------------------------------------------------------------ THE STOMPER The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com April, 2005 Issue #57 http://www.grapestompers.com 1-800-233-1505 Winter Hours (weather permitting) 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Mon, Wed, Th, Fri, Sat 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Eastern Tuesdays 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern Sundays (call ahead) ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 welcome to pass along this newsletter to your wine- making friends; we only ask that it be sent in its entirety. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => Feature Article - New Line of Wine Kits Available => Tom's Cellar - RJ Spagnols Pulls Powdered Isinglass => Feedback from Our Customers => What To Do If You Have a Damage Claim => Guest Column - Wine Should Come With A Warning => 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 at least ONE hidden special in this issue ^#^ This month's specials and new products are found towards the bottom of this document ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ARTICLE: New Line of Wine Kits Available By Brant Burgiss, Editor ------------------------------------------------------------ Despite a surprise snowfall on April 2, Spring has finally sprung in the beautiful mountains of NC. What better way to celebrate than to announce the launch of a new line of wine kits from Wine Art / Heron Bay? Tom and I visited the manufacturing plant of Heron Bay Wines, located in Markham, Ontario (just north of Toronto), and had the opportunity to visit with the winemakers and taste their products. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the wine made from their wine kits, and decided right then and there we would love to stock their complete line of grape concentrates. Our new warehouse is now stocked with all the wine kits Heron Bay produces, from the 6L Summer Mist fruit wine kits and the 8L Premium 4-week kits, to the 16L Ultra Premium 6-week kits and the Limited Release Appellation Series kits (both 8L and 16L varieties). How do these kits compare with the other kits we stock? For one thing, you will get more juice or concentrate. Fruit wine kits typically contain 5L of concentrate, but the Heron Bay Summer Mist line have 6L. Likewise, the 4-week kits are typically 7L kits, while the 6-week kits have 15L; the Heron Bay products have one more liter of juice or concentrate than their competitors. The extra liter of concentrate/juice translates to a higher starting specific gravity. For instance, the designed beginning SG of the 16 liter kits is 1.095 instead of the typical 1.090. All in all, we have added 53 new wine kits to our catalog, so you're sure to find a variety you'll want to try. The complete list of kits is too long to mention here, so be sure to check out the varieties on the winemaking kit page of our online catalog. Here's to you... and Happy Winemaking! You can write to Brant at webmaster@grapestompers.com ------------------------------------------------------------ TOM'S CELLAR: RJ Spagnols To Pull Powdered Isinglass by Tom Burgiss, Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ This past week Nancy and I just got back from a little vacation with part of our family and because of this our newsletter is running late arriving in your email box. Sorry, my fault! Seems like the older I get, the faster time passes... Around here in Laurel Springs we are looking forward to your visit to see us during your vacation or maybe on your return trip back home! We are finally beginning to move into our new warehouse. Once this is completed, we can move our gift shop into a separate space. In turn, this will allow the wine tasting and manufacturing of wine in the same building (Bodega)! Hopefully all will be in place for your visit. By dropping by you can taste the wine you are interested in for your purchase to carry back home. Besides, we do live in the mountains with an excellent trout stream as part of our property along with lots of wild turkey and deer running about. We would enjoy seeing you walk through our doors and meet us in person! Remember our conversation last month about the isinglass in the RJ Spagnols kits? We have managed to convince the manufacturer to switch the isinglass powder for isinglass liquid. Several of you called and emailed us about this issue, which made it easier for us to pass the information about the problem to RJ Spagnols. To their credit, the manufacturer acted promptly because (as all of you know by now) they back their product 100%. *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Here's a tip on