Pressing News

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!
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Newsletter published by
 
Fine Vine Wines, LLC
"The Wine Maker's Toy Store™"
1300 N. Interstate 35-E, Suite 106
Carrollton, Texas 75006
 
July 2009
Volume 7, Issue 7
866-417-1114 (Long Distance)
972-323-7921 (Local)
972-323-7955 (Fax)
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Never Trust 

WELCOME 
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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.

This month on the Vine!
FVW Grower's Club Change
Monthly Give-A-Way
Open House - Hanna Instruments
La Bodega Port
It's Back! Chocolate Raspberry Port
Wines of the Month
Home Winemakers Club
Toy of the Month
New Products
FVW GROWERS CLUB DISCOUNT CHANGE 
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For the last several years, the Grower's Club Discount has been a tiered discount with 5% off, if the order is less than $100.00 or 10% off, if more than $100.00.  This tiered concept was created to encourage you to place larger orders.  This was done to benefit both you, the customer, and me, the business owner. Your benefit was reduced shipping costs as we could ship more items in fewer boxes.  My benefit is that there is a fixed amount of cost in every order we process.  It costs us more to process 2 orders for $50.00 than 1 order for $100.00.  By keeping our costs down, it keeps our prices down (There's my "bean counting" side coming through!).
 
Unlike some stores that charge walk-in customers more, our prices and discounts have always been the same for our walk-in customers as our Internet customers, so they get the same discount.  It has always bothered me to only give 5% to a regular customer just because they only needed some corks or a package of yeast.  In addition, it has always been difficult to display the Grower's Club price on the web site with the 2 tiers.  Lastly, with the removal of the discounts from the Winery Related products, a customer could spend thousands of dollars on an order, but only get 5% off on the qualifying products.  When you add these issues together, I just decided the 2 tier system was no longer a good idea.  As such, effective immediately, the FVW Grower's Club discount is 10% off on all qualifying products.  You no longer have to concern yourself with the $100.00 threshold.
 
P.S.  This change actually went into effect over the weekend, so if you placed an order over the last several days for less than $100.00, you should have received the 10% off.
MONTHLY GIVE-A-WAYS
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We all know that we are not dealing with the most robust economy right now and we are all trying our best to stretch each and every dollar.  We have recognized your plight and if you have looked at our prices lately, you should have noticed price decreases in wine kits, bottles and corks, among other items.  We will continue to squeeze our prices as best we can, but we wanted to do more, SO......
 
Starting this month, we are going to give away two $50.00 gift certificates each month.  These gift certificates will be redeemable for any product we carry, but can only be used for the cost of the product.  Any sales tax and/or shipping cost will not be covered by the certificate.  Anyone that places an order during the month will automatically be entered in the contest and we will announce the winners in the monthly newsletter and via email.
HANNA INSTRUMENTS - OPEN HOUSE
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Dave Adams with Hanna instruments will be in the store on Thursday, July 9th from noon to 6 pm to demonstrate and discuss all of his equipment for testing your wine.  He will have equipment to test T.A., pH, SO2, residual sugar, as well as, higher end equipment for wineries.  There is no charge for this event, so please stop by and take advantage of Dave's expertise.
 
It is also rumored there may be some wine for tasting!
LA BODEGA PORT
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This article is not intended to be a step-by-step instruction for making the Mosti Mondiale La Bodega Port kit.  The intent is to supplement the provided instruction and to offer some thoughts, observations and clarifications.  Before we open the box, just a reminder that this is a 3 gallon kit and no water will be added.  To avoid potential oxidation problems, a 3-gallon carboy is strongly recommended.
 
The box contains the following:
 
            1 large juice bag
            1 small juice bag
            1 pound of raisins
            90 grams of oak chips
            1 package of labels
            2 packets of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
            5 gram packet of potassium metabisulfite
            4 gram packet of potassium sorbate
            1 packet of Bentonite
            1 tube of Siligel
            1 tube of Liquigel
 
Step 1: Preparation of the Must and pitching the yeast
 
Only the large bag of juice is to be added to the primary fermenter, the smaller juice bag is to be set aside and will be added in several weeks.  The small bag contains the sweetening and flavor that makes this wine a Port.  If the small bag is added now, the sugars will ferment and the finished wine will have the port flavor but will be inappropriately dry.
 
Since two packets of yeast are being rehydrated, use one half cup of warm water.
 
The instructions indicate that the raisins are to be added 24 hours after pitching the yeast.  We have found that the wine is often ready to be racked to Secondary in three or four days allowing only two or three days for the raisins to make their contribution to the wine.  We do not believe this is enough time.  Rather than adding the whole raisins, we recommend that they be coarsely chopped and added just before pitching the yeast.  This will result in the extraction of the sugar and flavor contribution from the raisin.  (A food processor works very well for this purpose.)
 
Step 2: Secondary Fermentation
 
The transfer to secondary occurs when the specific gravity reaches 1.040 to 1.050.  If the specific gravity is less than this, don't worry, everything is still okay.
 
The kit provides 90 grams of oak chips.  Oak is optional.  If the aroma and taste of oak are desired, the chips are added to the secondary before the wine is transferred.  Adding the chips after the wine has been transferred may release some CO2 from suspension and cause some foaming and the potential for a mess.  If additional oak is desired, oak cubes or oak spirals can be added later.
 
