Wine Kitz Atlantic

August 2008

Due to holidays and time away, we’ll skip the news for this month.

Let’s all enjoy the beautiful summer, and we’ll see you in September!

July 2008

Fresh Juice

A long running misconception amongst winemakers is that all products sold in a large white plastic pail are fresh juice products. Truth be known, most products in plastic pails are not fresh juice. Many of these products are reconstituted. Water has been added to a concentrate on your behalf.

The first indicator that the product in the white pail may not juice is price. If the price seems too good to be true, then chances are the product being sold is not fresh juice. Quality fresh juice generally sells in excess of $100 per 23L pail.

Additionally, don’t be fooled by those who are attempting to sell a frozen product under the guise of fresh juice. If it’s frozen it’s obviously not fresh juice.

One little known fact is that if juice has been altered or tweaked in any way by adding sulphites, adjusting acid levels etc., it’s not longer considered fresh juice. It’s now been transformed into and considered a wine “must”.

I’m sometimes asked about the availability of fresh juice. In the Atlantic region, where I conduct business, we are a long distance from a source of quality fresh juice. Fresh juice products are heavy, and also require refrigeration while in transport, which vastly increases overall costs to the end user.

Fresh juice is generally only available from September through January when wineries and vineyards are pressing and processing their grape harvest.

Local wineries and vineyards are often a good source for fresh juice. A word of caution: Quality will vary from winery to winery.

Over the years I’ve worked with most liquid products available in the winemaking industry. I’ve come to the conclusion that wines made from premium high-end kits make a finished product of equal or superior quality to fresh juice. All without the hassle of sourcing, refrigeration, finger-crossing………………..

~ Blair Sampson

May 2008

Q: Do 15L-18L wine kits make a better finished product?

The short answer is a resounding yes……..but not in all cases.

A large kit format does not automatically mean a superior product. Determining factors are the quality of raw material contained in these kits and of equal importance, the manufacturer’s processing standards.

Quality indicators to look for include:

• Price: If the price/deal seems too good to be true then it probably reflects the quality (or lack thereof) of the content.
• Expiry Date: Reputable manufactures pride themselves on fresh product and always provide a consumer-legible expiry date. This date is often found on the box top.
• Ingredient Listing: Contents are usually listed in descending order. Grape juice and/or grape concentrate should always be listed at the top. Just as important, invert sugar should be listed at the very bottom of the list.

An ever growing percentage of winemakers are moving up from mid-range kits to these higher-end kits. These winemakers are discovering the merits and rewards of paying a few cents more per bottle for a superior product. When cellared and aged properly the end result is a smooth, bold, full-bodied wine with immense varietal character, flavour and aroma, comparable to a $20-$25 bottle of commercially purchased wine.

This being said, some winemakers avoid these larger kits due to their weight and bulk. The weight of these kits makes them a bit more difficult to handle and transfer into a primary pail. For those winemakers who feel challenged by the weight of these kits but do not want to give up the quality, there is an alternate option. The kit is called Elite Vintners.

ELITE VINTNERS

Elite Vintners offers an exciting new breakthrough for serious winemakers. Elite Vintners uses only 100% winery-grade varietal concentrate. There are no sugars, flavouring or aroma enhancers added. Elite Vintners’ advanced and innovative manufacturing technology has allowed for the design of an environmentally friendly wine kit series. This kit series is comparable to or exceeds the quality of any high-end wine kit currently available in the consumer-made wine industry.

Environmentally Friendly

This compact 6.7L of high-quality concentrate offers the following environmentally friendly features:

• Small 6.7L compact kit allows for more space-efficient shipping of product to retail stores, lowering the carbon footprint often created when shipping heavier kits,
• Bare-bones packaging reduces the excess use of printing products such as colour inks, etc.,
• Smaller packaging reduces the amount of waste product such as cardboard, heavy plastic, etc. sent to land fill stations
• Small package concept makes these kits user–friendly, avoiding the need to lift heavy kits and preventing messy spillage.

