Each month as part of this blog I will attempt to provide consumer-made wine industry information of interest to winemakers. Some of this information will directly relate to the Atlantic region, and other information will be more general in nature. Where possible I will include links to other wine-related websites which you may find interesting.

For the next few months we will keep our topics light in nature and provide you with a range of general wine information. At the end of each topic we will also provide a link so you may further your research on the topic.

Enjoy!

3RD INSTALLMENT IN THE SERIES OF “GENERAL WINE INFORMATION “

Wine Tasting

A wine tasting is a great way to experience and learn about new varieties of wines and a good opportunity for a social gathering.

Start by pouring about 1-2oz. of wine into the glass. Begin by examining it against a white background. Look for sediment and colour – as reds age they lose colour and as whites age they gain colour. Smell the wine by swirling it around in the glass and holding your nose close to the rim. The farther one’s nose is from the rim, the more the wine will smell floral and fruity and the closer, the aromas will deepen and become richer. Smell from all distances to get the full range of aroma. When the wine is sipped it should pass over the tongue from side to side and front to back. This allows the taster to gage the sweetness, acidity, whether it’s light or full bodied and hoe strong the alcohol taste is.

For more detailed information on wine tasting visit: http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/ht/winetasting.htm

Wine Breathing

The reaction of oxygen molecules with the wine is what gives the wine distinct flavour. Such exposure is called”breathing.” Older wines benefit most from breathing to bring out their flavour which has been developing for months or years. The best way to breath a wine is to expose as much of it to air as possible. Simply uncorking a bottle and leaving it won’t let in enough oxygen. Pouring the wine vigorously into a decanter splashes the wine, allowing it to pick up more oxygen molecules. A wine that is breathing should sit and settle but time for this varies. Some wines are at their peak in just 15 minutes while others may take many hours for the aromas to be coaxed out. Generally, the older a wine the longer it will need to breathe.

For more detailed information on wine breathing visit: http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/a/breathe.htm

Wine Decanting

Some wines, particularly fine reds, can contain sediment if they have been aging for a while (2+years). Although it may have an unpleasant appearance, sediment is actually an indication of a wine that was made with care and quality. In this case it is a byproduct of a production process that has little or no filtration in order to allow the wine to age in the bottle. Wines both young and old can benefit from decanting. Decanting removes the sediment by trapping it in the bottom of the bottle after pouring the wine into another vessel. For younger wines that have not had a chance to fully develop, splashing the wine into the decanter maximizes contact with the air and brings out the aromas.

For more detailed information on wine decanting visit: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/decanting-wine.html

In mid-May it was announced that the New Brunswick government had amended liquor regulations and had officially legalized in-store winery services.

Despite the fact that for the past 6 years there have been 20+ businesses offering in-store winery services in New Brunswick, the legitimacy of the service has always been a grey area. This latest announcement has been anticipated since March 2009, when all NB winemaking store owners were invited by the government to discuss industry issues and how best to move forward.

A survey of store owners reveals that this new legislation is being received with open arms by most industry players. Upon review of the new legislation, it has become apparent that the NB government has adapted many of the same regulations set out by the Federal Excise Act. These happen to be the same regulations the NB industry have used as guidelines to self-regulate for the past 6 years. To sum it all up, it’s business as usual for operators and consumers alike.

Kudos to the NB government for taking the initiative to recognize the in-store winery service industry as a bona-fide industry with the ability to grow, employ and make tax contribution to the provincial coffers.

In Nova Scotia, despite a lack of change in provincial regulations, Wine Kitz in New Minas has now joined several other Nova Scotia winemaking businesses in offering in-store winery services. Only time will tell if this will lead to regulatory changes or charges.

Blair Sampson
Wine Kitz New Minas

On previous occasions I have used this space to offer commentary on the ongoing challenges of convincing our provincial government to green light in-store winery services in Nova Scotia.

