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THE STOMPER
The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com
November, 2002 Issue #28
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 - Virtual Visit to Wine Tasting
=> New Products
=> Bonnie's Bin - The Fun of Testing Beer Making Kits
=> This Month's Specials
=> Tom's Cellar - Saving Up for a Rainy Day
=> Feedback from Our Customers
=> How to Be Featured as a Guest Columnist
=> Corky's Winemaking Definition
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
*^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter
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FEATURE ARTICLE: Virtual Visit to our 2002 Wine Tasting
By Brant Burgiss, Editor
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Fall is definitely in the air in the Appalachian Mountains
of North Carolina... we've already experienced a couple of
frosty mornings here in Laurel Springs!
Lots of folks have asked to see some photos from the
5th Annual Wine Tasting held in the Burgiss Barn last
month.
Thanks to our winemaking friend Monty Combs, who always
seems to have his camera available at the right time, we
proudly present just a few of the photos taken during the
wine tasting.
Were YOU in Laurel Springs for this great extravaganza?
You just might find yourself on our latest web page.
Even if you weren't there, Monty's pictures will make it
seem you were virtually there!
http://www.grapestompers.com/news/wine_tasting_2002.htm
So pour a glass of your favorite wine, sit down, relax,
and enjoy the photo tour!
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:
Brew House Beer Kits by Spagnols (makes up to 6 US gallons)
- Item #3701 Pale Ale, $31.02
- Item #3711 Mexican Cerveza, $31.02
- Item #3719 Octoberfest, $31.02
- Item #3721 Munich Dark Lager, $31.02
- Item #3731 Stout, $31.02
- Item #3741 Pilsner, $31.02
Wine Wear
- Item #4459 "Got Wine?" Polo Cap, $15.00
Cap is black with white letters
- Item #4472 "J'aime mon Vin" T-Shirt, L, White, $15.00
- Item #4473 "J'aime mon Vin" T-Shirt, XL, White, $15.00
- Item #4474 "J'aime mon Vin" T-Shirt, M, White, $15.00
- Item #4478 "And my date isn't bad" T-Shirt, L, $15.00
Black with red and white design
- Item #4479 "And my date isn't bad" T-Shirt, XL, $15.00
Black with red and white design
Winemaking Equipment / Chemicals
- Item #2210A 1.5 Gallon Bucket w/solid lid, $3.22
- Item #2740A Oak Essence, 60 ml. $6.82
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BONNIE'S BIN: The Fun of Testing New Beer Making Kits
By Bonnie Brown, Manager
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HAPPY NOVEMBER TO YOU!
What a cold start, eh? It has been so wet and foggy up
here that you can barely see the color change. What a
disappointment to those who wait all year to drive up and
see the leaves. For those of us who are REALLY lucky,
we can catch a peek here and there whenever the fog clears.
Of late, JUST before the next fog blows in!
I was doing a test on Spagnols Brew House Beer Making kits.
Well, the results are in! WE LOVE IT! I made the Pilsner
and it is a bit darker and heavier than I had expected but
WONDERFUL! I have shared it with beer lovers over time
and am getting very positive responses. I made a big
mistake at the start (I was in a real rush), but it seems
to have helped it, not hurt it. YEAH! Finally a mistake
that paid off! hehehhee
Here's what happened: I flew into work one morning (on
foot) when I was scheduled to work alone. You know, the
phones, walk-in customers, orders and E-mails... wow, it
tires me to think of it! Anyway, I had not made beer
before, but I knew it was probably time to rack it off to
the carboy, so I looked on the direction sheet, saw 5
gallons and proceeded to sanitize a 5 gallon carboy...
well, they MEANT 5 IMPERIAL gallons!!!! DAH, I didn't even
take my own advice to you to watch out for that sort of
thing!! It wasn't until the next day, when I stopped to
see what was happening with it, that I realized I had
erred! Well, after pondering over it for a bit I decided
to leave it! Now, I might have this story mixed up... Tom
might have pointed it out to me, but the results are the
same so I will leave it as is.
It really is WONDERFUL! I will continue to make that
mistake on my next batch of beer. Yes, it is that good.
I cannot wait to try a few of the other types. We will
have reports in next couple of months on some other styles
(I think Stout and Munich Dark Lager). Brant is making
them at his home. He just got a later start than I did.
Brant and I figured out that we could order these wonderful
sounding beer kits; I would make mine in the Bodega so Tom
could watch too (and we could convince Tom that we NEED to
start carrying this new product line even though he was
determined that we would stick to wine and ONLY wine!!).
Time moves on... I can tell you that we convinced Tom we
needed to carry that product because it uses all of the
same equipment that we use for winemaking! Not only that,
but all you do is add water and pitch the yeast to get
started... no need to do any boiling over a hot stove!
