The Wine Maker's Toy Store®
Bringing family and friends together...One sip at a time!
Welcome to Pressing News, the monthly newsletter
published by Fine Vine Wines, LLC, designed exclusively to assist
the home vintner in the pursuit of their hobby!
THIS MONTH ON THE VINE!
- Welcome
- Call Us!
- Revised Retail Hours
- Sterile Must Available in April
- Winestock 2007
- Inflation in Home Wine Making Supplies
- Online Discussion Forum
- Featured Article - Read the Instructions - Mosti Mondiale Wine Kits Differences
- Toy of the Month
- New Products
- Wine of the Month
- Discounts!
- Customer Referral Program
- Customer Appreciation Program - FVW Growers Club
- Multi-Kit Discount
- Customer Feedback
- Newsletter Specials
- Unsubscribe
WELCOME
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Fine Vine
Wines, LLC, "The Wine Maker's Toy Store". Whether you
need home wine making or home brewing products or just need information, we are here to serve
you. I want to extend my thanks again for making The Wine Maker's
Toy Store your home for your wine making and beer brewing needs.
It continues to be my hope that every time you visit our web
site or retail store, you will find something of value.
As a reminder, we continue to add products and content to the web site, therefore, if you have any special requests, please let us know. We like to hear what you have to say about our site, our products and/or our customer service, good or bad. Please send your comments and/or suggestions to winemaster@finevinewines.com.
CALL US!
If you have any questions about our products, our service and/or wine making, please call us. We are here to serve you and enjoying assisting you in any way we can. We have an international toll-free line so you WILL call us.
Someone is usually at the store between 9 am and 7 pm, Monday thru Saturday. We always try to answer the phone when you call; however, sometimes, we are unable to answer the phone as we are all on the other lines or we have customers in the store. If you get the voice mail, please leave your name, number, brief message and a best time to call. We will return your call as soon as we can.
If you don't want to call, just send us an email. We usually answer our emails daily. Please remember, we are a resource and we are here to serve you.
FINALLY - STERILE MUST
In April, we will be receiving our first shipment of sterile must from Mosti Mondiale. This must comes from Chile and is not concentrated. It is fresh juice that has been balanced for sugar, acid and pH and you would use it just like a wine kit. The must has been pre-inoculated with selected yeast, so all you have to do is warm it up and let it go. The bad news is that the must has to be refrigerated to keep it from spoiling. It has about a 2 day shelf life at room temperature. Since we do not have any way at the present to refrigerate the product, it is only avaiable for pickup at the store.
I have added the products to the web site and you can pre-order any of the 6 varieties listed. I will be placing my order on March 26, 2007, so I will need to have your pre-orders in by then. I will only order enough for those that pre-order and there will not be any extras! I will be ordering 1 each of the varieties so we can make them in the store for a future bottling party. In addition, your credit card will be charged before I place the order and there will not be any refunds as unpicked up juice will just spoil. If you have any questions, please give me a call.
Here are the varieties being offered:
Part Number |
Description |
Regular Price |
Style |
Flavor |
Order |
| CH2304 |
ChileanCabernet Sauvignon |
$135.99 |
Red |
Always the undisputed king of wines by acclamation. Our Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon offers you a beautiful deep ruby color with a predominant bouquet of blackberry and raspberry accompanied by a hint of pepper. The attack is slightly aggressive with a long finish with just the right amount of oak. The alcohol level contributes to its warm feeling and will allow the wine to age gracefully for a minimum of 3 years*. |
Order |
| CH23150 |
ChileanCarmenere |
$135.99 |
Red |
This variety is considered as the flagship red wine of Chile. It was not until recently that the Carmenere has been identified as its own varietal dating back to pre Phylloxera France. For centuries, in Chile, the Camenere has been mistaken for Merlot. This wine is BIG, SOFT and spicy all at once. The mouth filling flavours are enhanced by the ever present oak. |
Order |
| CH2316 |
ChileanChardonnay |
$129.99 |
White |
If the Cabernet Sauvignon is king, then it is only fitting to crown the Chardonnay as queen of wines. The most popular white wine varietal we know. Our Chilean Chardonnay is of a golden straw color with a bouquet of tropical fruit and undertones of vanilla. On the palate it reveals flavours reminiscent of passion fruit and freshly picked citrus. A crisp well balanced wine easily enjoyed during a meal or during a “tete a tete” by your favourite fireplace. |
Order |
