------------------------------------------------------------ THE STOMPER The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com April, 2003 Issue #33 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 - New grapestompers Dealership Opens => New Products => Bonnie's Bin - Knocking On Wood => This Month's Specials => Tom's Cellar - Sanitizing Wine Bottles => Feedback from Our Customers => Guest Column - Label Your Wine Bottles the Easy Way => How to Be Featured as a Guest Columnist => Corky's Winemaking Definition => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information *^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ARTICLE: New grapestompers.com Dealership Opens By Brant Burgiss, Editor ------------------------------------------------------------ We are pleased to announce the establishment of another grapestompers.com dealership named "Hamilton Cellar Supplies" now open in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is operated by Cindy and Kenny Hamilton. Presently, you may call them at 336-760-0648 between 6:00-9:00 PM to get a "live person" or just leave a message and they can call you back at a time that is suitable for you. Welcome aboard, Cindy and Kenny!! They have had years of wine making experience so if you live in the neighborhood, why not give them a call? You can meet Cindy and Kenny, as well as Crazy Tom, Bonnie, and all the grapestompers gang at the NC Wine Festival, where Thistle Meadow Winery (our sister company) will have a tent set up for wine tasting. The 2003 edition of the NC Wine Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, 2003 from 12:00-7:00 PM at Tanglewood Park, which is near Winston-Salem, NC (From Winston-Salem, take I-40 West and take the Tanglewood exit near Clemmons). For more details about the North Carolina Wine Festival, log on to http://www.ncwinefestival.com. Tickets are $20.00 at the gate, or you can purchase advance tickets from grapestompers.com for only $14.00 each. While we're on the subject of important dates, we also would like to invite you to join us on May 17 in Elkin, NC for the second annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival. We were there last year and had a blast! We look forward to seeing old friends and demonstrating all of our new products. The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival is sponsored by the Elkin / Jonesville Chamber of Commerce; you can learn more about the wine festival by visiting their web site found at http://www.ejchamber.com. Here are some other dates you may be interested in: The Sunday buffet at the Burgiss Barn will open for the season on May 11 and run through mid-October. Meal times are from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM; prices start at only $6.95, which includes dessert and drink. You can add a salad for only a dollar. Check out http://www.burgissbarn.com to learn more. On May 16, 17, and 18 the Blue Ridge Sports Car Hillclimb will take place on Doughton Mountain Road in Laurel Springs NC. Watch these sports cars take the curves at terrific speeds! A small parking fee will be charged for spectators. May 31: Pig Picking at the Burgiss Barn from 12:00-5:00 PM for just $7.50 per person June 14th: Pig Picking at the Burgiss Barn from 12:00-5:00 PM for just $7.50 per person July 5th: Wine Tasting at the Burgiss Barn from 12:00-5:00 PM with meal $15.00 per person July 12: Pig Picking at the Burgiss Barn from 12:00-5:00 PM for just $7.50 per person August 9: Pig Picking at the Burgiss Barn from 12:00-5:00 PM for just $7.50 per person September 1 (Labor Day): Pig Picking at the Burgiss Barn from 12:00-5:00 PM for just $7.50 per person And the "big daddy" of them all: October 5: grapestompers' 6th Annual Wine Tasting starting at 2:00 PM 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 #2330 Champagne Stoppers, Plastic, $0.12 each - Item #2332 Champagne Wire Twister, $2.75 each - Item #2331 Champagne Wires, $0.10 each - Item #2329 Champagne Foils, Gold, $0.12 each - Item #2333 Sparkling Wine Stopper, $5.07 - Item #2334 Expansion Stoppers, reseals bottles, $0.88 - Item #2609A Bottle Brush, $2.42 - Item #3210 WA Green Apple Riesling, 8-9% Alc. $45.37 - Item #3217 WA Kiwi Riesling, 8-9% Alc. $45.37 - Item #5116 48 L Hungarian Oak Barrel with stand, $282.26 (SPECIAL ORDER - also known as 2 kit size) - Item #5116A 23 L Hungarian Oak Barrel with stand, $220.00 (SPECIAL ORDER - also known as 1 kit size) Later in the summer we will be getting the one gallon size! These oak barrels are very well made. - Item #3712 Brew House Winterfest, $31.02 - Item #3713 Brew House Red Ale, $31.02 - Item #2112 Frosted Bordeaux 750 ml bottle, $18.06/case - Item #2795 Bocksin (helps with H2S), $4.86 - Item #2257 Stem Spring Clip, $1.75 - Item #2121 187 