how to use some of your winemaking leftovers: Use red wine lees for marinating meat. I put a three pound buffalo roast in a freezer bag and poured in the lees from a Merlot kit I was making. After marinating for 24 hours I smoked the roast over hickory for about 3 hours. I have been enjoying it thinly sliced on a toasted bagel. It has a subtle wine flavor. Delicious! Even though Tony Petruso says he can't take the credit for this tip (he saw it on the television cooking show "Emeril Live."), we certainly appreciate him making us aware of this great idea. Hidden special: Item #2620 Electric Transfer Pump, 110v Regular price: $132.00 Special: $107.00 Save $25.00 off on a product that can move up to 200 liters of wine per hour. 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------------------* Yes, I will answer the question already asked- Does our new line of Heron Bay Wines have a higher potential alcohol content? Yes it does. The Ultra Premium 16 liter kits are designed to provide a starting specific gravity of 1.095, which translates to an alcohol percentage of 13% instead of the typical 12%. If you have any questions about this new line of wine kits, or if you'd like a copy of the Heron Bay product brochure, feel free to call us at 800-233-1505 and give us your address. Likewise, if you need any other wine making help, just call or email with your questions. When you call, be ready to give us the specifics of your wine. For instance I will need to know the SG, temperature, time, type of wine, etc. so I can provide the quickest solution to your problem. By now, the word is out... Truly, we are your FULL service business! Thanks for your business. 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, I received the 'blue' floor corker within a couple of days of ordering, and asked you for directions on its use. Fantastic product and fantastic directions! We were using a hand-corker before, with very mixed results (not to mention the kids were learning new words they shouldn't be!). We corked the batch in 1/4 of the time, with results just short of sheer perfection! Thank you again, having the 'frustration factor' now removed, we are looking forward to many more kits from you! Thank you - I've said it before and I'll say it again - your customer service cannot be beat by anyone in the industry or otherwise! I always get "Platinum" attention with either an order or with a question, thanks again! -- Anne Whitnell Blandon, PA Hi Tom, Thanks for working on this Mead Kit issue. I'll let you know when something arrives as well as the results (if they in fact send another kit) to let you know how it goes. I am very happy you were willing to help on this...again, I am a happy customer. I just wanted help and you came through when so many people just pass the buck. I remain, your happy customer... thanks again -- Pat Imler Bartlesville, OK Tom, I was reading through my Sunday paper (April 3rd) and there to my surprise I saw an article about homemade wine with your name and quotes in the "USA Weekend". Just wanted to say congrats and as always thank you for all your help! By the way, I just finished my first batch of Shiraz with your kit and all your help over the phone and it came out great! In fact, many people that have tried it like it better than the store bought wine. I am looking forward to ordering my next wine kit when I get back from my vacation in May. Best Regards, -- Michael Shultz Columbus, OH Hi Tom, The yeast you suggested worked! Thanks again! -- Dave Kempenich Jimmy, Thanks for the info, the kits arrived 3/17/05 at 4 PM [in] excellent condition and the labels are great! You said you'd try for a Mallard Duck, but Canadian Geese are on the ponds in Mallard Bay so it works for us. Thanks, -- David Marcel Heathville, VA Tom, You guys are the best!! -- Tom Doran Blauvelt, NY Hi there, I really appreciate the time you just spent with me on the phone. Service like you gave me is really rare in this world anymore. Again just wanted to say thank you. -- Ken Edmunson Searcy, AR Send us your comments about your experience with grapestompers... we may just make you famous next month! ------------------------------------------------------------ Football Delivery: What To Do If You Have a Damage Claim by Brant Burgiss ------------------------------------------------------------ At one time or another, I suppose we've all received some damaged goods from a delivery company. It's no fun because the item you've been waiting on can't be used... and in the case of dripping boxes of must or broken wine bottles, we must tip our hats to the folks who drive the delivery vans, for THEY are ones who failed to make the place kicker position for their local NFL team and take out their frustration on unsuspecting parcels from grapestompers.com. What to do if you are the recipient of damaged goods: 1. If you are present when the driver delivers the shipment, start the claim process for damage right there, on the spot. You'll get a damage resolution at least 3-4 business days faster if you can do this. Go to Step 3. 