------------------------------------------------------------
THE STOMPER
The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com
June, 2003 Issue #35
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 - Wine Lovers Are A Hardy Lot
=> Bonnie's Bin - Winemakers Are Lucky People
=> Tom's Cellar - Elkin Wine Festival A Lot of Fun
=> Feedback from Our Customers
=> Guest Column - Sulfites vs. Colloidal Silver
=> How to Be Featured as a Guest Columnist
=> Corky's Winemaking Definition
=> New Products
=> This Month's Specials
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
*^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter
#&# There is ONE hidden special in this issue
^#^ This month's specials and new products are found
towards the bottom of this document
------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE ARTICLE: Wine Lovers Are a Hardy Lot
By Brant Burgiss, Editor
------------------------------------------------------------
Hello again everyone... greetings from the mountains of
North Carolina! We hope everyone is having a great summer
so far.
This month, I'd like to take time to recognize those among
us who brave winter storms, summer squalls, pelting hail,
and rising floods to participate in their favorite sport...
drinking and enjoying good wine!
Over the past two months, I have witnessed some remarkable
fortitude by the wine lovers of North Carolina. My hat is
off to the 4000 people who attended the cold, foggy, and
rainy Yadkin Valley Wine Festival in Elkin, and the brave
souls who survived the two-inch deluge and muddy muck of
Tanglewood Park at the 3rd Annual NC Wine Festival.
Despite the atrocious weather, wine lovers came out in
droves to support their local wineries - but I suspect
that the Tar Heel State is not alone in that regard.
Am I right? We'd love to hear your "hero wine" stories!
Wine can be (and WAS!) enjoyed while wearing your best
rain gear and enduring wet muddy feet. It all depends upon
your outlook, the friends you're with, and the wine...
Thistle Meadow Winery made its wine festival debut at
Tanglewood on the 7th of June (hence the lateness of this
newsletter), which by all accounts was a smashing success.
Our biggest sellers? The Blackberry Merlot (also known
by the label "Lucky Black"), Vieux Chateau du Roi, and
Peden White (Peach Chardonnay). These wines were all made
from the very same kits you can buy from grapestompers!
If you have a moment, please visit the winery's web site:
http://www.thistlemeadowwinery.com
So I guess the word this month is... Regardless of the
weather, never let a good grape go to waste!
Here's to you... and Happy Winemaking!
You can write to Brant at webmaster@grapestompers.com
------------------------------------------------------------
BONNIE'S BIN: Winemakers Are Lucky People
By Bonnie Brown, Manager
------------------------------------------------------------
Pull your chair a bit closer, pour a glass of wine and
join me for a chat.
Weddings, Graduations, Father's Day, Showers, Bon Voyage,
Welcome Home...
What do all of these have in common? WINE! Wine making
supplies, capsules, labels, bottles... Mix all of that
with wine festivals and you have our schedule! A bit busy
and WONDERFUL! Never a dull moment at grapestompers.com.
We winemakers are the luckiest people on earth. Always
something to do with our wines or kicking back with a
special glass of our favorite drink. How much better
can it get?
There are some real "sleepers" as far as wine kits go.
Have you ever heard of Poully-Fuisse? We have it as
Ruisseau Blanc! Oh so good too.
Moselle? We have it as Musette. Brouilly? We have it as
Domaine des Brumes!
Medoc? Coteau Sur Mer. Chateauneuf-du-Pape? We call it
Vieux Chateau du Roi!
We try to get you to broaden out and try something
different every once in a while. Not sure if you are
going to enjoy it? Share the first batch with a winemaking
friend! You may wish you hadn't... Like I did with my
first Fume Blanc!
If you don't like a wine at first, try it a month later!
Age does wonders, plus our taste buds change often.
One day you will love a wine and a few days later you
will wonder why!
This is the PERFECT time to make that holiday port! You
have 6 months until Christmas. Hurry, and you can have it
for Thanksgiving too! A gift of port would look wonderful
in the Bellissima bottles on sale this month too. A nice
LARGE capsule, a ribbon and your special gifts are done!