ml Champagne bottle, clear, $14.52/case - Item #2745 B-T-F Iodophor, 4 oz, $2.66 - Item #2745A B-T-F Iodophor, 1 liter, $12.74 - Item #2734A Lysozyme Solution (blocks MLF), 4 oz, $9.57 - Item #2202A Permanent Carboy Handle, 2 handles, $11.77 (wraps around carboy) - Item #2399 Fast Seal Tool, $4.64 (holds PVC capsule on when shrinking in boiling water) - Item #2202B Carboy Wedges, should use in pairs, $1.65 ea - Item #2224C Auto Siphon, Fermtech, 3/8" OD, $8.25 (sized for 1 gallon jugs) - Item #2220A Tubing, 5/16" ID, $0.25 per foot (used with 3/8" OD equipment) ------------------------------------------------------------ BONNIE'S BIN: Knocking On Wood (Hungarian Oak, that is!) By Bonnie Brown, Manager ------------------------------------------------------------ April is here and makes me thankful we made it through the winter! How about you? Winemaking activity is really picking up. 'Tis the season you know. It is always the season around here because our customers come from all parts of the world! I attended a winemaking trade show in Pennsylvania recently and learned a few new things. Over time I will share what I learned with you. Some new products have already arrived this month, so be sure to check out that section of the STOMPER. My husband found his birthday wish there. A 48-liter Hungarian oak barrel! He got so excited at how well it was made. It must be impressive to impress a woodworker! He cannot wait to get it filled. They also make a 23-liter barrel that I would like for my birthday. Later this summer, for those of us who make a gallon of "backyard" wine, there will be a one-gallon Hungarian Oak barrel! This is taking home winemaking to another step! The oak barrels will be a special order item initially. Don had agreed to leave his in the Bodega for a while so folks could see it. I had his in the back seat of my car ready to take it home to him, when a customer walked past and saw it... and now he has to have one too! Actually he said a couple! That is how impressive they are. That is also why Don has agreed to leave his in the Bodega, so you all can see how nice they are when you stop by. I am really getting into this Brew House beer kit making. It's unbelievable how good it is! I get so excited when I can share my "stuff" with friends and they get excited too. My favorite words are when they say, "You made this?!" With all of that said, it is time to go work on a couple of my wines. If nothing else, pat them and smile! 'Til May, this is Bonnie's thought of the moment... "Not only does one drink wine... but one inhales it, one looks at it, one tastes it, one swallows it... and one talks about it." -- King Edward VII See you soon... 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 April 2003 are: Save up to 12% on assorted winemaking kits AND Save up to 37% on our carboy dryer AND Save over 24% on our brass bottle washer AND Save over 13% on our bottle rinser AND Save 12% on our 45-station bottle drainer AND Save nearly 13% on our Pilsner beer kit 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 2250 Carboy Dryer (1 or 2) 8.72 8.25 (3 to 9) 8.72 6.00 (10 or more) 8.72 5.50 3142 VDV Jermillon (Vermillion) 51.27 44.99 3223 VDV Liebfraumilch 38.39 34.99 2251 Brass Bottle Washer 10.63 7.99 2253 Vinator Bottle Rinser 16.18 13.99 2254A Bottle Drainer, 45 station 17.08 14.99 3182 CC Carmenere (New! from Chile) 102.66 89.99 3164 CM Blackberry Merlot 45.37 39.99 3741 BH Pilsner Beer Kit 31.02 26.99 3700 Complete Beermaking Kit 191.82 169.99 3200 Complete White Wine Starter Kit 246.68 175.00 3100 Complete Red Wine Starter Kit 259.79 185.00 The VDV and CM wine kits are designed to make about 30 750 ml bottles of great wine in as little as 28 days. The Carmenere wine kit comes off in as few as 45 days, and also makes about 30 bottles. The Blackberry Merlot is refreshingly sweet with plenty of fruit flavor, with an alcohol content from 6.5% to 7%. Learn more about the new Carmenere wine kit here: http://www.rjspagnols.com/wine_ccHarvest.asp Wine and beer kit abbreviations explained: BH = Brew House beer kit CC = Cellar Classic wine kit GC = Grand Cru wine kit WA = Wine~Art wine kit MM = Mosti Mondiale wine kit CM = Cellar Master 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 C-Brite Sanitizer (8) Portuguese Hand Corker FermTech AutoSiphon 2 Cases of 750-ml Bottles Long Handled Spoon Bottle Washer Adapter Brass Bottle Washer Bottle Drainer, 45 station Adhesive Thermometer 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 or her 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 credit card... 