Wine Kitz Atlantic

BOTTLING

Bottle washing and bottling is the final and one of the most important aspects in craft wine making. Failure to have your bottles ready may lead to disaster a short time later.

Wine bottles must always be clean and sanitary. This begins at the time you enjoyed the wine that was in the bottle previously. Soon after you drink the wine, take the bottle to the sink, rinse it completely, and invert it to drain. This simple task will save you hours of soaking and scrubbing when it comes time to bottle your wine.

There is a handy item called a “bottle tree” on which to hang your bottles. It allows them to drain properly (water left in bottles will cause bacteria growth), and is also a great place to store them. At this point this is all you need to do to your bottles until it’s time to sanitize them.

Putting them through the dishwasher will clean the outside of each bottle but doesn’t do anything for the inside of the bottle. If you are using recycled or first-time bottles, you may have to soak them for a few hours or overnight to loosen residue or mould. Chlorinated tri-sodium phosphate (pink stuff) is great for this purpose. Use a bottle brush to scrub. If the bottle is not sparkling clean soak it some more – if you can’t get it clean, discard it.

Sanitize the bottles thoroughly (another handy low-priced wine making tool is a “sulphiter” used to spray the sanitizer into the bottle easily and effectively). After sanitizing, rinse your bottles two or three times then invert to drain. If you don’t have a “bottle tree” a clean dishwasher rack is a great tool. Arrange your bottles to fill (siphon the first part of the wine into a glass), sit back, take a sip, enjoy…your wine making experience is almost complete.

Let’s get a bit political………..again

Last month the Wine Kitz location in Halifax launched a petition website where consumers may sign and send a letter to Premier Darrell Dexter in support of introducing in-store winery service to Nova Scotia. To date, hundreds of letters have been sent and many others have signed the on-line petition. This petition can be viewed by visiting
http://UVintNS.ca

In response to these many letters, Graham Steele, minister responsible for the Liquor Act, has responded with his own letter. This letter may be reviewed in its entirety by visiting http://uvintns.ca/ (letter to be posted imminently)

I would like to share a few excerpts from this letter and, at the risk of repeating myself from previous articles, offer comments on several of Mr. Steele’s’ points.

Minister Steele defends against the introduction of in-store winery services by stating “Our Government’s primary issue is our concern for the financial impact this type of business may have on the NSLC and thus the Government of Nova Scotia.”

I respectfully submit…..

Historically, in provinces where in-store winery services are well established, the consumer-made wine industry has enhanced the sales of commercial wines. This fact is easily supported by reviewing the Annual Sales Report of provinces which offer in-store winery services. Reviewing New Brunswick’s Annual Sales Reports for the past 5 years is a good starting point.

The in-store winery service introduces consumers to the responsible enjoyment of wine consumption. A wine maker will eventually retire his/her winemaking pail but will rarely retire his/her wine glass.

Minister Steele’s second point reads “Secondly, governments in Nova Scotia since 1930 have decided that because of the health impacts this product has on society that any profits from retailing it in Nova Scotia should go towards assisting the provincial government to meet the services provided to its citizens. As part of this public policy choice, we set minimum pricing which the product cannot be retailed below. Through this social responsibility approach we balance the public’s desire for the product with the societal impacts.”

I respectfully submit…..

Consumers have been making “home-made” wine for as little as $2 a bottle for many years. Same applies to “home-made” beer makers. To date, a source of inexpensive alcohol has yet to create chaos and open-drunkenness on Nova Scotia streets. In-store winemaking or winemaking of any kind simply does not attract this type of demographic.
Footnote: Updating the NS liquor laws of 1930 may be a sound idea.

Minister Steele’s last point reads: Additionally, while it is illegal for u-vints in other provinces to supply licensed establishments, they sometimes do so anyway.

I respectfully submit…..

This is not a legitimate reason to prohibit a new industry into the province. There are bad apples in every barrel and u-vint products could find its way into licensed establishments. NSLC and their regional partners sell alcohol every day, risking that it may end up in the hands of minors or drivers but this does not prevent or inhibit the sale of alcohol.

Hypothetically, if retail-only wine-making stores did not exist in Nova Scotia, and we were requesting government support for the introduction of retail-only wine-making stores, I can only guess what the response would be.

So what is the Nova Scotia government so concerned or afraid of, that other provinces that offer in-store winery services are not? For several years I have heard the same above arguments from other bureaucratic round table meetings that I have attended. Could it be that securing annual performance bonuses is what’s hindering the introducing of this new industry in Nova Scotia?

Blair Sampson
Wine Kitz New Minas

I was hopeful come March 5th I would be reporting the outcome of the court case between Wine Kitz Halifax and the Nova Scotia provincial government. Needless to say I was also hopeful that at this point I would be reporting court results which would be beneficial to the consumer-made wine industry.

Rather than being the bearer of good or bad news (depending on which side you’re on), all I can offer in the way of information is to advise that this case has been delayed until April 2nd.

As many of you may be aware, these types of delays are common occurrences when dealing with matters before the Supreme Court.

