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THE STOMPER
The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com
April, 2004 Issue #45
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 - Sources for Free Wine Bottles
=> Bonnie's Bin - Lessons in Wine Tasting
=> Tom's Cellar - Women and Wine: Part Two
=> Feedback from Our Customers
=> Guest Column - Life and a Can of Beer
=> 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
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FEATURE ARTICLE: Sources for Free Wine Bottles
By Brant Burgiss, Editor
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Greetings everyone! Since it hasn't snowed in the past two
weeks, we are HOPING that Winter is finally over. So that
means that Spring has sprung, and everyone's thoughts are
now turned to bud breaks on the vine and some extra green
on the trees and in your wallet...
Wallet, did you say?
You heard me right. Why not start off the new season by
saving a little money on your winemaking supplies?
Until I started making wine myself about five years ago,
I had no idea that wine bottles represented the biggest
cost of all the things that go into a bottle of wine -
including the wine itself!
If you buy a case of new 750 ml bottles, you can expect to
pay around a dollar a bottle... and that doesn't count the
shipping fee!
And, because most home winemaking hobbyists make wine in
small quantities, it's difficult to qualify for volume
pricing. At grapestompers, we pass along the best price
possible, but we're only able to do that because we buy
bottles a truckload at a time!
It's not practical for you to do that, so what is a person
to do if they need wine bottles? Here is a short list of
possible sources to get free wine bottles:
- Friends and neighbors
- Restaurants
- Bars
- Wineries
- Recycling centers
You'll still have to clean the bottles - removing the labels
can be big chore - but just think of all the money you'll
be saving. I learned pretty quickly to avoid wine bottles
from Australia. They have some special "down-under" glue
that will not let the labels go unless you use a razor
blade.
This may come as a surprise to you, but wineries have a lot
of empties they must get rid of. All the bottles that have
been used for sampling cannot be re-used. The government
requires that brand new bottles be used at bottling time.
One of our readers, Debbie Coleman, who lives in a state
where there is a mandatory bottle deposit, suggested going
to the liquor or a grocery store and liberating the bottles
for the 5 or 10 cent refund bounty. What a bargain!
Regardless of where you obtain your free (or nearly so)
wine bottles, be sure to rinse them out as soon as possible
to prevent gunk from forming in the bottom. You'll have a
little more influence with your friends... ask them to
rinse out the bottle with water a couple of times when they
first finish the bottle. This simple act will increase
your chances of being able to use the bottle with minimal
cleaning effort.
Most of the fellow winemakers we see at grapestompers ask
their friends to return their wine bottles, or else they
don't get any more wine!
If you see any solids that have dried in the bottom of the
bottle, my advice would be to steer clear of that one...
why run the risk of contaminating your wine? There will be
plenty other chances to get bottles.
Here's to you... and Happy Winemaking!
You can write to Brant at webmaster@grapestompers.com
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BONNIE'S BIN: Lessons in Wine Tasting
By Bonnie Brown, Manager
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Tasting wine is becoming a great pastime. I was reviewing
hints, tips, and ideas for tasting, and that is when I came
across Chapter 18 in "Wine for Dummies", 2nd edition which
is entitled "You Never Graduate from Wine School".
Most of the guidelines for wine tasting etiquette apply to
wine classes and when you visit wineries around the world.
A wine tasting is an event designed to give the enthusiasts
the chance to sample a wide range of wines. How many would
you sample at home alone? It would be very expensive and
wasteful.
We always advocate attending at least one wine tasting per
year, so you can taste several wines and compare vintages
over the years. While I'm thinking about it, be sure to
mark your calendar for our annual wine tasting that takes
place in Laurel Springs, NC on the first Sunday in October.
You learn a lot about wines and wine tasting from others.
There are several points to remember when attending a wine
tasting.
1) Don't express your opinion until others have. You may
interrupt others' concentration. Most tasters like to
form their own opinion. This also helps you train your
senses to pick up tastes, hints and aromas.
2) Do not wear aftershave, cologne, or scented sprays.
Those aromas interfere with the ability to detect the
wine's aroma.
3) Never, but NEVER allow smoking of any kind.
One of my favorite discoveries in this chapter is in a SNOB
ALERT box on page 311, which reads:
Horizontal or Vertical?
Two of the goofiest expressions in the world of wine are
applied to wine tastings. Depending on the nature of the
wines featured, wine tasting events can be categorized as
vertical tastings or as horizontal tastings. These
categories have nothing to do with the position of the
tasters themselves.