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. If you prefer, 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: Sanitizing Wine Bottles - An Update by Tom Burgiss, Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ Part of our duty to you, our subscribers, here at grapestompers is to update you on any new information for home winemakers on preserving your wine. For sanitation of wine bottles, here is what I now personally recommend: First, clean your bottles with B-Brite (an oxygen-based cleanser). Next, rinse the bottles with water; then use C-Brite (a chlorine-based sanitizer) as your final application. Allow the bottles to drain (no need to rinse) and dry on the bottle draining tree, then bottle your wine. If you're a fan of potassium metabisulfite, you may continue to use a solution of this in place of C-Brite if you desire. Using potassium metabisulfite as the final application offers added protection for your wine. The main point I want to get across to you is: B-Brite does not sanitize wine bottles on its own. In case you didn't notice it, we are offering several items on special this month that help you sanitize bottles. Take a look; we have bottle washers, rinsers, and drainers on sale. Scroll up to see the prices. If desired, you may also sanitize your corks with C-Brite or a solution of potassium metabisulfite. *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Don't throw out any leftover wine: Freeze it into ice cubes for future use in the kitchen when making casseroles and sauces. Your taste buds will thank you! Have a tip you'd like to submit? Send it to tips@grapestompers.com *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* The 3 enemies of Wine are oxygen, mold, and bacteria. A good airlock system and systematic "topping up" takes care of the oxygen problem; inspection by sight can detect the mold problem, and the C-Brite will take care of the bacteria problem. I might add that if you see a dark spot in the bottom of an empty bottle as you hold it up to the light, it is probably mold. My recommendation to you is to discard the bottle. Trying to "dig" it out and clean it only scatters the spores. This you do not want to do! If you're interested in C-Brite, here is the information you'll need to place an order: Item #2720 - C-Brite in single 0.8 oz packet that will make 2 gallons for only 36 cents each Item #2720A - C-Brite in 1 lb jar for $3.94 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: Tom, Just a short note to say thanks... the items we purchased from you made our first ever winemaking session an extremely pleasurable experience... that floor corker is just awesome!!! We will definitely be doing business with you in the future... Thanks again, -- Tom and Brenda Zuber Guys Mills, PA Hello, My winemaking video is enroute to you folks - not sure if you can apply the credit towards this order or if you need to wait until the next. -- Shane White Peoria, IL [Tom replies:] Shane, We have your order. Here is how we handle the return of the video: When it arrives, we pull up your credit card number and give your account credit so you can see the credit on your monthly invoice from the credit card company. We do this for a reason: Most places give refunds only if you purchase from them again. We do not believe in this policy! We want you to receive your refund without obligating you to purchase anything else. [Shane's follow-up comment:] That's great about the video. Just when I think your service can't get any better, it does. And yes, I forgot that the yeast comes with the concentrate - thanks for the reminder. If it's not too late, could you add #2721 - B-Brite? I'm running low. Thanks Tom! Thank you Tom, For your helpful advice, and your fast action in shipping. It's a pleasure to do business with you. -- Bruce Burton, SC Tom, Here are the pictures of my wine cellar from start to finish. It took me personally 2 months to build it, Working mostly at night and during the day when my son took his naps. Everything is made out of #2 grade pine, and hand stained red oak. The ceramic floor and countertop I installed are a real plus for clean ups. The drawers and cabinets hold everything from corks to future wine kits. The dimensions are 5 1/2 feet wide, 8 feet long, and 7 1/2 feet high. The actual [wine] racks, I made purposely 14 inches long so you can't kick the bottles as you walk in and out of the cellar. I super insulated the walls and ceiling to keep the temperature between 50 and 68 degrees. If the temperature ever starts to fluctuate, I left enough room in one wall to add a cooling unit. As you can see besides making wine, I love to do woodworking :) Please feel free to use the pictures in the Stomper; I would be honored. Thanks again, -- Lisa Mazzenga Collegeville, PA [Editor's note: See the photos of Lisa's wine cellar at: http://www.grapestompers.com/customers/wine_photos_3.htm ] Hi guys, Got a quick question for you on bulk aging of wine... You