For more information on WK Elite Vintners visit:
http://elitevintners.com/splash.php

APRIL 2008

Product Quality

In last month’s blog I mentioned that one of the main reasons winemaking has increased in popularity is due to advancement in the quality and increased product selection.

Most major Canadian kit manufacturers have access to commercial grade raw materials, and they source grapes and juices from top vineyards and wineries from around the world including Australia, Chile, Italy & California. Many of these same Canadian kit manufacturers have production facilities boasting state-of-art equipment to test and retest all products prior to distribution to the retail sector. Going back ten years or more this was not the case.

The introduction of many new products and services has also played a large part in the recent growth of the consumer-made wine industry. The introduction of in-store winery services in New Brunswick, where winemakers can make their choice of wines on location, has brought consumer winemaking to a new level.

Products such as “Country Mist” fruit wines and their ever-increasing flavour selection continue to grow in popularity. Another product which has proven very popular is the recently introduced 7-Day Accelerator Pack . This product allows for a much reduced processing time on products like the above mentioned Country Mist kits, which require very little aging time prior to consumption.

Combine this with the availability of products such the Woodland Estate Kit (makes 6 bottles of wine in 10 days), pail bag liners, improved cleaners and sanitizers and there’s little wonder why winemaking has become so popular.

The end result is a consumer-made wine industry which allows for taste profiles equivalent to comparable commercial wines for a fraction of the shelf price.
In summary, I recommend that winemakers shop at and support their local winemaking store. This is where they will find the highest quality products available in the industry, the best selection, the best winemaking advice and expertise and the best service level.

The above-mentioned products and services equate to winemakers receiving the best possible value for their hard-earned dollars.

Cheers!

Blair

March 2008

There has never been a better time to be involved in the consumer-made wine industry in the Atlantic provinces.

Why do I make such a statement? There are several very good reasons.

As a 16-year player in the industry as a store owner, regional director and winemaker, there have never been more winemaking stores and more people reaping the merits and benefits of making their own wines.

There are approximately 75 winemaking shops in the Atlantic provinces. This figure does not include ‘big box,’ hardware, co-op and drug stores who also dabble in the sales of winemaking products.

By my estimation, there are approximately 27 stores in New Brunswick, 24 stores in Nova Scotia, 19 in Newfoundland/Labrador and 5 stores in Prince Edward Island.

The current Atlantic hot spot is New Brunswick. Since the introduction of in-store winery services in 2004, we have seen a mini-explosion of winemaking stores and winemakers. Drop into any New Brunswick store which offers in-store winery services and you note in excess of 100 full pails & carboys in various stages of fermentation. Take a few minutes to observe a winemaker in the process of bottling their 30 bottle batch. Take the opportunity to ask store staff for more detailed information. They will be very happy to answer your questions.

Another main reason winemaking has increased in popularity is due to advancement in the quality and increased product selection.

We, the owner/operators involved in the consumer-made wine industry are wine lovers too, and we know the experience of wine is an important part of life’s celebrations. Like food, there are wines for every event in your life. We have wines for every occasion from the casual to the momentous. You’ll find our wine consultants friendly and helpful, making sure the wine you make complements the occasion you’re celebrating. Choose from hundreds of varieties including such classics as Chardonnay, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, crisp Rieslings and rich Merlots.

Whether you enjoy a glass of wine occasionally or have a wine cellar your friends would envy, we can help you enjoy your favourite wines, all for a fraction of the cost of wine purchased at your local liquor store. We have a wine to suit your every mood, from every day table wines to exclusive limited releases.

In closing, if you’re contemplating a career change, enjoy being active, enjoy sales, promoting and marketing, then joining the consumer-made wine industry as a Wine Kitz franchise owner may be a fitting option. (CLICK HERE for answers to Frequently Asked Questions)

If you’re considering taking a leap of faith and becoming a winemaker, visit your local winemaking store – Wine Kitz would be the preferred choice. (CLICK HERE for a sample Wine List)

~ Blair

April Blog: Product Quality