Pressing News

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Newsletter published by
 
Fine Vine Wines, LLC
"The Wine Makers's Toy Store™"
 
September 2007
Volume 5, Issue 9
1-866-417-1114
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Welcome to
 
The Wine Maker's Toy Store!
 
I would also 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 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 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.
 
Don't forget we like you to CALL!
 
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 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 just 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.
 

WE ARE STILL MOVING

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We are still trying to move, but, our potential new landlord does not seem to be in a hurry to take my money.  We had hoped to be in the new store before Labor Day, but obviously that did not happen.  We almost had a deal, but they decided to change the terms on August  28th.  We countered and have not heard back.  As soon as we have a deal, we will send an email with the new address and scheduled move date.  We will also have a moving party with wine and gift certificates for anyone who enjoys moving!
This month on the Vine!
Growing Pains
Winestock 2007
Frozen Musts

GROWING PAINS

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Please accept our apologies for the shipping delays during the last 2 weeks of August.  We work very hard to make sure that all orders ship within 1 business day of receipt.  As we indicate on our web site, we get really busy starting in August and running through January.  Consequently, our expectations are to ship everything within 2 business days.  Unfortunately, that did not always happen, these last 2 weeks and we want to express our appreciation for your patience.
 
To solve this problem, we have hired another employee in our shipping area, Nick Pozderac.   Nick is a small teenager (6' 4") and will have no problem toting the 50 pound wine kits.  Nick is also attending North Texas State University as a Freshman.  His presence is already making life easier and allowing Mark and I to focus on our customers.
 
Again, thank you for your understanding and patience.
Winestock 2007
No Change of Venue!
Due to the delay in the move, we will have all of Winestock at the Addison Conference Center.
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SEPTEMBER 28 AND 29, 2007
 
The Wine Maker's Toy Store is proud to sponsor its second annual gathering of home wine makers. This year's conference will be held again in North Texas at the Addison Conference Center. This event will contain a variety of topics, including how to make better wine and to evaluate the quality of your wine and pair it with food.
 
Please note that the retail store will close at 2 pm on Friday, September 28th and be closed all day Saturday, September 29th. We will open the retail store from 9 am to 3 pm on Sunday, September 30th, for your shopping needs or if you would just like to see the store.
 
Below is the agenda for the 3 day event:
  • Friday, September 28, 2007
    • 7-8 pm - Registration, Social Hour and Wine Sharing
    • 8-9 pm - Italian Dinner Buffet
    • 9-11 pm - More Wine Tasting and Voting on your People's Choice Awards
  • Saturday, September 29, 2007
    • 8-9 am - Registration, coffee and pastries
    • 9 am - 9:15 am - Welcome and Introduction of Guests
    • 9:15 - 10:30 am - Acid & pH Testing
    • 10:30 - 11:00 am- Break
    • 11 am - 12:30 pm - Various methods for de-gassing your wine
    • 12:30 - 1:30 pm - Bar-B-Que lunch
    • 1:30 - 3:00 pm - Pairing Wine with Food
    • 3 - 3:30 pm- Break
    • 3:30 - 4:30 pm - Wine Tasting Class
    • 4:30 - 5 pm - Presentation of People's Choice Awards-6 pm - Free Time
    • 6-7 pm - Social hour and Wine Sharing
    • 7-9 pm - Mexican Dinner Buffet
    • 9:00 - 11:00 pm - More Wine Sharing and Socializing
  • Sunday, September 30, 2007 9 am - 3 pm - Retail store open for your shopping pleasure
 
All of the wines we will be tasting and sharing will be provided by our participating home vintners and The Wine Maker's Toy Store. Please feel free to bring your wines for the tasting, as well, as the People's Choice Awards.
 
In addition, we have extended an invitation to Mosti Mondiale to send a representative to this gathering.  I think they are very intriqued with the event and will let us know one way or the other by the week of June 11th.  As soon as we know for sure, we will let you know.
 