recommend bulk aging of Cellar Classic Chardonnay for 12 to 18 months. I believe you are saying age the Chardonnay in the carboy... right? That's what I read into your directions. Got to go... sorry I can't tell you at this time how much fun I'm having. Thanks for your personal touch to walking me through the steps has made it fun. -- Don Borja Locust Grove, VA [Tom replies] Don, you may age in the carboy (be sure the airlock's water level is maintained and the seal is tight). You may also age in bottles, storing the bottles on their sides in order to keep the cork moistened. [Don's follow-up comment] Thanks Tom for the info... I knew I could count on a response. That's why I like dealing with Grapestompers. Dear Brant, That was a great idea to write the top ten reasons to make our own wine. I think that the whole ritual of buying, making, giving and DRINKING our own wine, is something unique, a wonderful and delicious hobby. Please say hello to everybody. -- Enio Caccuri Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ------------------------------------------------------------ GUEST COLUMN - An Easy Way to Label Your Wine Bottles by Frank Joseph, Beaver Falls PA ------------------------------------------------------------ I usually leave my wine standing upright for a day or two after bottling. I then place the labels on the bottles. The following method works well, especially with the free wine labels that grapestompers.com provides with your wine kit concentrates. Begin by placing a folded towel on the surface you are using for bottling. The towel protects the bottles from rolling around on the table and holds them in place. Place two or three bottles on the towel with the 750ML marking on the bottom of the bottle, face up. This will insure that the label will be centered and not have the bottle separation line going through the middle of your label. *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Save the boxes your glass carboys come in. Cut a hole in the bottom of the box - big enough for the neck of your carboy and the airlock. Slide the box over the secondary fermenter to shield the wine from light. Our thanks to John Smith for providing this tip! Have a tip you'd like to submit? Send it to tips@grapestompers.com *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* To moisten the labels, I use a mist spray bottle filled with water that I retrieved from my wife's castoff smell good stuff (I recycle anything that might be useful in my winemaking process). Spray each label with three or four mists of water (do not over moisten). I then align the label top to bottom on the bottle and lightly press it in place. Then use a small piece of cotton cloth (6" x 6") from an old worn out T-shirt, to press the label onto the bottle. By stretching the cotton between your two hands and then firmly pressing the cloth over the label, it forms around the bottle and applies an even pressure to the label and bottle. The cloth also absorbs any extra moisture from the label and bottle along with any adhesive residue from the edges of the labels. I usually change the cotton cloth two or three times during the labeling process because of the buildup of moisture and adhesive residue. This buildup will make the cloth appear as if it has been starched. After the labeling process is done, I rinse the cotton cloth with water, let it dry and then stash it away for next time I need it. This is such a great hobby that I am willing to give the shirt off my back for successful winemaking. ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Frank Joseph is a retired 59-year-old nomad temporarily located in PA with his wife Mary and stepson. Before that, he and his wife lived full time on a boat for 5 years and then full time in a 5th wheel for two years. Last year, they moved into a house in PA. Frank drinks two glasses of red wine each day for his heart. He says, "Winemaking was a natural hobby for me, but I never had the space to make the decision. I have been producing wine kits (Pinot Noir & Valpolicella) for six months, to drink and take on the road when we resume our nomadic lifestyle in the fall. Somehow, I will continue my new hobby. Winemaking is a great hobby and it's never too late to learn." You can contact Frank and Mary Joseph at: proudmary01@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------------------ Like 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ Varietal - A term used to describe the variety of grapes a wine has been made from. 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 - Submit yours today! - 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) 2003 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 ------------------------------------------------------------