Hurry, the bottles and port wine kit are on sale for June.
Now ya'll have a great June, ya hear?
P.S. - YUP, I am getting right into this Southern thing!
Even made SWEET TEA for lunch today!
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
------------------------------------------------------------
TOM'S CELLAR: Elkin Wine Festival a Lot of Fun
by Tom Burgiss, Owner
------------------------------------------------------------
Bonnie, Brant, Jason, and the rest of the gang set up the
grapestompers.com tent at the Second Annual Yadkin Valley
Wine Festival on May 17th.
Even though it was cold and rained the whole day, there was
a good turnout. Rain doesn't stop the Winers from enjoying
an event. There was great food and music... entertainment
for the entire family!
Even though we were busy, we had time to check it out and
enjoyed all of the other displays and food of course!
Did I mention food again! Well, it was wonderful. Several
wineries were there and really did a nice job. People were
happy meeting others who enjoy the same type of events.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Ever need to remove a lime wedge from a
Corona bottle so you can recycle the bottle?
Try using the 3 prong cork retriever - it's
also good for getting the lime out!
Get the retriever (Item #2264) for just $5.23.
Hidden special:
If you purchase a Mexican Cerveza beer kit,
2 cases of bottles, capper & caps, airlock,
bucket/lid/spigot, bung and 5 gallon carboy
you will get the retriever free.
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
It was great seeing folks we had not seen in a while due to
all of the rains over the past few months. Rain or shine,
it was time to get out. Check with the Elkin Chamber of
Commerce for next year's date and put it on your calendar.
Our thanks go out to our helpers - Ginny, John, Monty,
Brenda - and all the rest. We appreciate your help!
If you weren't there... we sure missed you!
Tom
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,
Many thanks for the quick turnaround. You must have
written the book on "customer satisfaction".
I'm really getting into home winemaking. Have about 100
bottles in my inventory. I gave a presentation at a local
"Green Thumbs" (for gardeners) conference and have been
asked to give another one of greater detail and, of course
duration, later this year. Gotten a lot of great tips from
your newsletter which I have used and shared with others.
Again, many thanks to you and your staff.
-- Frank Daly
Bonnie,
Thanks for the confirmation of my order. Every time I
place an order with you, I'm amazed at how fast the order
is filled. Thanks again.
-- Mark Bolon
Columbus, OH
Tom & Bonnie,
Just sent an order for some bottles. I don't think we
thanked you for the bottle of wine for our anniversary.
We really enjoyed it and enjoyed spending a rainy day
with you folks. We are also enjoying making wine along
the "beautiful, bubbling" Duhart Creek!
-- Yates & Nancy Smith
Tom,
When I open a fresh bottle of wine it tastes so good, but
after some time it doesn't taste as good. What do I need
to do to keep the wonderful taste it had when I first
opened the bottle?
I don't know the alcohol content. Could it not be high
enough to maintain and preserve the taste? Any help here
will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
-- D.A. Cason
[Tom replies]
D.A.,
Did you vacuum seal the remains of the bottle? Oxygen is
one of wine's enemies (mold & bacteria the other two) and
you must guard against oxidation by drawing the oxygen
off the top of the wine with a pump - See Item #2909
as an example.
Think of wine like a soda pop... after it's been opened,
it loses its "fizz". Well, a similar thing happens to wine
in the presence of air... it deteriorates in flavor, aroma
and taste!
Another solution would be to bottle in smaller amounts,
such as a "split" bottle holding 375 ml instead of the
standard size of 750 ml. But the best solution is to
invite friends in and share, having none left!
-- Tom
Dear grapestompers,
I am sending my thanks for the great service you gave me,
in filling my order. Your online service is the best in
the country, and should be benchmarked by all. I sent my
order in 5/14/03 and received it today 5/16/03.
