.asp
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While we're on the subject of NC wine festivals, the 2nd
Annual North Carolina Wine Festival will be held on
Saturday June 8, 2002 in Tanglewood Park, Clemmons,
North Carolina from 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
The North Carolina Wine Festival is sponsored by The North
Carolina Grape Council. Last year's Festival drew over
5000 people for a day of wine tasting.
You'll be able to meet the winemakers and taste the
offerings from over 14 wineries that will be in attendance.
The wineries will be located in four to five tasting tents
and a large selection of food will be available.
The Festival will include a variety of live music from
Classical to Light Rock to Blues... even some Americana.
Tickets will be on sale at area Lowe's Foods and at other
retail locations beginning May 7, 2002. You can read more
about this wine festival online at:
http://www.wsjs.com/WineFest/WF-index.html
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CORKY'S WINEMAKING DEFINITION
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Bung
- The rubber stopper placed in the neck of the carboy or
demijohn that holds the airlock in place with an airtight
seal.
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
- More Customer Testimonials
- Another Guest Article
- New Winemaking Products
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LIST MAINTENANCE
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Past issues of the STOMPER can be found at
http://www.grapestompers.com/newsletter/archives
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Copyright (c) 2002 grapestompers.com. All rights reserved.
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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