After many months of soul searching and a bit of due diligence we have decided to no longer wait for government approval. We have now joined our fellow industry partners in PEI, New Brunswick and numerous other forward-thinking provinces.

Despite the fact that we are not the only retail store in NS offering in-store winery services, we anticipate that due to being part of a national franchise chain, we will be a target on the government radar screen. Let the chips fall where they may!!

Our decision was partly inspired by last year’s introduction of in-store winery services on Prince Edward Island. In early March 2010 we opened our first island location in Charlottetown. Consumer acceptance has far surpassed our projections and expectations. In two months of being open we are nearing winery space capacity. More staff has been hired and more space may need to be rented in the near future!

The driving force behind the introduction of in-store winery service on PEI was Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allan Campbell. Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister? What a novel portfolio for a province wanting to keep up with changing times and attracting new enterprise and industry. In a detailed search of Nova Scotia Ministers listings, we were unable to find anything which resembled such a portfolio. We need not look much further to recognize why Nova Scotians are often last in receiving services granted to other Canadians.

Photos of Charlottetown’s ribbon cutting ceremonies with Minister Allan Campbell can be viewed by visiting: http://winekitzcharlottetown.ca/

We are not attempting to re-invent the wheel. We will abide by the U-Vint regulations set out by the Federal Excise Act and we will collect applicable taxes. Our objective is to offer Nova Scotians the same services extended to other Maritimers.

For detailed information on the in-store winery concept, see our In-Store Winery page.

If you wish to support our efforts, we ask you to visit www.UVintNS.ca and send a letter to Premier Darrell Dexter.

Blair Sampson
Wine Kitz New Minas

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

There is an appropriate style of glass for each type of wine, but wine connoisseurs can start with four essentials of stemware: Champagne, Port, Bordeaux and Chardonnay. Champagne glasses come in two varieties: tall and short. Both are suitable and choosing a style is a matter of preference. Tall flute glasses preserve the bubbles so the Champagne sparkles longer. Shorter, wider coupe glasses expose more of their content to the air. While some enjoy the tingling feeling of bubbles against their face, Champagne will lose its sparkle more quickly is a coupe glass. Port glasses are smaller, designed for sipping. The tall and wide Bordeaux glasses can be used to appreciate the complex flavours of many reds. These glasses allow the wine to breathe, bringing out rich aromas. Chardonnay glasses are typically designed top keep the wine cool and to amplify the more delicate aromas of the whites.

For more detailed information on wine glass styles visit: http://www.2basnob.com/wine-glasses.html

Wine Serving Temperature

Temperature has an effect on the taste of all wines, especially reds. Wines served at cooler temperatures will have more of their flavours masked, while warmer ones can develop a sharper taste. Red wines have complex flavours that emerge when served at room temperature. Whites tend to be overpowering when warm and best enjoyed chilled.

Room temperature is a little misleading. In wine terms, room temperature is 14-18C (57-64F) which was the average temperature before central heating. So, modern wines should actually be slightly chilled. White wine is usually served anywhere from 4-10C (40-50F). The flavours of full bodied white wines like Chardonnay are highlighted at the warmer end of the spectrum while less complex whites like Sauvignon Blanc benefit from slightly more chilling. Since wine warms once it has been poured, it is best to serve slightly over-chilled rather than too warm.

For more detailed information on wine serving temperatures visit: http://www.cellarnotes.net/serving_temperatures.html

Some people are confused by the term “vintage.”  A wine’s vintage is the year when the grapes were picked. Whether that vintage is considered good or poor is determined by the weather affecting the region. A vineyard requires the proper balance of sun, humidity, precipitation, and wind. Sun is needed for proper development of the grape. Too little sun means the sugars are not given a chance to develop properly. Humidity helps vines recover from the stress of a hot day but too much can cause mildew to form on the vines. Rain is important for the grapes to properly grow, but rain just prior to harvest is absorbed by the roots and is retained in the grape, spoiling the wine. Vintners can tweak their “bad” vintage and many suggest that consumers enjoy a lesser vintage while it is young as they wait for their better vintage to age.