| CH2370 |
ChileanChardonnay/Semillon |
$129.99 |
White |
This wonderful blend brings together two very different elements in a harmonic union. The Chardonnay brings its flavours of tropical fruits with hints of vanilla, while the Semillon contributes a honeyed vegetal character with nutty butterscotch nuances. The resulting wine is truly a symphony of flavours. |
Order |
| CH2306 |
ChileanMerlot |
$135.99 |
Red |
The Merlot varietal is the only grape which is a serious threat to unseat the Cabernet Sauvignon as king of wines. Our Chilean Merlot is of a deep burgundy color with a predominant bouquet of ripe red berries and hints of spices with a violet undertone. The initial attack is smooth, yet as it makes its way through the palate, you will realize that this is a full bodied long finish wine. A little confusing at first, it will disclose all its well kept secrets on the first sip. The body is well balanced and enhanced by the right amount of oak and not overpowered by it. |
Order |
| CH2313 |
ChileanSauvignon Blanc |
$127.99 |
White |
Second only to the Chardonnay in popularity. Our Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is of a light amber color with a predominantly citrus bouquet and floral undertones. On the palate the Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and clean easily enjoyed on its own or with light dishes. |
Order |
WINESTOCK 2007
We are in the planning stages for this year's Winestock. We are trying to find a place for the end of October. This date works really well as it coincides with Texas Grape Month and the next batch of sterile must delivery. In addition, the weather should be fairly mild. I am talking with several local wineries to do sessions on acid, oak, vineyard management and other topics, then allowing them to present their wines for sampling. I am going to attempt to get this classified as a wine festival which would allow me to sell their wines. If you have any suggestions, please log on to the forum and give me your thoughts. There is a special section just for Winestock.
INFLATION IN THE HOME WINE MAKING SUPPLIES
As most of you know, over 90% of the products sold in the home wine and beer supply stores is imported with the majority of them coming from Canada and Europe. With the declining U.S. dollar, the cost of imported products is going up. So far this year, the beer supplies have been the hardest hit, but we have seen price increase in carboys and bottles. Over the last several years, we have also seen some fairly dramatic increases in the costs of the wine kits and although I have not been informed of any planned increases, at this time, I will not be surprised to see some before the end of the year.
The good news is that the products exported by the U.S. are cheaper and make our products more competitive which helps our economy create more jobs and even with these price increases, the cost of making your own wine is still significantly less than purchasing commercial bottles. We would have to see prices double or triple to change this dynamic and I can't see that happening.
FORUM
When you have a question or just want to learn more about wine making, don't forget our forum! We
have 635 registered members with 37,131 posts! We have some extremely knowledgeable
wine makers with loads of valuable information and willing to assist you in your wine making needs. Responses to most posts are made within minutes. We are also known to have an occassional contest available to forum member only with valuable gifts, savings and coupons!
Whether you are an expert or a novice, it
is an excellent place to ask questions, exchange ideas and meet
other home wine makers. If you haven't logged into the forum, try it sometime. I think you will find it most informative and enjoyable, as well as, a great place to meet fellow wine makers.
FEATURED
ARTICLE - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS - MOSTI MONDIAL VERSUS WINEXPERT!
In case you have only made one brand of wine kit, you may not be aware that each manufacturer has their own way of making their kit. As a result, the instructions are different from brand to brand and may be confusing. Now that I am carrying the Mosti Mondiale (MM)line, I am getting a lot of funny looks and questions. As a result, in the following paragraphs, I will highlight the differences between the instructions for the Winexpert (WE) brand and the MM brand and explain some of the rationale.
- With the WE kits, the bentonite is the first thing you put in the bucket along with 2 liters (1/2 gallon) of water. With the MM kits, you disolve the bentonite in 8 ounces of cold water for 30 minutes before adding to the must. After seeing how bentonite can clump up, I will admit I was sceptical. After 30 minutes, I examined the bentonite and it had greatly swelled to a point were it filled half of the water. I thought the benonite looked like swollen maccaroni. I stirred the bentonite and it quickly dissolved. I poured it into the must and stirred. Seemed to work like the directions indicate.
