------------------------------------------------------------ THE STOMPER The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com June, 2005 Issue #59 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 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 - Sulfite Content of Kit Wines => Tom's Cellar - Cheers to Fathers => Feedback from Our Customers => What To Do If You Have a Damage Claim => Guest Column - Missing in Action => 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: Sulfite Content of Wines Made From Kits By Brant Burgiss, Editor ------------------------------------------------------------ Can you believe it? It's already June and I haven't started my summer batch of wine yet. I need to be careful and time things just right, so I won't have to rack or otherwise treat my wine while I'm on vacation. Speaking of which, if you have a chance during your summer break, please come and visit us in the NC mountains - we'd love to see you! When I was helping out at the warehouse over the Memorial Day weekend, I overheard someone speaking about her concern for the amount of sulfites used in wine. She stated that she must be allergic to sulfites, for when she drank red wines she suffered from "red wine headaches." I was quick to join in the conversation, because I wanted her to know that it was highly unlikely that she was truly allergic to sulfites and that sulfites were not the culprit of her headaches. Did you know that: - There are more sulfites in a glass of orange juice than in a whole bottle of wine - there's even more sulfites in dried fruits and restaurant-prepared salads - so if you can tolerate these foods without a reaction (like watery eyes, reddening of the skin, or sneezing), then it's probably safe to say you are not allergic to sulfites. - Sulfites are present in all wines, even if none was added during the winemaking process. Believe it or not, sulfites are actually one of the natural by-products of fermentation. Even without added sulfites, wine would still contain about 6-15 ppm at the time of bottling. - The use of sulfites to preserve food and wine has been going on for centuries. It is said that the East India Trading Company would not transport wine over the high seas unless it had been treated by sulfites. If it wasn't, the wine would spoil en route and would be unsalable at the ultimate destination. Besides acting as a preservative, sulfites are also used to inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold, as well as to prevent oxidation and discoloration. - Without sulfites, few wines would last much more than a year in the bottle. - Only a small minority of people are really allergic to sulfites. The US government claims that less than 1% of the population is allergic, and the vast majority of these people tend to be asthmatic. - Red wine headaches are more likely caused by ingredients other than sulfites - likely candidates are either bio- amines or other naturally occurring compounds* found in grapes. The ironic thing is that white wines contain more sulfites than red wines (to prevent "browning" or other effects of oxidation). The compounds in the skins of red grapes that give red wine its color also act as natural preservatives, allowing red wines to be stable with lower levels of sulfite. - Bio-amines are compounds formed in wines for various reasons. One of the most common sources of bio-amines in wine is the process of malolactic fermentation occurring in the presence of sugar. Some commercial wineries start malolactic inoculation before the end of alcohol fermenta- tion, guaranteeing the formation of bio-amines. Since wine kits don't go through malolactic fermentation, they do not form bio-amines, and therefore don't provoke allergic reactions. Even if you are sensitive to sulfites, one of the biggest advantages of making your own wine is that YOU can control the amount of sulfites in your wine. If you know you will consume the wine fairly quickly, you can use less sulfites as a preservative or an anti-oxidation agent. Think of it this way: The makers of commercially-produced wine never know how long their wine will sit on the shelf before it is bought and consumed by the customer. To be safe, they must add more sulfites at bottling time than home winemakers, in order to ensure their wine will stay fresh in the bottle. So is it hard to guess whose wine has more sulfites in it? The bottom line is: homemade wine that is made from grape concentrate kits - like the ones we sell - contains less sulfites than commercial wine, and is much less likely to be the cause of headaches due to bio-amines. So drink up - the homemade stuff, that is! *According to sources found online, there are two main types of bio-amines in wine; histamines and tyramines. Both of these affect the blood vessels in your body, either by dilating or constricting them. However, the concentra- tions of amines found in wine may be too small to cause headaches. The tannins in the skins of grapes are also suspected to cause headaches, but this mainly affects migraine sufferers. Both amines and tannins tend to be found at higher concentrations in young red wines. New research is looking at prostaglandin, which is produced by your body from compounds found in the grape skin, and is active in very small concentrations. Suggested reading: http://www.theantiagingdoctor.com/redwine.htm http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/winecheese/wine_sulfites.html http://www.wineeducation.com/faq.html#Sulfites Here's to you... and Happy Winemaking! You can write to Brant at webmaster@grapestompers.com ------------------------------------------------------------ TOM'S CELLAR: Cheers to Fathers by Tom Burgiss, Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ Fathers' Day is approaching and one of the finest gifts you can give is the fun hobby of winemaking. This is gift that the entire family can enjoy. It is a gift that makes a month go by in a hurry... a gift that just keeps on giving! You guessed it... why not introduce your Dad to a home wine making kit! In the past we have had so many comments from our customers expressing just how much fun they were having. And yes, they did pick up right many friends in a hurry, trying out the latest wine being produced by your DAD! Check out our Complete Winemaking Kit Special - either Item #3100 or #3200, which are described below. This kit has been tested through the years - and with all the extras we offer here at grapestompers.com, you will not go wrong on this decision. Included with this complete kit you will find an informative 65-minute video (in either VHS or DVD format), that was written and produced right here in our mountaintop Bodega. Remember, this kit is not filled with items you don't need, but rather with items that are needed for success. *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Do you put ice cubes in your wine glass to keep the wine cold? Instead of using ice cubes - which waters down the wine as the cubes melt - why not use reusable plastic ice cubes with a freezable liquid core? You can purchase a couple dozen reusable ice cubes at any kitchen store for less than $3.00. Hidden special: Item #CF0857 Cellar Craft Viognier Regular price: $112.99 Special: $82.99 Limit one, please. Save $30.00 off on a superb wine kit from Cellar Craft. If you like Viognier, but haven't yet tried a kit from Cellar Craft, this is the time to try! 