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Happy 2008!
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Newsletter published by
Fine Vine Wines, LLC
"The Wine Makers's Toy Store™"
January 2008
Volume 6, Issue 11
866-417-1114 (Long Distance)
972-323-7921 (Local)
972-323-7955 (Fax)
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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 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 through 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. | |
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HOME WINE MAKING FIRST AID?
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Whether you are a first time wine maker or a seasoned vintner, you will soon discover or have discovered there are some lost cost valuable items to have in your wine making first aid kit. Having these items on hand at all times will save you time, frustration and either shipping costs or a trip to your local supply store.
Here is my recommended list:
1. Spare Hydrometer - Contrary to what you might think, they do not bounce well. At some point in time, you will break the only one you have.
2. Extra Yeast - As with the hydrometer, as some point in your wine making ventures, you will have a stuck fermentation. EC-1118 and Premier Cuvee are great choices.
3. SuperKleer - This is an outstanding product for clearing wines. Even the wine kits will occasionally pose a clearing problem. This product is one of the best on the market to clear the most stubborn wine.
4. Extra Corks - From personal experience, there is nothing like cleaning and santizing 30-60 bottles just to find out you have no corks.
5. Drilled Stoppers - It a good idea to have various size stoppers available for saving that extra little bit of wine. Here at the Toy Store, we don't believe in wasting wine. You can use wine bottles, gallon and half-gallon jugs to store small amounts of wine which can be bottled or used for topping off. We recommed having several of the #2, #3, #6 and multi-fit stoppers on hand.
6. Airlocks - The stoppers won't do you any good without some spare airlocks.
7. Yeast Nutrient - If you have a stuck fermentation and you are going to add more yeast, it is a good idea to add some more nutrient to make sure you have a viable yeast population. Weak yeast will not convert the sugars to alcohol.
In addition, we also recommend having the following items:
1. At least one gallon or half-gallon jug. These are excellent for storing your sulfite solution.
2. Dish Brush - Used to clean the bucket.
3. Small Squirt Bottle - This is an great way to store some sulfite solution. When you just need a little, spray some on the item to be sanitized.
4. Measuring cup and spoons
5. Funnels of various sizes.
Obviously, there are other items you have found or will find, but this is our list to help you be prepared in your wine making endeavor.
We are always on the look out for featured articles we can use in our newsletter. Send us an article about wine making or beer brewing and if we use it, you will receive a $100.00 gift certificate. | |
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BEER IS BACK!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now that we have more room, we are bringing beer kits back in stock. We are going to start with the Brewer's Best Ingredients Kits, but will be adding the Brew House kits, as well. We do not anticipate stocking any hops, malts, grains, etc., in the near future....but you never know!
We will be adding Home Brew Equipment Kits over the weekend. In the meantime, use the following link to see all of our beer kits.
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| NEW DFW AREA HOME WINE MAKING CLUB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The initial meeting took place at the retail store on Saturday, December 8, 2007 with 30 wine makers in attendance. Robert Beal (a 13 year veteran of home wine making) led the first meeting where we kicked around several ideas for the fuutre of the club. We also had lots of wine to share!
My vision for this club is to promote home wine making in the DFW and surrounding areas. I want to get the club started and turn it over to a set of officers to run the club. I will continue to sponsor the club, provide meeting space and wine making supplies, but I would like the club to eventually have a "life of its own". My goals are as follows:
- Promote home wine making from fresh fruit and from wine kits
- Provide a forum for exchanging ideas and techniques
- Provide a forum for learning about wines and wine making
- Having fun making wine!
The next meeting will be on January 12, 2008. Please bring a bottle of wine to share and help us build our new wine club! |
| PRICE INCREASES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As most of you know, over 90% of our products are imported, most of which come rom Canada. As a result, the value of the U.S. Dollar related to the Canadian Dollar has a major impact on the cost of our products. With the decline in value of the U.S. Dollar, we are having to pay more for our products. For those of you that also make beer, you have already seen price increases for hops and grains. The good news is that it has been almost 2 years since the last increase.
We have received the new costs for a majority of the products, but not all. As we received products with the new costs, we will adjust our prices, accordingly.
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When you have a question or just want to learn more about wine making, don't forget our forum! We are quicly approaching 1,000 registered members with over 65,000 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 occasional 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
To help you fill your first aid kit, we are offering several of the recommended items for reduced prices during the month of January. Below are this month's "Toys of the Month."