For more detailed information on wine vintages visit:
http://www.chiff.com/wine/vintages.htm#

Fortified Wine

Fortified wine is wine with twist. Rather than letting the fermentation process take its natural course, brandy is added to finish the job. This stops the fermentation and stabilizes the mixture. This process was used in the 17th century when seafarers were in need of a way to keep wines through long journeys by ship.

There are four key types of fortified wines: Port, Sherry, Madeira and Marsala. Port is made from red grapes and sherry from white. The former has a sweeter taste and the latter tends to be drier. Madeira wine is characteristically strong and has been known to survive for over a century and still be in good condition. Marsala is commonly used in cooking, but is quite drinkable as well. It appears in many Italian dishes like tiramisu and veal scallopini.

For more detailed information on fortified wines visit:
http://www.thatsthespirit.com/en/wine/wine_fortified.asp

Production Guidelines

January is the month with the most “new” winemakers. This is generally due to Christmas gift giving. This is also when we, at the brew stores, receive the most phone calls, questions and in-store enquires. Don’t be shy, ask away: there are no dumb questions.

Management and staff who work at local winemaking shops are there to help. It’s all part of the services we provide. We understand the learning curve of new equipment and the new challenges of the winemaking process. At first, it can all seem very intimidating. I’ve often said if you ask ten different winemakers how to make wine…you’ll get eleven different answers. Same principles apply for beer making. My suggestion is to find a method that YOU feel comfortable with and run with it. Cleanliness & patience are the two most important tips I can offer.

A few words of caution….

Once you’ve made several wine batches, your 3rd or 4th batch is at the highest risk to fail. This will most likely be due to shortcuts, bad advice or inadequate cleanliness of equipment or bottles. You will then need to go back to the steps that made your previous batches such a success.

As you continue winemaking you will quickly learn that bottle cleaning & sanitizing can sometimes be a tedious task. You can easily shorten and simplify the bottle cleaning chore by investing in bottle cleaning equipment. A bottle sulphiter and a blast bottle washer will shorten time spent cleaning bottles by as much as 50%. Additionally, some of the full-service wine stores offer in-store commercial bottle washing services.

Once you get familiar with the equipment and get the hang of the winemaking process, it will not take too many wine batches before you find yourself offering advice and/or showing friends or family members how to make wine.

Production vs. Consumption

This often a challenge for many winemakers. Staying ahead of the game and drinking wine at its peak by aging should be one of your winemaking objectives. Thirty bottles may seem like a lot at first but now that you’re a winemaker you will be making “new” friends. You may find that family members linger a bit longer at social events at your house. All in all, you will share and give away far more of your wine than you first anticipated. Most wine shops have in-store charts or hand-out product brochures with aging & cellaring guidelines.

Product Purchasing Guidelines

The best advice I can offer on this topic is to suggest you shop local and you select your products based on value, not price point. Value is most often found at wine & beer making stores. This is where you will find the highest quality products available in the industry, the best selection, the best winemaking advice and expertise and the best service level.

At some point other winemaking friends may tell you of the great wine kit prices at big box stores. Prior to making a purchase based on this advice, you may want to taste their wine and decide how it compares to the quality of your own finished wine product. Keep in mind that the adage “you get what you pay for” also holds true in the winemaking industry.

Some of you may have received a well-intended but inexpensive wine kit as a gift. Most likely this wine kit was not purchased at a winemaking store. Don’t despair or give up on winemaking if you’re disappointed with the quality of the finished product. Visit a local winemaking shop for advice and expertise and the possible purchase of your next kit. You will be pleasantly surprised by the difference in quality, advice and service level.