For those of you unfamiliar with the court case between Wine Kitz Halifax and the Nova Scotia provincial government I invite you to review my November blog.

Since this delay has caught me unprepared to offer information on any other industry topic, I leave you with the following observation:

Alcohol does not make you FAT – it makes you LEAN ….
against tables, chairs, floors, walls and ugly people!

Cheers,

Blair

If the old adage “A picture a worth a thousand words…” is true, I’m curious how many words several videos are worth?This month rather than having you read what I have to say, you may wish to click on the two web links below, relax and watch what other industry players have to offer.

The first link features Ross Harrington, owner of Wine Kitz in Halifax, NS, who walks us through the process of making affordable wine at home.

The second video is a CTV segment featuring Doug Stills of Stills Brewing in Oshawa, ON. Mr. Stills explains the advantages and savings of making your own beer & wine in a brew-it-yourself facility.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year to all!

LINK#1: Ross Harrington

LINK #2: Doug Stills

In last month’s blog I provided a copy of the Andrew Peller Limited news release announcing the purchase of World Vintners Inc. Since then, APL management has spent a considerable amount of time meeting with the various regional Wine Kitz groups from around the country.

Speaking on behalf of the Atlantic group, our meet & greet dinner on Saturday night at a local downtown Halifax restaurant was a great ice-breaker. It provided everyone who attended with an opportunity to meet our new management team on an informal basis. Our Sunday meeting was very informative for all parties involved. Once the meeting was complete and most questions had been discussed and answered, all 8 Atlantic franchisees came away with a very positive outlook for the future prosperity of their business. With plans for expanded product selection, innovative product mix and advanced wine making procedures, we are confident that Wine Kitz will remain the leader in the consumer-made wine industry.

Without going into too much detail, it was mentioned at the meeting that the main attraction of the World Vintners purchase was the 75 Wine Kitz franchise locations. The jewel of the 75 locations is the 8 Atlantic stores. When compared to national sales trends, our continued growth over the past several years seems to be leading the pack. When asked by APL management to share our “down east” secret to success, no silver bullet answers were provided but our business–like approach and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic, combined with above-average customer service and quality products, seem to surface as the most determining factors. (Mr. Harper’s “culture of defeat” comment doesn’t apply with this group.)

The Wine Kitz Atlantic region is no longer the industry’s best kept secret. In my March blog, I mentioned there was never a better time to be involved in the consumer-made wine industry. Having now met our new ownership group, I reiterate my earlier comment and invite anyone looking for a career change to research the business opportunities offered by the Wine Kitz Franchise network. Furthermore, I welcome any existing stores wishing to grow their business to the next level to consider the Wine Kitz Franchise network as a solid business alternative.

In closing, if there was a downside to the weekend meetings, it was saying our goodbyes to the outgoing Wine Kitz management team and employees. On behalf of all Atlantic franchisees and myself, I wish to thank each and every one of them for their efforts in making our jobs easier and for helping to make our businesses prosperous and successful on all levels. At the risk of a bit of embarrassment, there were a few tears shed at the close of our last meeting together.

As one door closes, another one opens.

Blair

June 2008

To date I have only written three blogs and some are already wondering why I don’t mention beer making. When I first started working in this industry in 1992 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, I named my first store Sudz Beer & Cheer Shoppe. At the time the name was a great fit. My sales were approximately 70% beer products, 30% wine products. Oh, how times have changed. It’s now mostly all about wine. You will note this wine trend is also very evident in our provincial liquor stores.

That being said, beer making is enjoying a resurgence. Beer kit sales are once again on the rise. There’s good reason for this: better beer making products…improved finished products.

For many, many years typical beer makers purchased a standard can of beer malt, a bag of sugar and went home to boil & brew. Many beer kits no longer require a boiling process, making for an easier and quicker beer making process. Many beer makers have moved away from adding corn or cane sugar to their beer batch. Using products such as powdered or liquid malts as a substitute for sugar enhances the quality and taste of most finished beer.

The largest factor in the resurgence of beer making is the introduction of “big box” beer kits. The two most popular brands are Festa Brew and Brew House. Festa Brew is a 23L all-grain beer kit. No water or sugar needed. Brew House is a 15L kit. Add only 8L water. Both of these kits are of the highest quality available on the market and each kit makes approximately 60-66 bottles. Both brands offer numerous styles.

One other new beer product recently introduced into the industry is called The Big & Easy Bottle Brew. The Big and Easy Bottle Brew is a totally new and different home brewing kit. It’s a revolutionary, easy way to make your own premium beer at home. It consists of pasteurized, unfermented beer, packaged in 2 litre bottles and equipped with a unique pressure cap. All you have to do is add the innovative yeast capsule to each bottle to start the fermentation. Two weeks later, once it has finished fermenting and has cleared, refrigerate overnight (12 hrs) and voila! You now have the equivalent of a 6-pack for approximately $1 per bottle!

Try a batch of any of the above beer kits and fool your friends. They will never know its home brew unless you tell them (and you will!). Unfortunately, they may not go home until all the beer is gone.

Happy brewing,

Blair