We will hold the event at the same place as last year, The Addison Conference Center and the cost per person is as follows:
  • Saturday Sessions and Buffet Lunch - $75.00
  • Friday Night Wine Tasting and Buffet - $25.00
  • Saturday Night Wine Tasting and Buffet - $25.00
  • Discount for Registering for all events - $10.00
  • Discount for Registering BEFORE August 1, 2007 - $15.00
We will be giving away merchandise and coupons as door prizes and to winners of the People's Choice awards. We will also have "goody bags" for all which will include the following:
  • $25.00 Coupon for use at The Wine Maker's Toy Store
  • 1 free commemorative wine glass with our logo and "Winestock 2007" on the glass.
  • 1 bag of 30 corks (#9 X 1.75 perfect corks with "Winestock 2007" printed on the side.)
  • And some other cool stuff!
Speaking of commemorative items, we are also offering polo shirts for $24.99 and baseball caps for $14.99 with each registration.  We will also allow you to complete your set of wine glasses with 3 more for $14.99. Each additional set of 4 will be $19.99. For those of you unable to attend, you can still purchase the shirts or glasses. Click on Winestock 2007 commenorative items to order them. Commemorative items must be ordered prior to September 1, 2007 to guarantee availability. We will order some extras, but they will be sold on a first come, first served basis.
 
We have also invited Mosti Mondiale to send a representative. They are considering it, but have not committed, at this time. I am hopeful that as our sales of their products continue, they will see this as a great opportunity to promote their products.
 
The conference will be held in Addison, Texas, 30 minutes north of Downtown Dallas at the Addison Conference Center. This location is about 20 minutes from both area airports, Love Field and DFW and is within 10 minutes of 3 major shopping malls. Addison is also the home to over 100 restaurants within a 10 minute drive.
More information on the location for the event, as well as, information on Addison can be found at
 
 
Don't miss out on the Lonestar State's premier home wine making event of the year. To register for Winestock 2007, click here.
 
If you have any questions, or would like to register over the phone, please give us a call at 1-866-417-1114.
We look foward to seeing all of you.

FROZEN MUST

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We bottled 4 varities from the April shipment of Chliean Frozen Musts and the results are in.  These are excellent kits from which to make wine and an exceptional value.  The Merlot was clearly the favorite followed by the Sauvignon Blanc.  The Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were still a little young, but the potential is clearly there!
 
I now have the Northern Hemisphere Frozen Musts available for pre-order.  There are varieties from California, and Italy and based on the quality of the Mosti Mondiale products that I have already made, I havew great expectations.  Pre-orders will need to be made by September 15th and the juices will be available for pick up in mid-October.  I am sorry that I can not ship these frozen musts.  They are pre-innoculated with yeast and can not be frozen cold enough to withstand even several days in transit.
 
When you have a question or just want to learn more about wine making, don't forget our forum! We have almost 750 registered members with over 45,000 posts! We have some extremely knowledgeable wine makers with loads of valuable information 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.
 
Toy of the Month
 
We have been so pleased with the results and ease of use of the Accuvin Testing products that we are marking them down this month. The individual tests have been reduced by $2.00 for this month, while the Full Pocket Lab has been reduced by $5.00. If you have been frustrated by some of the other testing products, give these a try. I am confident that you will be extremely pleased with these products.
 
Part Number
Image
Description
Regular Price
Current Price
Order
220-10

Accuvin Residual Sugar Test Kit - 10 Tests

The Residual Sugar Test Kit includes 10 tests in a black barrier tube, 10 samplers, and an insert with complete how-to-run test instructions. The insert also includes a Summary Interpretation explaining how to use the test results. The label with the color chart is on the front of the kit.

$17.99
$15.99
Order
FPL

Accuvin Full Pocket Lab

This comes with 5 tests and 5 samplers for each of the pH, TA, Malic Acid and Residual Sugar tests and 3 tests and 3 samplers for Lactic Acid. The Free SO2 Kit contains 2 High Range Tests and 3 Low Range Tests.

$39.99
$34.99
Order
201-10

Accuvin pH Test Kit - 10 Tests

The pH Test Kit includes 10 tests, 10 samplers, and an insert with complete how-to-run test instructions. The insert also includes a Summary Interpretation explaining how to use the test results. The label with the color chart is on the front of the kit.