The instructions indicate that if yeast nutrient has been provided it should be added now.  The inclusion of the nutrient in some kits is to provide some added insurance that the wine will ferment to a specific gravity of .0996 or less.  The La Bodega Port does not include the additional yeast packet.  The yeast nutrient is not necessary if the wine is mixed thoroughly.  The dead yeast cells transferred from primary to secondary and the oxygen added from the mixing and transfer should provide the yeast with all that it needs to complete fermentation.  If you have yeast nutrient and want to add some, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon in water and mix into the primary before transferring to secondary.
 
Since there is still active fermentation, part of the wine should be transferred to a 750ml bottle filling it half to three-fourths and keeping it under airlock.  The remainder should be transferred to the carboy.  The head space will allow for the fermentation to finish without foaming through the airlock.  As the active fermentation subsides, the wine in the bottle can be added to the carboy.
 
Step 3: Stabilization
 
There are two parts to this step; part one is adding the potassium metabisulfite and part two is adding the finings.  If the wine is not going to be carboy aged, part two will immediately follow part one.
 
Carboy aging (some refer to this as bulk aging) is done between part one and part two.  If additional oak is desired, it will be added at this stage.  We have aged one wine with the medium plus toast French oak spiral and another wine with the house toast French oak cubes and have been pleased with both results.  Whether using spirals or cubes, periodically taste the wine to make sure it does not become over oaked.  Once the desired level is reached, proceed with part two and add the finings.
 
At any time after part one has been completed and before filtering, the winemaker can add the flavor bag and/or spirits to fortify the port.  If the flavor bag and fortifying spirits are added at this time, enough wine will need to be removed from the carboy to make room for these items.  The removed wine can be used for top-up as it will be unsweetened and unfortified. 
 
Step 4: Racking
 
In this step the clear wine is racked from the sediment.  If the flavor bag and fortifying spirits are being added at this time, rack to a container larger than 3 gallons to which these have been added.  After a gentle stirring, the wine should be transferred to smaller vessels to minimize the headspace.  Filtering the wine is highly recommended but is not required.
 
Step 5: Bottling
 
In addition to the potassium sorbate, add 1/8 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite which has been dissolved in a little cold water or wine.  The finished wine will have an alcohol content of approximately 15%.
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PORT AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
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Back by popular demand is the Chocolate Raspberry Port!  This is an outstanding wine kit that consistently wins medals and is one of the most requested wine kits available.  It is now available for pre-order with delivery in early September and the really good news is that it is $4.00 less  than last year, only $104.99 before your discount!  The cut-off date for pre-ordering is August 1, 2009.
 
Be sure to reserve your Chocolate Raspberry Port before August.
WINES OF THE MONTH
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This month we are featuring South America and South African wines, specifically Carmenere, Malbec, Chenin Blanc and Pinotage for 10% off. As more Americans discover these wines, their popularity has been climbing. Whether you like an earthy wine like the Malbec, a fruity tannic wine like the Carmenere or Chenin Blanc or a medium bodied, fruity wine like the Pinotage, this group of wines is sure to please the most discriminating palette.
 

Remember with all of our "Wines of the Month", 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. We appreciate your understanding.
DFW AREA HOME WINE MAKING CLUB
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The next Cork's Crew, the Home Winemaker's Club meeting will be on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the store.
 
The club's website has been recently updated and can be found at http://www.homewinemakersclub.com or http://www.homewinemakersclub.org.
 
If you would like to be added to the club mailings, please give me a call.
 
Hope to see you there.
Toys of the Month
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Drill-mounted stirrers! For the month of July 2009, all of our drill-mounted stirrers are 10% off.
 
These handy little "toys" greatly improve your ability to de-gas your wine. They attach to most power drills and agitate your wine to drive off the CO2. Please note, de-gassing is much more effective when your wine in warmer (around 75�) as warmer liquids release the gas more effectively than cooler liquids.
 
To see the pricing on these items, click here.
NEW PRODUCTS
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As you can see from the news above, we have been diligently adding more and more products to our web site.  To see all of the products added during the last 60 days, visit our New Products Page whenever you visit the web site.
 
If you are looking for a product that I do not carry, my distributors are LD Carlson and Crosby & Baker, Ltd.  You can see their complete product list at their public catalogs. If you find anything you would like me to add, please let me know.
 
Now with over 100,000 posts!
 
When you have a question or just want to learn more about wine making, don't forget our forum! We have over 1,400 registered members with over 99,000 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.
 
DISCOUNTS
 
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:
  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 10% discount on all non-Winery Related Items.  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 your 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.
 
BIRTHDAY CLUB 
 
If you are a registered user and have provided your birth day and month, every year you will receive a coupon good for $5.00 off any order over $25.00.  This coupon is in addition to any other discounts in which you may be entitled.  These coupons are emailed on the first of the month and are good for your birth month only. To join up,  register, go to the My Account section and provide your birth day and month.
 
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:
 
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 [email protected]
 
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. 
 
We don't want to be the biggest store, just the BEST!

Cheers!
George Cornelius, President
Fine Vine Wines, LLC, The Wine Maker's Toy Store
 
Contact Information
George Cornelius - President  - [email protected]
Mark Cornelius - Shipping Manager - [email protected]
Joseph Schuitema - Resident Wine Maker and Technical Creator - [email protected]
 
phone: 1-866-417-1114