2. If you discover the damage after the delivery person has departed, CALL THE DELIVERY COMPANY FIRST (UPS, FedEx) and start the claim process on their end. The reason? The delivery companies ignore us if we try to file the claim on our own. In some cases, the carrier will send an adjuster to witness the damage. Protect yourself and take photos of the damage to document the event. DO NOT destroy the package or the product. Place the damaged goods in a trash bag (if it's leaking) and hold onto the merchandise, container and all packing materials for 5 working days after notification to the carrier. Often they will send a claims adjuster to inspect the damage. How to report damage: FedEx Claims - 1.800.GoFedEx (1-800-463-3339) https://www.fedex.com/us/claimsonline You will need to register for a fedex.com User ID and password or login before filing your claim. Or, download, print out and fax a claims form: http://www.fedex.com/us/customer/claims/Claims.pdf?link=4 UPS Claims - 1-800-PICK-UPS (742-5877) https://www.ups.com/forms/e-mail/damage?loc=en_US 3. Call our toll-free number (800) 233-1505 and report the damages that occurred with your shipment. Be prepared to tell us: a. your invoice or order number b. your tracking number c. the carrier's claim number d. which article(s) were damaged, and how so 4. Once we've verified the claims process has started, we'll get a replacement out to you as soon as we can! Thanks for helping us streamline the claims process. ------------------------------------------------------------ GUEST COLUMN - Wine Should Come With A Warning By Brent Gonet, Greensboro NC ------------------------------------------------------------ Addition to the Italian Stud Warning Label Here's a little lesson learned that I thought would be appropriate to pass on to the rest of you Stomper readers. Like most of you all, I take great pride in my wines, and enjoy showing them off in my home wine rack. Plus it's a great way to impress a date! Now, being a strapping mid-20's guy with the body of a bronzed Adonis (hey - it's my story), having a woman over for a movie and a bottle of wine usually ends well, but could always be better. I value Tom and Brant's expertise in wine selection, and after hearing all the tales (none of which I believed until 3 weeks ago), Tom convinced me to try the Italian Stud for its... well, let's say its amorous quality. OK, enough background. After a nice dinner at a fancy Italian place with a ninet... um... twenty-one year old beauty, I thought a great way to complete the evening was with a freshly bottled, home brewed Italian Stud (which I made from a Cellar Craft Rosso Fortissimo kit)! I brought a bottle from my wine rack and we sat down on the couch. After pouring two very full glasses, we sat and talked for awhile as the now half-full bottle sat on the coffee table. *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Have you ever accidentally "pushed through" the rubber grommet in the bucket lid when you tried to insert the airlock? It's no fun fishing around in your wine for a sunken piece of rubber. Here are some hints to hopefully avoid accidental loss of grommets: - When inserting your airlock in the top of the fermenter bucket, it's a good idea to slightly moisten the shaft of the airlock with water to allow for easier insertion - Slowly twist and gently move the airlock from side to side as you insert the shaft through the grommet hole. - Keep an extra grommet on hand in case the grommet falls through the hole and goes into your wine. You can retrieve the lost grommet when you rack your wine the next time. - Consider inserting the airlock on the lid before the lid is placed over the bucket. That way, if the grommet is pushed through, it simply lands on the floor and you can easily retrieve it. Have a tip you'd like to submit? Send it to tips@grapestompers.com *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Now here is where the lesson learned takes place. It seems that a pair of blue jeans, tossed with sufficient force, will knock over a 750 ml wine bottle and dislodge the cork. Also, the fabric will muffle the sound of the bottle hitting the table. What happened next? Yep, you guessed it. I had successfully turned my beige carpet to a health shade of maroon. By the