At some point in your winemaking life, treat yourself by graduating to a higher-end wine kit. The cost difference will be approximately $1 per bottle. Higher-end kits are comparable to a $20-$25 bottle of commercial wine. Your wine of choice will reward you. Once this wine is bottled and properly aged, you will unexpectedly be able to tell the difference in quality. The best time to move upwards in kit quality is when your wine rack is full and you don’t necessarily need to make wine. This timing will allow for long-term aging and provide you with a superior product for special occasions such as Christmas 2010. A word of caution: Once you taste your high-end kit, you may not downgrade back to a lesser kit.

Happy Winemaking!!

PEI is the fourth province to offer this type of license, joining Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. It is expected that New Brunswick will be implementing a formal licensing format in support of the already existing in-store winery industry later this year.

Owners of PEI consumer-made wine stores are now on a level playing field with their counterparts in News Brunswick. Store owners will have the opportunity to allow wine consumers to rent equipment, space and expertise and make their choice of wines in-store.

Kudos to the PEI government. They should be commended for exemplifying long-term vision and fulfilling their desire to support small business. There are no losers in the government’s decision to permit in-store winery services in PEI. Store owners will now hire more employees, rent more space, collect and pay more taxes. More consumers will be introduced to winemaking and the joys and health benefits of drinking wine responsibly. Local and regional wineries and licensed establishments will also reap long term benefits from a more knowledgeable and expanded wine consumer base.

As a Nova Scotian self-employed in the same consumer-made wine industry, I can’t help but wonder why I and others in our industry feel that every day is April Fool’s Day in Nova Scotia?

For many years, we as a regional association have lobbied the NS government to endorse the introduction of in-store winery service in Nova Scotia. To date we have been given far too many lame and near-sighted excuses to list as to why this has not happened.

Nova Scotian consumers are no different than PEI or NB consumers. There are no real or obvious reasons why Nova Scotia consumers are not afforded the same general services as those offered in other Atlantic provinces. We all recall when Sunday shopping was a no-no in NS. Fire & brimstone were not the order of the day once the NS government was forced into opening its mind, eyes and liquor store doors to Sunday shopping.

When dealing with government officials we are not asking to offer a service not available in other neighbouring provinces. Nor are we asking for tax payer’s money in the form of government hand-outs. Not unlike our neighbouring provinces, we would create employment, we would collect fees and taxes and pay our way in the business community. We in the industry are well aware that Nova Scotians want and would use in-store winery service if it were permitted.

So what are the real reasons why in-store winery services are yet to be permitted in NS? I could venture a guess or two and not be too far off the mark, but rather than guess as to why this has not yet happened, I would rather share an observation.

It’s become apparent that resisting change and remaining status quohas become commonplace with numerous consecutive NS governments.

There are many examples of this but none better than our antiquated liquor laws. These laws are a product of the post-Prohibition era. They were written in bygone days to combat bootleggers and rumrunners. Despite the passage of time there is very little political will to make changes in the name of modernization and improvement. In which other province has a person been charged and found guilty for illegal sales of alcohol without a license for selling a wine making kit whose contents are non-alcohol based? In which other province is it required for retailers to obtain an operating license to sell a non-alcohol based wine or beer kit? A product many retailers, big & small, have been selling for many, many years without the need of a permit? This does not border on the absurd. It is absurd!! Yet the NS government considers it the order of the day!

Without political will for change, Nova Scotia will remain a have-not province for many years to come. Businesses and investors will continue to be enticed and gravitate to more business friendly provinces. This has been a known and recognized trend in various business circles for numerous years.

As a long-term investor in the consumer-made wine industry, I have eight franchise businesses in the Atlantic region. Six of these well-established and successful franchise businesses are located in New Brunswick. Two others are in Nova Scotia. Two new outlets will be open for business in PEI next year. For numerous reasons, including pride in ownership and convenience, I would very much like to expand my investments in my home province. Regrettably, it simply does not make any business sense to do so. Unlike the people of the gentle island who are now LOL, we in Nova Scotia remain SOL.

Cheers and good luck to all Islanders impacted by this decision!