A VERTICAL tasting is a wine tasting featuring several
vintages of the same wine, such as Chateau Latour in each
vintage from 1985 to 1995.
A HORIZONTAL tasting examines wines of a single vintage
from several different wineries. Usually the wines are of
a similar type, such as 1995 Napa Valley Cabernets.
There is not a particular name for tastings with less
disciplined themes, but we'd like to suggest PAISLEY!
That's it folks. My short time with you is up for this
month. May April bring you more than you wined for!
See you next time...
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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TOM'S CELLAR: Women and Wine: Part Two
by Tom Burgiss, Owner
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To continue our conversation from last month...
A woman who likes Pinot Grigio likes to try new things,
new ideas, and is always pushing to learn. She dislikes
folks who talk too much, brag or boast. She loves to wear
the newest style; in fact these ladies go through their
closets getting rid of all the outdated clothing.
Favorite food ? First off it MUST be appealing, then you
will try anything! Disposition? Adventure, adventure!
Riesling ladies like stuffed animals, picnics in the woods,
bubble baths and wide brimmed hats. Turn offs? Premarital
agreements. Favorite piece of clothing? Pearls
Favorite food? Loves muffins. Disposition is sweet!
Zinfandel (the RED) gals like milk chocolate, late movies,
candy bars, daisies, and old "I Love Lucy" reruns.
Favorite clothes to wear around the house are soft cotton
t-shirts. Favorite food? French Fries (when no one is
looking)! The Zinfandel girl does not like showy jewelry
and her general disposition is: Ready for anything!
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Looking for another method to de-gas your
wine besides stirring?
Use a Vacu-Vin (Item #2909) hand pump to
remove the excess CO2. The vacuum created
by the pumping motion will pull the CO2 out
of solution!
You can do this on a bottle-by-bottle basis
before corking or drinking, or de-gas the
whole carboy at once by attaching the Vacu-Vin
to the longest finger on a carboy cap (#2610)
and pumping like crazy.
http://home.comcast.net/~jimalexander2/RemovingCO2.html
Our thanks to George Gale for submitting
this tip.
Hidden special:
#2224 FermTech AutoSipon 1/2" OD $9.99
That's a 21 percent savings for a product that
will start and maintain your siphon in less
than 10 seconds.
BE SURE to mention this hidden special when
ordering, or you will not get the right price.
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Sulfite gases in your wine is not a reason to discard your
wine. You can help the situation by
A) pouring a glass and allowing the wine to breathe,
B) shaking it up in a hurry with a blender (don't get
excited here now), or
C) add a product called Bocksin (Item #2795) to the carboy
before bottling.
Of course, the best thing to do is prevent this from
happening in the first place. Most of the time it would
indicate that during the addition of the sulfite (to kill
the remaining yeast) the wine should have been stirred
with more vigor and for a longer amount of time!
In other cases, your wine may not have enough nutrients
to keep your yeast happy, or perhaps you are using the
wrong kind of yeast. Montrachet yeast has a reputation
for facilitating this problem, although I have never
experienced this myself.
Here at grapestompers.com we use a Fizz-Z wine agitator
(Item #2607) to knock the gases out in a hurry. You will
be amazed just how much gas is often trapped in your wine!
You can also try the Vacu-Vin trick explained in the tip
above.
I receive many e-mails on this subject and ask also for
feedback. I know how you feel when you have this problem,
because I have felt this same problem, but I have found
this to work. So the next time you have this situation,
try what I have suggested and let me know your results.
You're also invited to see Brant's article about the
subject of the dreaded "rotten egg" smell and hydrogen
sulfide at the following URL:
http://www.grapestompers.com/articles/hydrogen_sulfide.htm
Tom
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:
Thanks, Tom.
My wife and I were looking for several items, including
cobalt blue bottles. What caused me to immediately order
from your online store was that you carried precisely what
she and I were looking for and all in one store.
-- Edward L. Goldman
Jefferson, LA
Hello,
A few years back I downloaded a web page that had a
conversion chart of all factors basically dealing in
winemaking things... What it had that I am needing is
conversion of how many cups of sugar = pounds etc.
I haven't found this in awhile and do not see this on the
links page where it was at before... Thank you in advance
for your help.
-- John D. Hawk
[our reply]
John, 2 1/4 cups of sugar equals 1 lb. You can easily
extrapolate out from that. Hope that helps!