Excellent turnaround time, I will spread the word in Ohio.
And I thought quality service was a thing of the past;
thanks for renewing my faith in mankind!
Sincerely,
-- Richard Ferrante
Ohio
P.S. The labels look GREAT - Many THANKS
------------------------------------------------------------
GUEST COLUMN - Sulfites vs. Colloidal Silver
by Keith Wahlgren, Port Charlotte, FL
------------------------------------------------------------
GS Guys,
For those of you who have a sensitivity to sulfites in
wine, I have a suggestion: I have tried using colloidal
silver (1 oz./gal.) when racking from the fermenter to the
carboy. It seems to work in my experiments so far. The
fermenting action seems to stop.
Colloidal silver is a bacteria, mold, yeast, fungus and
virus killer and is harmless to the human body. It kills
single cell organisms by interfering with their ability to
use oxygen. It is used in hospitals as drops in newborn
babies eyes, and in burn units as a dressing (in silver
nitrate form).
Based on my limited experience (I have been making wine
just since the start of the year), I believe the silver
does two things: It looks like it finishes off the
fermentation when you are ready to rack, and it also
remains in the wine to kill off anything that may ruin
it later like bacteria or mold.
As mentioned before, the silver is good for you. So, you
have real wine with a material in it that is useful in
killing off unwanted organisms in your body as well...
which makes wine (already documented as heart healthy)
a real health drink!
Colloidal silver is silver distributed into distilled
water by electrolysis. Colloidal silver is harmless to
the human body and is the only substance known to kill a
virus. A virus is a thousand times smaller than bacteria,
and a silver ion is a thousand times smaller than a virus.
If you drink well water, you are getting silver in this
form, only not as much. Silver ions are not a poisonous
"heavy metal" such as mercury and is excreted daily.
My family has been using a teaspoon a day for years, and I
cannot remember our last head cold. It is expensive to buy
in stores or online... like $15 to $20 per 8 oz. bottle,
but you can make your own at home for about a dollar a
gallon by buying a simple generator. I bought mine from a
company called UtopiaSilver several years ago for $39...
if you get the complete production set (the generator with
accessories) it costs $84. The set comes with the PPM
tester which lets you make exactly the strength you want.
10 parts per million (PPM) is good for just about anything.
It's easy!
But back to our purpose... winemaking. I make my own wine
as I have a low tolerance for sulfites. Now, there are NO
red wines in my liquor store without them... I checked
every bottle. That was not always the case. Today, store
wine has a tremendous amount of sulfite preservative per
bottle, a guarantee against spoilage. Making wine with
the grapestomper's kits does not add nearly as much.
There are people I know who think sulfites are fine, and
some I know that don't. I don't care, I take no sides.
I just want real wine as the Romans made it. I find my
own wine better than store wine and a pleasure to drink
with my friends and family. Especially since the folks at
grapestompers make everything so easy and affordable.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Keep a detailed log of all the wines you
make throughout your winemaking "career".
Record items like wine type, starting and
ending specific gravity, yeast used, racking
dates, temperature, and so forth.
Knowing your "recipe" for success will make
it easier to duplicate in the future!
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
The above is just a thought/suggestion. If it interests
you, go to UtopiaSilver.com or any of the Colloidal web
sites and read for yourself... make up your own mind. By
the way, it won't turn your skin blue. For that to happen
you have to grind up silver to a powder, mix it with water
and swill it down. The large chunks of silver get stuck
in your skin capillaries and give you a blue tinge... not
a good idea. See my footnote below!
I am really not using any preservatives in my wine, I'm
just trying to see if wine can still be made the old way.
I have one carboy of Cabernet/Merlot from a grapestomper's
VDV kit that I will leave alone for as long as I can stand
it to see if this silver works. If I learn anything new,
I will post it.
I could go on, but it's getting dark and I need a glass...
You can e-mail me with any questions at:
kswahlgren@earthlink.net
Nice to chat with y'all... Have a fine day, and a fine
glass of your very own wine!
