------------------------------------------------------------ THE STOMPER The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com October, 2002 Issue #27 http://www.grapestompers.com 1-800-233-1505 Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Monday - Friday ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => Feature Article - Try Our Latest Winemaking Quiz => New Products => Bonnie's Bin - Cooler Weather Means Holiday Labels => This Month's Specials => Tom's Cellar - Volunteer to Taste a Different Wine => Feedback from Our Customers => Guest Column - Determining Alcohol Content of Wine => How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist => Corky's Winemaking Definition => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information *^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ARTICLE: Try Our Latest Winemaking Quiz By Brant Burgiss, Editor ------------------------------------------------------------ Our apologies for the late release of this month's newsletter... we were a little preoccupied getting ready for the wine tasting held on October 6th at the Burgiss Barn in Laurel Springs, NC! The 5th Annual Wine Tasting is in the books now, and by the looks of the smiles I saw, it was another huge success. Kudos to Tom and Bonnie for their organization... you can read their take on the event later in this issue. Now... on to this month's feature article. We've had several requests to offer another winemaking quiz (this will be our third), so Tom and I put our heads together and came up with another round of questions. The quiz is multiple-choice format, so even if you don't know the answer, it's still fun to guess! http://www.grapestompers.com/quiz/index.asp So pour a glass of your favorite wine, sit down, relax, and see how you do! 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 #3155 Cru Select RQ La Rioja Nueva, $87.00 - Item #3156 Grand Cru Cabernet Franc, 10 lt, $52.25 - Item #3165 Grand Cru Malbec, 10 lt, $52.25 - Item #2107F Burgundy style bottle, flint, 12/cs, $8.99 - Item #2717A Replacement Syringe for Acid Test kit, $1.10 - Item #2717B Replacement Test Tube (Acid Test kit) $0.66 - Item #2716B Vinoferm Blue Indicator Solution 100ml, $2.31 - Item #2122 187 ml Green Champagne bottles 24/cs, $14.52 Crown Finished (takes caps or stoppers) ------------------------------------------------------------ BONNIE'S BIN: Cooler Weather Means Holiday Label Time By Bonnie Brown, Manager ------------------------------------------------------------ Wa, again the time has flown! Someday I will not say that as an opening to ya'll! But don't hold your breath! Ha Ha. The wine tasting was wonderful. The "group" did a great job of intermingling and the wine was talking! There was a lot of sharing going on as to how each does something and what they like or dislike. I do think more new friends were made within the group. I did my best this year to make sure we were more prepared and I think we made it; at least it felt less stressful. The weather is cooling down a bit and we can see it in the orders we are getting. Christmas and New Year's labels are being requested! Did you know that you can order 1/2 of your free labels in a Christmas or Holiday design? You can! Just ask us! That's it folks. Brant is waiting on me!!! AGAIN! HAPPY WINEMAKING! Bonnie 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 October 2002 are: Save 10% or more on 3 different wine kits AND Save over 11% on our most popular airlock & rubber stopper AND Save over 11% on acid blend and the Vinoferm acid test kit AND Get FREE yeast with each soda pop extract you purchase AND Save up to 11% on selected recipe books AND FINALLY 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 3233 CC Chenin Blanc 58.58 52.52 3119 VDV Red Bordailles (Bordeaux) 49.39 44.44 3129 CC Cabernet Sauvignon 87.95 78.78 2235 Multi-fit drilled stopper 0.63 0.55 2223 Triple Ripple Airlock 1.04 0.92 2729 Acid Blend, 1 pound 5.45 4.84 2716A Vinoferm Acidometer 12.43 11.11 2801 Wine Recipe Handbook 3.03 2.72 2821 Kitchen Cordials Recipe Book 2.04 1.81 3200 Complete White Wine Starter Kit 246.68 175.00 3100 Complete Red Wine Starter Kit 259.79 185.00 2773 Get a free packet of Montrachet thru yeast when you purchase any 2781 soda pop extract The three wine kits shown above will make about 30 - 750 ml bottles of great wine in as little as 28-45 days. Wine kit abbreviations explained: CC = Cellar Classic wine kit GC = Grand Cru wine kit VDV = Vino del Vida wine kit CSP = Cru Select Platinum wine kit CSG = Cru Select Gold wine kit 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 ($13.37 value): - Free Wine Labels (text of your choice) - Free adhesive fermenting thermometer - 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, as well as the text you want on your free wine labels. 