Blair Sampson
Wine Kitz Atlantic

Several times a year, kit manufacturers will produce Limited Release kits. Traditionally, these kits were available in-store to consumers in late fall or early winter months. Now with accessibility to raw material from the southern hemisphere, a.k.a. New World vineyards and wineries, where the harvest season runs at opposite times from northern hemisphere countries, access to high-end product to formulate these kits is nearly year-round.

Limited Release kits are not part of a store’s regular inventory. As mentioned above, they are made from special juices or concentrates from world-renowned wine regions that are only available on a limited basis or at certain times of the year. Limited releases are most often unique varietal wines that manufacturers have obtained through long-term close relationships with premier wineries.

If an exceptional product is sourced, a Limited Release kit may be issued every year at a certain time. On other occasions kit manufacturers will develop a new wine kit and issue it as a Limited Release to test consumer interest in the product. If consumer interest and demand is high enough, this product may be added to the retailer’s regular inventory.

Limited Release kits are regarded as the best of the best in the wine kit world. In most cases, these products are available in a large 18L format and include classy theme-style bottle labels. Some manufacturers also offer these wines in a smaller format for the more budget-minded winemaker. Both formats make 23L.

Most wine kit retailers offer Limited Release products on a pre-sign up basis only. Once consumer orders have been filled and products have been picked up, they may never be available again.

If you have never made or tasted a finished and aged Limited Release kit, I suggest you treat yourself by contacting your local winemaking store and sign up for a kit of your choice. You will not be disappointed!

Now, as most of us return to our every day routines of regular work, school, etc., it’s time to make everyone aware of what matters and is important to us as stakeholders in the consumer-made wine world.

Most of my recent articles have focused on the trials & tribulations of Ross Harrington and his efforts to introduce in-store winery services to Nova Scotia. Since there was no closure on this issue at the time of my last article, I will bring you up to date on this seemingly never-ending topic. Hopefully it will be the last (but probably not).

If you have read my June article, you are aware that Ross Harrington was charged and found guilty of “Selling alcohol without a license.” As previously noted, the judge clearly indicated that her decision was not based on the in-store winery services provided by Mr. Harrington, but solely on the definition of alcohol contained in the Nova Scotia Liquor Act. In her opinion, this broad definition of alcohol deems a wine kit as alcohol.

Since that time, numerous Nova Scotia consumer-made wine retailers have written our provincial government requesting this definition of alcohol be changed to exclude wine & beer kits and prevent every Nova Scotia retailer from breaking the law each time they sell a wine or beer kit. In what seems to be its haste to make things right, the NS government, without first consulting with NS industry stakeholders, directed the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to issue a permit to retailers who sell wine & beer kits.

Needless to say this band-aid decision does not sit well with any NS retailers I do business with. Current feedback is that most NS retailers will not be applying for this permit. There are many reasons for this stand. First and foremost we are being asked to apply for a non-legislated liquor permit to sell a product which is not liquor. Furthermore, we simply do not want the NSLC delving into our business. This year’s permit fee is a nominal $15. What will it be next year? What will be the criteria for permit renewal in future years? Now that wine & beer kits are considered alcohol, will they be taxed accordingly? Will wine & beer kits soon be available on NSLC store shelves? This permit raises numerous other issues but these are our main concerns.

Our objective remains two-fold. First, convince our provincial government to change the definition of alcohol under the Nova Scotia Liquor Act. Second, introduce in-store winery services to Nova Scotia, hence, employ fellow Nova Scotians, collect taxes and provide Nova Scotia wine consumers with the same services available in many other Canadian provinces.

One fellow retailer has already taken steps in this direction.

On August 19th, Ross Harrington was sentenced to a $301 fine for the above mentioned charge. It took two-and-a-half-years, police resources, lawyers, judges, court time and far, far too much money spent by far too many people including NS taxpayers to reach this point. I guess these are the types of things that can happen when non-elected bureaucrats go on power trips.

Until next time,

~ Blair