February 2012

Premium Wine Kits

The Wine Smith stocks a number of premium and ultra-premium wine kits. Although these are 6 to 8 week kits, they are not any more difficult to make than any other wine kit.  Treat yourself to a wine that would cost $25-$50 per bottle at the wine store for $5 to $7 a bottle when you make it yourself!  These 16-18 liter kits contain more varietal juice and less concentrate than standard kits.

We presently stock an En Primeur Italian Amarone, Cellar Classic Old Vine Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Cru Select Platinum New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. For other premium kits from RJ Spagnols click on the link to the right. We'll be glad to order any kit in the 
RJ Spagnols catalog for you.  

Seasonal Wine Kits

We have received a few more Riesling Ice Wine, Orange Chocolate Port  and White Chocolate White Port wine kits from our supplier. These popular seasonal kits will not be available again until September.   

Restricted Quantity Wine Kits for 2012

RJSpagnols has announced the Restricted Quantity wine kits that will be available on a monthly basis from January through April 2012.:
-Spanish Toro (Monasrell Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon), 1/12, $139
-Argentine Tango (Tempranillo, Malbec), 2/12, $139
-Australian Down Under (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot), 3/12, $139
-Australian Down Under (Syrah, Merlot Rose’), 4/12, $124

If you would like to reserve any of the remaining kits, give us a call ASAP . You can get the specifics on each of these wines at the store or on line at www.rqcruselectwine.com 

Winemaker Magazine Conference

The Wine Smith will once again be a supporting sponsor of the Winemaker Magazine Conference. The 2012 Conference will be held June 1st and 2nd in the Finger Lakes area of New York.  This is an excellent chance for serious amateur winemakers to add to their knowledge with fellow winemakers.

You can get details on the store or on line at www.winemakermag.com/conference. Early bird registration in only $499. The host hotel is the Statler Hotel on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York.  Both the conference and hotel usually sell out early, so we suggest making your reservations ASAP.

Stabilizing Your Wine

One problem which we encounter frequently, especially during fresh fruit season, are wines that continue to ferment in the bottle, usually to the point of blowing out the corks. The cause is almost always that the wine has not been properly stabilized.
To stabilize your wine, first make sure it is fully fermented (specific gravity 0.99 to 1.000), then add 1/2 tsp. per gallon fresh potassium sorbate and stir in until completely dissolved - it's best added when de-gassing. Note that potassium sorbate has a shelf life of only 6-12 months - so throw away last year's packet and get a fresh one. It's a very cheap insurance policy!

If you want to sweeten your wine, you can add dissolved sugar a few hours after stabilizing your wine.