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------------------* Another item that will make a great Fathers Day gift is the Cooper Cooler. This device plugs into a wall outlet or your car's cigarette lighter and will chill a bottle of wine from room temperature to freezing cold in only three or four minutes. Use the Cooper Cooler to rapidly chill beer or soda, too. It'll only take one minute to chill a can or bottle of pop. The secret is in the way the bottle or can rotates under a steady stream of ice water. The vessel rotates, but the liquid inside does not - so no spewing liquids when the top is popped! Look for Item #5119. Oh, I forgot to tell you that we are the perfect company for your Dad to communicate easily with over the telephone (call us toll-free at 1-800-233-1505). Our phones are answered by a REAL HUMAN... There are NO buttons to push after you dial our number. Don't forget that we offer free customized wine labels with each concentrate kit order, a well-stocked warehouse, and quick and accurate answers to your winemaking questions! *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Progress report: Our new warehouse building is just about complete. Plans for a new office and gift shop (to be located in our old warehouse) are now underway. Belva and Jimmy are busy decorating, arranging and stocking (stand by for some new and different things), so wish us luck! And with this newer setup we can give you faster service. 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: Hi Tom, We just got done bottling our Shiraz made from a Heron Bay kit. By far the best of the 5 kits we brewed this past year. It will be very hard to let this batch age. Can't wait to start again this fall. -- Bill and Judy Kinnick Valley Winery Roberts, WI Hello Tom, I'm so pleased to see that you carry Cellar Craft wine kits. I have been looking for a distributor of these kits for some time. I have made several of them, and they are excellent!!! I will be purchasing several from you in the near future. Thanks so much, you guys are great!! Sincerely your buddy in Montana, -- Joel Slavick Billings, MT Belva, I just wanted to let you know that the hydrometer arrived today. Thanks so much for sending out another one. I suspect the post office ate the first one... This one came pretty quickly from when you contacted me last week. Now I will return the one I borrowed. Thanks again for all of your help. I appreciate it very much! -- Michael Bidwell Carrollton, KY Send us your comments about your experience with grapestompers... we may just make you famous next month! ------------------------------------------------------------ Soccer 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 "striker" position for their local soccer 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 - Missing In Action By Nobody's Home ------------------------------------------------------------ We're sorry, but no one volunteered to write our guest column for this month. It really isn't that difficult to write a short 3 or 4 paragraph article about your favorite hobby - just think of all the tall tales you're already telling your friends about the exploits of making your own wine. All you have to do is put it in words - and we'll publish your story and (perhaps) make you famous! *-----------------HOT TIP------------------* Here's still another use for old wine corks: Play the game of bouchon! "Bouchon" is the French word for cork, and one is used in a pitching game similar to bocce - except that your target is a cork with coins stacked on top. Knock down the cork and collect some money from your opponents! If you are interested in the rules, contact Brant. Hidden special: Item #2607 Fizz-X Mixer Regular price: $25.18 Special: $18.36 Save nearly $7.00 off on a product that hooks up to your power drill and helps stir or de-gas your wine in a jiffy. No more tired arms or wrists from stirring by hand! 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------------------* The story doesn't have to be technical at all - we're not expecting some treatise on anaerobic fermentation, we just want an entertaining story or tip that you learned while making your latest (or first) batch of wine. It can be funny; it can be dramatic... the choice is up to you. Please send your inputs to Brant at: articles@grapestompers.com ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ Aggressive - A wine described as unpleasantly harsh in taste or texture, usually due to high levels of tannin or acid. 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 #3105 EP Sicilian Syrah (on sale in June), $98.80 - Item #3281 OB Citrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc LR, $46.99 - Item #2737B Oak Chips, American Med. 1 lb (sale) $2.95 - Item #4718 Wine Decanter, $33.50 - Item #4719 Wine Decanter, $33.50 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 June 2005: Item # Description Reg. Price Special 3111 AB Blueberry Shiraz (close out) 66.36 45.50 3253 AB Pear Chardonnay (close out) 56.87 40.30 3126 AB Strawberry Sangiovese (til gone)60.00 42.90 3203 EP German Riesling 143.63 102.70 3134 CC Pinot Noir 83.38 58.50 3105 EP Sicilian Syrah (new!) 139.26 98.80 HB970 HB Black Cherry Pinot Noir 47.80 39.90 HB972 HB Cranberry Shiraz 47.80 39.90 HB978 HB Tropical Pinot Grigio 47.80 39.90 2743 Oak Chips, French Med. Toast 1 lb 7.50 4.95 2737B Oak Chips, American Med. 1 lb (new) 3.75 2.95 5264 B Brite, 5 lbs 12.76 8.90 2731 Campden Tablets, 2 oz 2.42 1.90 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, HB, 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, 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 = Advintage Bellissima wine kit BH = Brew House beer kit CC = Cellar Classic wine kit CCH = Cellar Classic Harvest wine kit CF = Cellar Craft 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 ------------------------------------------------------------