Keith Wahlgren, Port Charlotte, FL
FOOTNOTE: Silver has been used for thousands of years for
prevention of spoilage and health reasons. The English
Knights, being wealthy, used silver utensils and silver
canteens in the field. They noticed that the soldiers
would often become ill since they used water bags and such,
but the Knights did not have as much of a problem. So,
they thought if a little is good, a lot must be better.
So the alchemists of the time ground silver into a fine
powder and mixed it with water; the problem was that large
particles of silver would become lodged in their small
capillaries and give them a blue look... that's where the
term "blue bloods" comes from!
I have noticed that the colloidal silver has a metallic
taste to it, which seems to disappear in the wine. The
carboy has 768 oz. of wine, or so, and only six ounces of
silver so it's a small amount, like .008%. I may need to
go to 12 oz. of silver, I don't know. I'm still playing
with it. I would be interested to know what other people
find out as time goes along.
------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------
Legs
- The viscous drips of wine that run down the side of a
glass in which wine is swirled. If your wine lacks legs,
you can add a small amount of glycerin (about 3 to 12 ml
per liter) to enhance fullness and body.
Look for other wine-related definitions by clicking on
the 'Glossary' button from our home page at
http://www.grapestompers.com
------------------------------------------------------------
NEW PRODUCTS
------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a list of products recently added to our catalog:
RJ Spagnols is offering two Super-Premium, Signature Series
wine kits from California for this month only...
- Item #3145 Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma Valley, $137.45
- Item #3263 Chardonnay - Sonoma Valley, $130.16
This is a special pre-order... a one-shot opportunity to
purchase these exquisitely balanced wine concentrates from
Sonoma Valley, California.
You must place your order by June 23rd. We anticipate
receiving these grape concentrates towards the end of July,
and we will ship them to you as soon as they arrive in our
NC warehouse.
Thirty beautiful, varietal specific, gold-embossed bottle
labels, detailing the vintage and region are included free!
Learn more about these wines from the RJ Spagnols web site:
http://www.rjspagnols.com/wine_signature_series.asp
Other new products added this month include:
- Item #3706 BH Prairie Wheat beer kit, $31.02
- Item #2605A Power Carboy Scrubber, $24.95
- Item #2201C 6.5 gallon glass carboy, $19.25
- Item #2417 Purple bottle sealing wax, $6.96
- Item #2716P Phenolphthalein Liquid 1/2 oz, $1.65
- Item #2607A Replacement Fins for Fizz-X Mixer, $2.08
------------------------------------------------------------
THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS
------------------------------------------------------------
grapestompers' specials for the month of June 2003 are:
Save up to 12% on assorted winemaking kits
AND
Save 15% on our bottle rinser and
Dark green Bellissima 375 ml wine bottles
AND
Save 10% on Ginger Ale Soda Pop extract
AND
Save over 12% on our best-selling wine recipe book
AND
Save over 20% on Campden tablets
AND
Save over 10% 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
3142 VDV Jermillon 51.27 44.66
3108 Port Wine (makes 3 gallons) 50.59 44.66
3128 CC Cabernet/Merlot 89.87 79.66
3741 BH Pilsner Beer Kit 31.02 27.66
2253 Vinator Bottle Rinser 16.18 13.66
2775 Ginger Ale Soda Pop Extract 4.07 3.66
2801 Wine Recipe Book 3.03 2.66
2731 Campden Tablets 2.10 1.66
2116 Bellissima bottles, dk grn 375's 21.95 18.66
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 GC and CM wine kits are designed to make about 30
750 ml bottles of great wine in as little as 28 days.
The Ruisseau Blanc wine kit comes off in as few as 45 days,
and also makes about 30 bottles. The Peach Chardonnay is
refreshingly sweet with plenty of fruit flavor, with an
alcohol content from 6.5% to 7%.
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
OB = Orchard Breezin' wine kit (new name for CM)
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------