Yes, that is right. Except for a capper, caps, and the
bottles (all of which are very reasonably priced and in
stock), these beer kits use the same equipment that you
already probably have for winemaking, and there's no need
to boil! So let's bring out another side of our hobby and
'do' some beer for those diehard beer-loving friends of
ours. I have a beer lover from the UP of Michigan, Joe,
who is due in this weekend for a visit on his way to
Florida. He will be my real taster! You will hear in
December how he responded.
My article is even ahead of time this month; it's about
time!! I am home with allergy symptoms driving me up a
wall. Plus, the meds are making me very sleepy. I am NOT
the one holding up the STOMPER this month. I would rather
be at work having fun, instead of stuck here at home, but
I would be more dangerous than usual I am sure.
Here is to a peaceful Thanksgiving for all. 'CLINK!'
See you in December, GET READY!!!
HAPPY WINEMAKING!
Bonnie
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 November 2002 are:
Save up to $30 on our NEW Super Wine Kit
AND
Save up to 29% on 7 different wine kits
AND
Save up to 33% on our entire stock of capsules
AND
Save over 28% on our entire stock of bottle sealing wax
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
3242 VDV French Colombard 39.88 28.11
3224 VDV Piesporter 39.55 28.11
3227 VDV White Bordailles (Bordeaux) 39.38 28.11
3142 VDV Jermillon (Vermillion) 51.26 36.11
3141 VDV Domaine des Brumes (Brouilly) 48.68 35.11
3118 VDV Pinot Noir 49.06 36.11
3120 VDV Red Bourgeron (Burgundy) 49.45 36.11
2010 Super Wine Kit- Merlot 120.03 89.99
2020 Super Wine Kit- Sauvignon Blanc 110.90 89.99
2030 Super Wine Kit- White Zinfandel 113.60 89.99
3200 Complete White Wine Starter Kit 246.68 175.00
3100 Complete Red Wine Starter Kit 259.79 185.00
2401 Capsules - Push on, Gold 0.15 0.10
2402 Capsules - Push on, Burgundy 0.15 0.10
2403 Capsules - Push on, Ivory 0.15 0.10
2404 Capsules - PVC Burg w/Gold Grapes 0.14 0.10
2405 Capsules - PVC Maroon 0.14 0.10
2406 Capsules - PVC Green 0.14 0.10
2409 Capsules - PVC Green w/Gold Grapes 0.13 0.10
2410 Capsules - PVC White w/Gold Grapes 0.13 0.10
2411 Capsules - PVC Black w/Gold Grapes 0.13 0.10
2424 Capsules - PVC Red, Shiny 0.14 0.10
2426 Capsules - PVC Silver, Shiny 0.14 0.10
2428 Capsules - PVC Black, Silver Stripe 0.14 0.10
2400 Capsules - PVC Gold 0.14 0.10
2418 Capsules - Large PVC White 0.14 0.10
2420 Capsules - Large PVC Black 0.14 0.10
2422 Capsules - Large PVC Burgundy 0.14 0.10
2407 Bottle Sealing Wax - Red 6.96 5.00
2408 Bottle Sealing Wax - Green 6.96 5.00
2412 Bottle Sealing Wax - Burgundy 6.96 5.00
2413 Bottle Sealing Wax - Gold 6.96 5.00
2414 Bottle Sealing Wax - Black 6.96 5.00
2415 Bottle Sealing Wax - Silver 6.96 5.00
2416 Bottle Sealing Wax - White 6.96 5.00
2419 Bottle Sealing Wax - Blue 6.96 5.00
The seven wine kits shown above will make about 30 - 750 ml
bottles of great wine in as little as 28 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 SUPER Wine Kit:
-Your choice of either a Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, or White
Zinfandel VDV wine kit (limited quantities - order while
our supply lasts!)
-Primary and Bottling Bucket with Lid, 7.8 gallons
-6 Gallon Glass Carboy
-Drilled Rubber Stopper
-3-Piece Airlock
-15" X 1/2" OD Bottle Filler
-26" X 1/2" OD Curved Cane & Racking Tip
-5 feet of 7/16" ID Flex Tubing
-Fast Flow Bottle Spigot
-B-Brite sanitizer (8 oz. tub)
-Hand corker (double lever Portuguese model)
-30 corks (#2308)
-30 Free wine labels
Don't forget... our supplies for the SUPER Wine Kit are
limited. Order now to get the wine you want! We will
begin shipping these kits on November 7th.
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 ($16.79 value):
- Free Wine Labels (text of your choice)
- Free triple scale hydrometer
- 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.
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TOM'S CELLAR: Saving Up for a Rainy Day
by Tom Burgiss, Owner
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One of the most important parts of my life involved
planning ahead. Not that all things turned out great,
but at least I did not get an overabundance of surprises.
During my early fatherhood days, I laid aside money for our
sons to attend college. Later, I bought them a herd of
cattle to help add to this fund. The boys did the work
of feeding and caring of the animals - Responsibility was
the lesson. Each year, in the fall, we would all get
excited as we took our calves to market in order to
enhance their college fund. Wondering at the time, if we
should sell now, or to wait later for a higher sale.