- WE kits tell you to sprinkle the yeast on top. MM kits tell you to rehydrate the yeast according to the instructions on the yeast packet. The MM Port kit went as far as to specifically tell you to NOT SPRINKLE THE YEAST ON TOP! Once again, I followed the instructions and rehydrated the yeast in 106 degree water. 15 minutes later the yeast was bubbling away, so I added it to the must. I have always been a "sprinkler", but when I saw how well the fermentation started with the yeast starter, I may want to re-evaluate my method for all kits. I have never had a fermentation start this fast.
- WE kits come with oak powder and/or very small oak chips; whereas, the MM kits come with larger oak chips. WE tells you to put the oak in the primary and MM tells you to wait and add the oak after the first racking. Based on the size of the oak chips in the MM kits, I understand the rational. The oak chips will need more time to allow the tannins to be removed because of the size of the chip. If you added them in the primary, they would not be finished in 5-7 days. The MM kit will spend 2 weeks in secondary which will more than double the exposure time of the oak to the wine and result in more tannin and flavor extraction. In addition, MM states the level of alcohol in the secondary fermenter results in better extraction of the oak.
- MM also tells you to do the first racking at 1.020 instead of 1.010. This faster racking probably has something to do with oak by adding it while fermentation is still going and to give the oak longer time in secondary.
- When it comes time to stablize, we have more differences. WE specifically tells you NOT to rack off the sediment. MM tells you to rack before stabilizing. I am sure this has something to do with the differenct fining agents.
- De-gassing is also different. WE has you stir, add the stabilizers (sulfite and sorbate), stir, add the fining agent and stir, again. MM has you add the stabilizers and stir 4 times over a 24 period, THEN add the 2 fining agents. WE only has one fining agent.
- With some WE kits, you get a grape pack, elderflowers or elderberries and you add them on day one. Some of the MM kits come with raisins and you add them on day 2, after fermentation has started.
The most important fact is that you should always read the instructions that come with your wine kit, even if you have made the same kit over and over. The manufacturers are constantly tweaking their kits and the processes. You never know when they will change their method and it would be a shame to ruin a wonderful batch of wine, just because you did not take 5 minutes and read the instructions.
As I make more of the MM kits, including the sterile must, I will post anything I find that may help on the forum under Wine Concentrate Kits. I currently have one thread going on the MM kits and one specific to the La Bodega Port. Please join the forum to see how these kits are progressing.
I hope you find this article helpful and if you have any comments
and/or suggestions, please send them to geocorn@finevinewines.com.
Remember, a $100 gift certificate is always available to anyone who sends me a featured article that I use in a newsletter.
TOY
OF THE MONTH
De-gassing your wine is one of the top problems that home wine makers have with their kit wines. Because we are rushing to bottle, we do not give mother nature enough time to de-gas our wine for us. To make this job much easier and more effective, several manufacturers have designed "toys" just for this purpose and this month we have them all on special. All four of these products attach to almost any drill and create a vortex in your wine to drive off the carbon dioxide. Our recommendation is to buy one of the stainless steel varieties. I have been using my Fizz-X for over 5 years without any problem and have not had to replace the blades, but if you need to, replacement blades are available.
Part Number |
Image |
Description |
Regular Price |
Current Price |
Order |
| 15262 |
 |
Fizz-X Mixer for Carboy Works with power drill
|
$24.99 |
$21.99 |
Order |
| 4666 |
 |
The Stainless Steel Mix-Stir
|
$22.99 |
$19.99 |
Order |
| 4669 |
 |
24 inch Mix-Stir
Attaches to any electric hand drill for mixing wine & beer & degassing wine. |
$15.99 |
$13.49 |
Order |
| 4667 |
 |
The Wine Whip De-Gasser
Slightly angled plastic whip that attaches to a standard 3/8" variable speed drill to remove carbonation from wine. |
$8.49 |
$7.49 |
Order |
WINE OF THE MONTH
This month we are featuring our 2 Trebbiano wines and the La Bodega Port. The Trebbiano is a light amber in colour, with reflections bordering on golden. It has a fruity character with good acidity. It is fresh and exuberant, with a good alcohol level. Lively and fresh, this wine is suited for many occasions. It is excellent with appetizers such as shrimp cocktail or lightly flavoured pastas.