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: Would You Volunteer to Taste Different Wine? by Tom Burgiss, Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ I hope each of you will take time out to try our latest winemaking quiz designed especially for you to have some fun. One reason this issue of the Stomper is late is due to our 5th Annual Wine Tasting here in the mountains of North Carolina. That activity zapped away a lot of my time. So sorry for the delay! During the wine tasting we had some good volunteers to come forward and taste some sweet wines when they really preferred dry wines, and we also had volunteers to taste dry wines when they preferred sweet wines. We showed them a way to enjoy the wines they swore they didn't like! In our quiz you can find out how we did it... and we want you to try it out at home! Another interesting activity done at the wine tasting demonstrated the unbelievable difference in taste based on the type wine glasses that were used. If you could have spoken with our volunteers, I think you would have been just as convinced of the difference between a standard Wal-Mart wine glass versus a hand-blown Riedel Sommelier stem. Of course, there is a BIG price difference, but it's always fun to dream... So the next time YOU have an opportunity to test these wine glasses by Riedel, raise your hand and boldly walk forward. It was just great to see the facial reactions of our volunteers! Thanks to all of you! And a big thanks to Robert and Pat Klaus of Texas for supplying the glasses! I always enjoy meeting our customers and friends on the first Sunday in October of each year. So please mark your 2003 calendar NOW and plan on joining us. I am now looking for a big tub for the foot stomping of grapes next year! If you can give me a lead, I will appreciate it! *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Like to save money? Recycle your bottle sealing wax! Each time you open a wax seal, throw the remains in a box or bag. When it comes time to bottle your next batch of wine, the wax can be melted and used again! Have a tip you'd like to submit? Send it to tips@grapestompers.com *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* There is nothing that I enjoy more than to see folks enjoy making, corking, and labeling wines for the very first time of their lives. The local high school class of 1967 just walked out of my Bodega laughing and smiling. Five of them came over for the final bottling, and after they had designed their own wine label, they were fit to be tied! One class member stated she had never laughed so much and had so much fun! That is what life is all about... Sharing a great fun-filled hobby with others is a terrific way to spend time with friends. So some dull rainy day, gather some friends and invite them in to help you. It sorta works like the old Tom Sawyer trick - give them the corks and let 'em cork! We have talked in the past about the fun you can have when you join with friends to start a wine club. Each person or couple could make a different wine to share with the others in the group. Each month, another member hosts the event and makes a new wine... get the picture? With about five couples, you can taste and take home FIVE different wines. Sound like fun? Trust me, it is! But you see I like people and wine! 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: Bonnie, I just wanted to congratulate you and your personnel for operating a fine establishment. Your promptness and professionalism when handling any order, be it big or small, is top notch. I have had very unsatisfactory results when ordering from other wine supply companies. You guys should pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. Thanks again and happy winemaking :0) Customer for life, -- Kevin Smith Belfast, TN Bonnie, Thanks for seeing that and combining [the orders]... every little bit [of money saved] helps... [it] means I will have more to spend on more supplies in the future :o). As one of the people commented in a prior newsletter, it is exciting to watch it begin. Looking forward to enjoying the finished product next to a warm fire this winter... [the message below was a follow-up] I was surprised and delighted to find the package waiting for me when I returned home from work today. We are looking forward to starting this second batch of wine. Thanks for the special labels with the sailboat. Being avid sailors, Sailors' Cellar seems like an appropriate label name and your nautical rendition is really cool. We appreciate the extra effort and thought that went into their creation. -- Rod Schmidt Grand Haven, MI Bonnie, Wow, thanks for the fast service. I know where I'll shop next time! I must say that I was surprised