FROM THE VINE

MAY/JUNE 2009 NEWSLETTER

2009 WINEMAKER

INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR WINE COMPETITION

It seems so long ago we boxed up our wines and sent them off to be judged.  Sometimes it was hard to part with one of a few bottles left of a favorite wine, but in the end we all sent it for judging.

The results are in after what seems to be a very long wait.

Congratulations to everyone that submitted their wines and I’m so excited for those that won medals.

Steve Cammick – 3 Gold, 2 Silver and a Bronze   Steve has won many medals in various contests and we are delighted to have him as a customer.

Don & Nadine Michaels – Silver

Tom & Judi Land – Bronze

Last but not least

Ed & Sue Kelley – 2 Gold and a Bronze - (We were so excited at winning one Gold and then realized we won two Gold and the Bronze.)  I don’t think we have come down to earth yet.

If I missed anyone, please let me know.  I hope you will stop and bring your tasting notes so we can discuss the comments made by the judges. 

R J SPAGNOLS AND 2009 RQ WINE KITS

Many thanks to those customers waiting patiently for the final wine kit to arrive.  The last word I received was the kits are scheduled to arrive in the USA at the end of May.  (Only six weeks behind schedule).

I usually order a few extras of the RQ and currently have one (1) February selection Argentinean Trio (Viognier, Riesling, and Chardonnay) and one (1) March selection of the Okanagan Valley Red Meritage (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc). 

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Or

Should I have a spare?

Or

Nothing lasts forever

HYDROMETER

The most frequently replaced piece of equipment is the hydrometer.  Many of us have broken at least one hydrometer during our winemaking career or suddenly discovered the hydrometer is giving incorrect readings.  It is a good idea to have a spare.

SIPHON HOSE

Consider replacing the hose every 3 or 4 years.  If you make a lot of wine, especially red, the hose will start to look unclean.  No matter how many times you clean and sanitize, it will appear stained.

FERMENTING BUCKET

If you make a lot of wine and de-gas your wine in the fermentation bucket, pay attention to the scratches and scrapes on the bucket.  These can become a haven for bacteria.  Be sure to thoroughly clean the bucket and replace when you feel the bucket no longer appears clean.  This will be a different time period for everyone depending on the amount of wine they make and how many fermenting buckets they own.

CLEANER/SANITIZER

There is nothing more frustrating that to run out of sanitizer when you are in the middle of working on wine.  Keep a spare.

REMINDERS

Don’t rely on air lock bubbles to evaluate how fermentation is going.  The only sure way to tell how or if the wine is fermenting will be to take the specific gravity.  If there is no change in the SG after 3 days then either your wine has completed the fermentation or if the SG reading is still very high, then you may have a stuck fermentation.