I will never forget one of my neighbors saying, referring
to the cattle market, "Everyone knows how, they just don't
know WHEN!"
Now, what has this got to do with wine? The philosophy
about saving still applies, even for wine! Everyone, in
my opinion, should put back a few bottles from each "batch"
to start a collection. Before long, you'll have a nice
cellar and a variety too!
So this triggered another thought...
How can we help folks who want to make wine, but have NO
equipment and a limited budget?
Well, this month we are introducing what we call a "Super
Wine Kit" that includes a lot of equipment and a wine
concentrate at a super affordable price. It's a great
value... just look at the numbers:
For the price of a $30.00 bottle of wine in a restaurant,
you can have 12 bottles of wine that YOU made yourself!
Just remember, an apple farmer does NOT buy apples; nor
should a home winemaker pay $30.00 for a bottle of wine in
a restaurant! We've worked hard to arrange this special
low pricing by planning ahead, so I want you to take
advantage of it. But you'll need to act fast... This
special is ONLY GOOD FOR NOVEMBER. So don't put off the
decision to start a great hobby and enjoy terrific wine!
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Do you like making things with your hands?
Start saving all your old corks as you open
bottles of wine. Pretty soon you'll have
enough to make a unique wreath, trivet, or
bulletin board!
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
If you notice, in this issue of "The Stomper" we have a
winemaker in Michigan who wants to start a wine club in
his city. He asked me to furnish him with names of folks
we serve in his area. While I commend his efforts to start
a winemaking club, I had to reply:
"I promised all our customers from the very beginning of
grapestompers.com that we would not share their names with
third parties. Our customer list will not be shared or
sold to anyone outside our organization."
But I wanted to help him out somehow... so I asked his
permission to publish his name and contact information
in this newsletter so folks who might be interested could
send him an e-mail.
Your personal information is secure with us! We appreciate
and work hard to earn your trust.
To illustrate how names get shared and sold (without one's
permission), I was out surfing the Internet the other week
trying to find "thistle things" for our new winery called
Thistle Meadow Winery. I was hoping to decorate our wine
tasting room. Well, I did find some stuff to make our
place look more "thistly", but guess what I got 2 weeks
later? A BUNCH of Scottish catalogs from ALL over!
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,
Just want to let you know that we received our entire order
today - thank you for the great service! My husband is
thrilled with his gift and can't wait to get started making
wine. We enjoyed the video too!
-- Beth Brogan
Kalamazoo, MI
Hello Tom and Brant,
Just wanted to drop you all a line to express our
appreciation for your help this past Sunday at your
wine tasting. It was an educational experience for my
wife and I being new students of various wines.
The program was great as were the wines. An additional
thanks is necessary for the help you both extended in
getting my order of merchandise ready, on the spur of the
moment, at a time when you were probably too busy to deal
with that. We really enjoyed meeting you both and hope to
return soon.
Thanks once again for your help,
-- Franklin & Cheryl Kluttz
Tom and Bonnie,
I want to thank you both for a good time Sunday [at the
wine tasting]. I did have a good time, even with my bad
back. I really liked some of the wine and all of the
people. I hope to see you both again.
-- Virgil Roberts
Hi Tom,
The White Zin is delicious. As good as any I have had.
It was fun to be at your farm and great to meet you and
Nancy. Say hello to her from me and Ruby. Thanks for
showing us around and the wine.
-- Annice Davis
Hi Tom,
I made my first batch of wine, a Valpolicella over the
summer. I wrestled with the heat, but it turned out pretty
well. Thirty bottles went very quickly. Fortunately, not
all [was] consumed by me, or I would have a serious problem.
But friends and relatives really got into it. Know that
I will get better as I gain experience. It was a very
enjoyable experience. Thanks!
-- Dave Bridge
Tom and Bonnie,
My latest order arrived just the other day. As I was
bringing the package into the house my wife asked what
I was carrying... I told her it was my grapestompers order.
Her comment... "Boy, they are fast!" :o) Incidentally,
the replacement hydrometer arrived intact. Thanks.
I am writing to see if you can assist me in locating
like-minded people in my area. It would be fun to get
together with other folks who are making wine at home to
talk about our hobby and even share the fruits of our
labors. I would not expect you to give me the names and
personal information about people in my area, but I would
not object if you sent them a communication inviting them
to contact me, giving them my e-mail address.
Just wondering... Thanks.
-- Rod Schmidt
Grand Haven, MI
rschmidt@i2k.com
[ Editor's note: As you can see, Rod is very interested in
starting a home winemaker's group in the Grand Haven, MI
area. If you are interested in joining his group, send
him an e-mail at: rschmidt@i2k.com ]
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Like 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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Tawny Port
- Like Ruby Port, Tawny Port is a blended wine, but one
that is aged for a minimum of four years in wood casks and
is lighter. It is called "tawny" because as oxidation
occurs, the original ruby-red color changes into a reddish
brown.
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
- (Hopefully) Another Guest Article
- New Winemaking Products
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LIST MAINTENANCE
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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
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