$17.99
$15.99
Order
217-10

Accuvin TA Test Kit - 10 Tests

The TA Test Kit includes 10 tests, 10 samplers, and an insert with complete how-to-run test instructions. The insert also includes a Summary Interpretation explaining how to use the test results. The label with the color chart is on the front of the kit.

$17.99
$15.99
Order
301-10

Accuvin Free SO2 Test Kit - 10 Tests

The Free SO2 Kit includes 2 High Range Tests (red caps) and 8 Low Range Tests (green caps), 20 samplers, and an insert with complete how-to-run instructions. The insert also includes a Summary Interpretation explaining how to use the test results. The label with the color chart is on the front of the kit.

$19.99
$17.99
Order

 

Wine of the Month

This month, we have our Grenache blends, more commonly known as Chateauneuf du-Pape on special for $5.00 to $12.00!  These wines are based on grapes that are grown in the south of France, around the city of Avignon, where the Pope once called home.  Thus the name, House of the New Pope!  These wines tend to have a spicy, cherry taste and are quick to mature.  If you have not made one of these kits, I urge you to give one a try.  It may become one of your staples.

Please note that we always order extra kits for our monthly specials, 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

Regular Price
Current Price
Order
3200

Vieux Chateau Du Roi

Full-bodied yet soft. Contains oak chips to enhance its fine aromatic qualities.

Vintners Reserve $59.99
$54.99
Order
3259

Vieux Chateau Du Roi (Chateauneuf-Du-Pape)

Full-bodied, complex character, yet soft & quick to mature.

Winexpert Selection Premium $88.99
$79.99
Order
MMS58

Castel del Papa

Ruby in colour with flashes of ripe black raspberry purple, you will surely be charmed by its ripe fruit, lavender and spice aromas.

Mosti Mondiale - Original All Juice $119.99
$109.99
Order
3116

Crushendo Montagnac Vieux Chateau d'Oc.

This is a bold wine, ruby red in color with a deep, dark plum and blackberry bouquet showing subtle accents of chocolate with a hint of spiciness that follows through with a firm, tannic finish on the palate.

Winexpert Selection Estate $134.99
$122.99
Order
RM58

Castel Papa

Bright ruby color, this wine has a fine, complex nose of green vines and red fruit jam . It is light and lively with a hint of ripe cherries on the palate.

Mosti Mondiale - Riserva Mondiale $100.99
$89.99
Order

 

NEW PRODUCTS
The fall line up of frozen, pre-innoculated musts has been announced and is listed on the web site.  These frozen musts are currently only available for pick up at the store.  To pre-order these must, go to the following web page:
 
 
Don't forget, you can always find out about all of our new products as they become available on 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.
 
DISCOUNTS
 
We like to reward our loyal customers with lots of opportunities to receive discounts. Since you can receive multiple discounts on the same order, we thought it would be a good idea to explain the heirarchy so you will understand how they are calculated.
  1. The multi-kit discount on wine kits is calculated first,
  2. Then any gift certificates or other promotional codes like the registration discount (first time orders) and birthday club coupons,
  3. Lastly, is the Grower's Club discount.

The most common discounts are listed below:

CUSTOMER REFERRAL 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:
  1. You must be a registered user of finevinewines.com,
  2. The person placing the order must register and provide your full name in the appropriate field on the registration screen, and
  3. The discount is only good for future orders with finevinewines.com and is not redeemable for cash.

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.
 
REGISTRATION DISCOUNT (FIRST TIME ORDERS)
 
To receive this 5% off, all you have to do is register with us and place an order for $50.00, or more (excluding shipping and taxes). When you register, you will also be given the opportunity to sign up for our monthly newsletter, which is the only recurring email we send. We will not blast you with email after email touting our current specials. We encourage you to register to make the ordering process easier on you.
 
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.

 

Contact Information
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George Cornelius - President
Mark Cornelius - Shipping Manager
phone: 1-800-417-1114
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