way, after a wine stain soaks in for almost 3 hours, it is nearly impossible to get out. Now here I sit, several days later, after many applications of carpet cleaner, lemon juice, plus any other home remedy I could come up with, and the carpet is a light red. So a word to the wise, all you Stud drinkers out there. Scotch Guard! Brent Gonet ------------------------------------------------------------ Like To Be A Guest Columnist For The Stomper 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ Spinner - A mechanical device that applies a tin or polylaminate capsule on a wine bottle. A series of "fingers" with Teflon wheels flatten and anchor the foil to the neck of the bottle using a spinning motion, hence its name. As a result, the one-piece tin capsule is precisely spun down onto the neck without wrinkling. Look for other wine-related definitions by clicking on the 'Glossary' button from our home page at http://www.grapestompers.com ------------------------------------------------------------ NEW PRODUCTS ------------------------------------------------------------ These are products that were recently added to our catalog: - Item #4723 Terra Cotta Wine Chiller, $2.00 PLUS 53 new wine kits from Heron Bay wines! See Brant's article at the top of the newsletter. If you have a suggestion for a new product, please call us at 1-800-233-1505. Special orders welcomed for unique winemaking items or supplies. ------------------------------------------------------------ THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS ------------------------------------------------------------ grapestompers' specials for the month of April 2005: Item # Description Reg. Price Special 3242 VDV French Colombard 42.13 33.70 3113 VDV Barolo 53.16 43.50 3254 VDV Musette 41.25 33.00 3111 AB Blueberry Shiraz 66.36 53.08 3126 AB Strawberry/Sangiovese 60.00 43.50 3136 CC Red Zinfandel 87.99 70.39 3129 CC Cabernet Sauvignon 87.99 73.30 2688 Auto Bottle Filler 28.82 18.30 2717 Sodium Hydroxide Solution, 0.1N 2.29 1.89 2716P Phenolphthalein, 0.5 oz 1.65 1.39 2609A Bottle Brush 2.53 1.99 2214A Bucket Opening Tool 5.17 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, WA, AB, & OB wine kits are designed to make about thirty 750 ml bottles of great wine in as little as 28 days; CC, CCH, GC, CSP, En Primeur, HB, and CSG kits create wine in as few as 45 days. The Orchard Breezin', Summer Mist and 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: AB = Advintige Bellissima wine kit BH = Brew House beer kit CC = Cellar Classic wine kit CCH = Cellar Classic Harvest wine kit EP = En Primeur wine kit GC = Grand Cru wine kit HB = Heron Bay wine kit WA = Wine~Art wine kit MM = Mosti Mondiale wine kit OB = Orchard Breezin' wine kit VDV = Vino del Vida wine kit VDVWT = Vino del Vida - World Tour Series wine kit CSP = Cru Select Platinum wine kit CSG = Cru Select Gold wine kit RQ = Cru Select Restricted Quantities 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 Potassium Metabisulfite And you get the following items free ($16.79 value): - 30 Customized Wine Labels (text of your choice) - Triple scale hydrometer - 1.5" 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 VHS and receive a refund of $19.95 on your credit card... that's like getting the video at no cost! All we ask is that you return it in good condition. If you'd rather upgrade to the DVD version of the video, just let us know when you place your order, and we'll add $5.00 to the overall package price. 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 also save on shipping if you can locate 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 offer by paying the difference. ------------------------------------------------------------ NEXT MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS ------------------------------------------------------------ - More Winemaking Stories from Tom's Cellar - Another Surprise from Brant - More Specials - 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 OR go to our home page and enter your address in the box. To quit receiving the Stomper winemaking hints newsletter, send a blank e-mail to newsletter@grapestompers.com with a subject line of: unsubscribe stomper OR you can visit this page: http://www.grapestompers.com/quit_stomper.asp Past issues of the Stomper can be found at http://www.grapestompers.com/newsletter/archives ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright (c) 2005 grapestompers.com. All rights reserved. grapestompers.com 102 Thistle Meadow Laurel Springs, NC 28644 Boring stuff for lawyers: 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 ------------------------------------------------------------