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Part Number |
Image |
Description |
Regular Price |
Current Price |
Order |
| 5190C |
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1-Gallon Clear Glass Jug with Twin Bubble Airlock and Mutli-fit Stopper |
$5.79 |
$5.29 |
Order |
| 5190B |
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Clear Gallon Glass Jug
Uses a size #6 stopper. |
$4.49 |
$3.99 |
Order |
| 5190A |
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Clear Gallon Jug glass with resealable screw cap
Uses a size #6 stopper. |
$4.99 |
$4.49 |
Order |
| 5188B |
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Clear 1/2 Gallon Glass Jug
Uses a size #6 stopper. |
$2.99 |
$2.49 |
Order |
| 5451 |
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Triple Hydrometer Specific grav, Potential ETOH, Sugar
SG scale 0.78-1.150; potential ABV scale 0-16%; sugar per liter scale 0-34. |
$5.99 |
$4.99 |
Order |
Wine of the Month
Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about refreshing white wines for you summertime enjoyment. To help you get started, we are featuring our Sauvignon Blanc wine kits from Mosti Mondiale, Winexpert and RJ Spagnols. The Sauvignon Blanc grape is known for producing meduim bodied wines with citrus and herbaceous flavors and aromas. Click on the part number below to find out more about each of these excellent wine kits.
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Part Number |
Image |
Description |
Brand |
Regular Price |
Current Price |
Order |
| 14867 |
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Citrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc
Energize your senses with our Citrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc. Lively aromas of sun-ripe oranges and fresh grapefruits greet the nose in this zesty easy-to -drink refresher. |
Orchard Breezin |
$55.99 |
$51.99 |
Order |
| HAR010 |
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Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc
Like Sauvignon Blanc grapes, kiwi fruits are grow on vines and have a luscious combination of pineapple, and banana flavours, which meld beautifully into the soft, rich pear aromas of this wonderfully refreshing beverage. |
Island Mist |
$52.99 |
$48.99 |
Order |
| TG13 |
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Sauvignon Blanc
Straw yellow in colour, with emerald highlights. This wine unveils a herbaceous nose accompanied by flowery undertones. A lively wine that is crisp, light and clean. |
Through the Grapevine |
$52.99 |
$48.99 |
Order |
| VN13 |
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Sauvignon Blanc
Straw yellow in colour, with emerald highlights. This wine unveils a herbaceous nose accompanied by flowery undertones. A lively wine that is crisp, light and clean. |
Vinifera Noble |
$61.99 |
$56.99 |
Order |
| 3583 |
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French Sauvignon Blanc
Steely, grassy, herbaceous - the classic traits of palate-cleansing Sauvignon Blanc are here in this version sourced directly from the French countryside. Crisp and dry, this refreshing wine is a fabulous match with food, as its full, fresh flavours and wonderfully balanced acidity make it essential with chicken, fish and grilled vegetables. |
World Vineyard |
$63.99 |
$59.99 |
Order |
| 3113 |
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New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
A complex white wine with beguiling aromas of gooseberry, herbs, pink grapefruit, fresh-cut grass, asparagus, lime-leaf, tropical fruit, and passion fruit. Long, rich flavors, redolent with grass and currant leaves, and a crisp dry finish. |
Winexpert Selection Estate |
$134.99 |
$124.99 |
Order |
| 3176 |
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Sauvignon Blanc
Full-bodied & dry with a crisp, clean finish. |
Vintners Reserve |
$54.99 |
$50.99 |
Order |
| MMS13 |
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Sauvignon Blanc
Straw yellow in colour, with emerald highlights. This wine unveils a herbaceous nose accompanied by flowery undertones. A lively wine that is crisp, light and clean. |
Original All Juice |
$97.99 |
$89.99 |
Order |
| 3236 |
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Sauvignon Blanc
Light to medium-bodied dry wine that develops a grassy bouquet & spicy taste. |
Winexpert Selection Premium |
$80.99 |
$70.99 |
Order |
Remember with all monthly specials, we try to anticipate demand, but may not be 100% successful. If we run out of a special, we will advise you of such and an expected ship date.
NEW PRODUCTS
As you can see, we added several hundred products to our catalog since we moved. To see all of these products and to learn of new products before the next newsletter, visit 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
In case you missed it, we have temporarily suspended the multi-kit discount in favor of increasing the Grower's Club discount to 10% for orders over $140.00.
- Gift certificates and other promotional codes such as the registration discount (first time orders) and birthday club coupons are applied first, then
- The Grower's Club discount is applied.
The most common discounts are listed below:
CUSTOMER REFERRAL PROGRAM
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 full 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.
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 at least 5% discount on everything you buy from us (10% on orders over $140.00). Find out more on the web site.
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). If you first order is for more than $140.00, we will give you 10% off. 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
Scott Irwin - Editor and Technical Creator
Joseph Schuitema - Resident Wine Maker phone: 1-866-417-1114
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