Brant
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GUEST COLUMN - Life and a Can of Beer
retold by Robert Klaus, Houston TX
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When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the lowly
mayonnaise jar... and the beer.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some
items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and
proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the
students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles
rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then
asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed
it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it
into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything
else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students
responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cans of beer from under
the table and poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The
students laughed.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
Need a way to remove stubborn labels from
a recycled bottle of wine?
Here's a tip from a former auto refinisher:
Use an automotive product called "Auto Prep",
or "Krill Clean". When applied with a small
moistened cloth, it immediately breaks down
the sticky (or dried) glue thus rolling off
the glass in most cases, eliminating the need
for a razor blade. It is so user friendly that
it does not even harm the recent paint sprayed
on a vehicle the night before. It is effortless
to use although it is a petroleum-based product,
so washing of hands would be a good idea!
It's available at places like NAPA or other
auto paint stores.
Our thanks to Joe Alatalo from Maui, Hawaii
for providing this tip!
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I
want you to recognize that this jar represents your life."
"The golf balls are the important things - your family,
your children, your health, your friends, your favorite
passions - things that if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full."
"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job,
your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the
small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,
"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The
same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy
on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things
that are important to you. Pay attention to the things
that are critical to your happiness. Play with your
children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always
be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal."
"Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the
beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you
asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full
your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of
beers."
You can reach Robert Klaus at raklaus@earthlink.net
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Like To Be A Guest Columnist For The STOMPER 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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Remuage
- The technique of gradually inverting champagne bottles at
the end of the bottle ferment. At the same time as the
inversion is increased, the bottle is twisted so that the
yeast falls to the neck of the bottle; from there it can
be removed by disgorgement.
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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NEW PRODUCTS
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Here is a list of products recently added to our catalog:
- Item #2743C 4 oz. Medium Toast French oak chips, $2.31
- Item #3211 OB Green Apple Gewurz, on sale now for $38.99
- Item #3239 CC Verdicchio, on sale now for $58.99
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THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS
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grapestompers' specials for the month of April 2004 are:
Item # Description Reg. Price SPECIAL
3211 OB Green Apple Gewurztraminer 45.00 38.99
3173 WA Black Currant Merlot 48.51 41.79
3174 WA Black Cherry Pinot Noir 48.51 41.79
3221 VDV Fume Blanc 45.87 39.99
3254 VDV Musette (Moselle) 41.25 35.99
3239 CC Verdicchio 68.76 58.99
3225 VDV Sauvignon Blanc 44.00 37.99
3245 CC Ruisseau Blanc 73.26 62.99
3249 VDV Chardonnay Semillon 44.00 37.99
2716A Vinoferm acidometer kit 19.14 16.59
2609A Wine bottle brush 2.42 1.99
2215 1.5 Fermenting bucket w/lid 4.13 3.49
2200 1 gallon glass jug, amber 5.06 4.29
3200 Complete White Wine Starter Kit 232.29 180.00
3100 Complete Red Wine Starter Kit 241.42 190.00
See below for a description of the Complete Starter Kit.
Did you see this month's hidden special? It's located
elsewhere in this newsletter.
The VDV (Vino del Vida) wine kits are designed to make about
thirty 750 ml bottles of great wine in as little as 28 days;
CC (Cellar Classic) kits create wine in as few as 45 days.
The Orchard Breezin' and Wine~Art Country Mist wine
kits are refreshingly sweet with plenty of fruit flavor,
with an alcohol content from 7% to 9%.
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
OB = Orchard Breezin' 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 Adhesive Thermometer
Fast Flow Spigot
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 -
You can save some money on shipping if you can find your
own wine bottles... if you don't need wine bottles, just
be sure and let us know when you place your order, and we
will adjust the price of the equipment kit accordingly.
You can also upgrade your wine kit and get any other type
of wine you desire, by paying the difference for the
upgrade from the standard concentrate to the upgraded one.
Likewise, you can upgrade from the hand corker to either of
the floor corkers we stock by paying the difference.
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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 - Submit yours today!
- New Winemaking Products
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LIST MAINTENANCE
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Copyright (c) 2004 grapestompers.com. All rights reserved.
grapestompers.com
102 Thistle Meadow
Laurel Springs, NC 28644
Boring Legal Stuff: Content is gathered from sources
considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of this info
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columnists and customer letters are those of the authors
and not necessarily those of grapestompers.com
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