We are also featuring the La Bodega Port from Mosti Mondiale. This is a 12 litres (3 gallons) of juice and you do not add any water. This kit comes with raisins, oak chips and a flavoring pack. It will ferment to 16% on its own, but you can forify it with brandy or grain alcohol to get the level up to over 20%. This is the premier port kit in the market and it is $10.00 off this month.
Please note that we always order extra kits for our monthly special, but we can't always anticipate demand. As a result, we may run out. If we do, we will send you an email of such and advice you of when you can expect your kit. We appreciate your understanding on this issue.
Part Number |
Image |
Description |
Brand |
Comments |
Regular Price |
Current Price |
Order |
| LB001 |
 |
Port
This port style kit will impress the most discerning drinker. It is bursting with flavor, flavor that only our varietal fresh grape juice can continuously deliver. |
Mosti Mondiale - La Bodega |
Wine of the Month |
$109.99 |
$99.99 |
Order |
| 3584 |
 |
Italian Trebbiano
This light, almost pale in colour, crispy white wine offers citrusy notes and a clean, fruit with almond-like finish. Excellent with appetizers such as shrimp cocktail or lightly flavoured pastas. |
World Vineyard |
Wine of the Month |
$66.99 |
$58.99 |
Order |
| MMS14 |
 |
Trebbiano
Light amber in colour, with reflections bordering on golden. It has a fruity character with good acidity. |
Mosti Mondiale - Original All Juice |
Wine of the Month |
$95.99 |
$85.99 |
Order |
NEW PRODUCTS
We have received and sold out of our three shipments of Mosti Mondiale wine kits, but we just received another pallet. These kits have been hugely popular. We aren't carrying the full line yet, but you can see the ones we are trying to stock by following the links below:
Mosti Mondiale - La Bodega
Mosti Mondiale - Renaissance
Mosti Mondiale - All Juice
Mosti Mondiale - Domaine Tradition
To see all of the wine kits produced by
Mosti Mondiale, click on the link below. If you see one you want that we are not carrying, please let me know and I will gladly add it to our next order.
We already have several of the Master's Editions that have been requested, so if you see something you want, please let us know.
Mosti Mondiale
To find out more about these products and all of our new products as they become available, please check out our New Products Page whenever you visit the web site.
If you are looking for a product that I do not carry, my primary distributor is LD
Carlson and you can see their complete product list at their public catalog. If
you find anything you would like me to add, please let me know.
CUSTOMER REFERAL PROGRAM
In case you missed it, we have a customer referral program that provides additional discounts to registered users. We will give you a coupon worth 10% of the first order placed by any person that you refer to our web site. The stipulations are as follows:
- You must be a registered user of finevinewines.com,
- The person placing the order must register and provide your name in the appropriate field on the registration screen, and
- The discount is only good for future orders with finevinewines.com and is not redeemable for cash.
We try to watch for all referrals as new customers register; however, we have missed issuing some referral credits mainly due to missing or incorrect referral information. If you think we missed a referral, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your referrals and want to make sure you are properly rewarded.
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION PROGRAM - FVW GROWERS CLUB
Please check out our FVW Growers Club. You can get all of the details on our web site, but the bottom line is we want to buy your loyalty! Once you spend $500 with us, you get a 5% discount on everything you buy from us. Find out more on the web site.
MULTI-KIT DISCOUNT
Order two or more kits and get 5% off all ingredients kits included on the same order. This includes all Winexpert, Mosti Mondiale and RJ Spagnols Wine Kits.
CUSTOMER
FEEDBACK
We appreciate all of your comments, whether
good or bad. To demonstrate our commitment to outstanding customer
service, I have created a web page with your feedback. As we
receive emails that comment about our service, I will post them
on this
page.
NEWSLETTER SPECIALS
To reward those of you that take the time to read our newsletter every month, we are adding a newsletter special. We promise to offer an outstanding value each month via this feature and this special pricing will only be available through a link from the current month's newsletter.
To make a wine kit, you really need a 7.9 gallon fermenting bucket, not a 6.5 gallon bucket. In addition, I have found that a spigot helps to get more juice and reduce the amount of topping off later. Therefore, this month's special is the 7.9 gallon bucket with lid and spigot. Normally, it is $22.99 and will be going up shortly due to the reasons listed above, but in February, you can get this product for only $19.99. Use this link to order this mont's newsletter special.
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