at how fast your service was. I ran orders from 3 different shops the same day to check speed and you won by a mile. -- Sean O'Keefe Radford, VA Bonnie, Thanks a lot, we received our shipment in great order - got our wine all bottled up, can't wait to try it in a couple of months. A pleasure doing business with you, THANKS! -- Julie Many of us are non-alcoholics and love the taste of fresh grape/muscadine juice. However, our vineyard crops are short seasoned. So I have set out on a quest to bottle some juice for the off season. My challenges are first and utmost a fresh tasting quality of my product. Secondly, is a long shelf life with retention of the taste, etc. Thirdly, I plan on using a hot water bath/canning of my product in wine bottles with corks. Freezing is not an option. Do any of your readers out there have the answers to the above questions? It is quite an involved process with juicing, settling, filtering, additives (if any) and (bottling) canning before the product goes bad. Thanks for any HELP you can send my way. -- Michael Warren Douglasville, GA [Editor's note: What about it, folks? Can anyone help Michael with his predicament? If so, send him an e-mail at: Warre7mw@aol.com ] Thanks Bonnie, You are great - and your website is very helpful. Thanks so much! -- Mark Van Ness Lodi, CA Bonnie: Received my order Friday afternoon. Great way to start the weekend. Many thanks!! -- Steve Kerchner Highland, IL Tom and Bonnie, I like to make lots of different things, but this wine making is easy... but the best part is it is FUN. -- Dave Rook Arlington, VA ------------------------------------------------------------ GUEST COLUMN - How to Determine Alcohol Content of Wine by Mike Oglesby, Fox, Arkansas ------------------------------------------------------------ Hi all. I have done some more work on the SG difference table and thought some of you might find this work useful in your winemaking endeavors... An Amateur Method to Determine Alcohol Content of a Wine Sample To measure alcohol in a finished sample of wine by the Honneyman method (from The Art Of Making Wine by Anderson and Hull, pp 124-126), get a sample of wine and measure the SG (SG1) with a short range hydrometer calibrated from .980 to 1.020 full range or better. Then boil the sample down to half volume in a glass or stainless container and top back up to the original sample volume with distilled water. Again measure the SG (SG2), making sure it is at the same temperature as the original sample, and subtract SG1 from SG2. The difference in SG's are noted in the following table. This method works because boiling the sample evaporates off the alcohol leaving water and other soluble and insoluble solids. SG ALC % by Diff Volume 1.5 1.0 2.0 1.3 2.5 1.6 3.0 2.0 3.5 2.3 4.0 2.7 4.5 3.0 5.0 3.4 5.5 3.7 6.0 4.1 6.5 4.5 7.0 4.9 7.5 5.2 8.0 5.6 8.5 6.0 9.0 6.4 9.5 6.8 10.0 7.2 10.5 7.6 11.0 8.0 11.5 8.4 12.0 8.8 12.5 9.2 13.0 9.6 13.5 10.1 14.0 10.5 14.5 11.0 15.0 11.4 15.5 11.9 16.0 12.3 16.5 12.8 17.0 13.2 17.5 13.6 18.0 14.1 18.5 14.5 19.0 15.0 19.5 15.5 20.0 16.0 20.5 16.5 21.0 17.0 21.5 17.5 22.0 18.0 Hope everyone finds this table useful! *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Before pitching your yeast, be sure to look at the expiration date on the packet. If it's too old, you may risk a stuck fermentation. Have a tip you'd like to submit? Send it to tips@grapestompers.com *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Mike Oglesby has been making wines from fresh grapes for about 4 years now and harvested his first crop of grapes (1300 lbs) from his own vineyard this year. He owes a debt of gratitude to his friend and mentor Heinrich Grohe of Heinrichshaus Vineyard and Winery for his wisdom and patience in teaching him how to make good wines. Mike grows 7 varieties of grapes: Cynthiana, Vidal, Vignoles, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Landot Noir and Couderc Noir at the very bottom of zone 6b. You can see what Mike is up to at his new web site: http://www.meadowcreekvineyard.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ Airlock - A device placed on a fermenter (usually a carboy) for the purpose of allowing carbon dioxide to escape the vessel during the fermentation process. Since the airlock is filled with a liquid (commonly water, but you could use glycerin too), it works like a check valve; CO2 can escape, but O2 can't get in and oxidize your 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 - More Customer Testimonials - Another Guest Article - 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 quit receiving the 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. 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 ------------------------------------------------------------