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WOTM! – January 2016

WOTM! – January 2016

WOTM (Wine of the Month)! – January 2016

Introducing a new column for us! It’s our first ever Wine of the Month post!

Our plan is to highlight one of the kits we have to offer each month. We’ll jump around a little, so make sure to check-in throughout the year.

We’ve had a lot of requests for some old favorites, but along with the old, sometimes you need to bring in the new!

So, without further adieu: Winemaker’s Trio (Red) (from RJ Spagnols)

Winemaker's Trio

Winemaker’s Trio has already been quite a hit! A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel, this wine has a nicely integrated balance of tannins and acidity. It features an inviting blend of vanilla, red berries, and black cherry on the nose and it combines the sweet flavors of ripe raspberry, chocolate, and cherry on the palate.

This kit is part of the Cellar Classic Winery Series from RJ Spagnols. Red wines in the Cellar Classic Winery Series (18L) are produced by fermenting grape juice on crushed grape skins, seeds and stems. This allows the winemaker to extract deep color, chewy tannins, tantalizing flavors and complex aromas to produce richly structured wines.

We have found that a lot of people have thought this to be drinkable very quickly. But, of course, with patience (and aging) comes even greater wine!

From the RJ Spagnols website:

Category Red
Size 18 L
Yield 23 L
Ready Time 6 Weeks
Oak 2
Body 3
Sweetness 0
RJ Spagnols

RJ Spagnols

RJ Spagnols

We’ve been asked a lot lately about some of your favorite kits, they may be oldies but they’re definitely goodies: Super Tuscan, Rosso Bravissimo, Rosso Grande Eccellente, to name a few. These kits were from the RJ Spagnols lineup.

As a result, we’re happy to announce that we’re bringing back a few of the RJ Spagnols line for your vinting pleasure! In particular, we’re bringing back a selection of the Cellar Classic Winery Series (18L) kits. We know that some of you have really enjoyed these kits and we’re here to help.

Winemaker's Trio
A few kits in our recent shipment:

Super Tuscan Full-bodied and dry, this classic Italian blend exudes aromatics of farm fresh raspberries supported by subtle hints of vanilla and earthy tones Fermentation on untoasted American oak shavings and GenuWine Winery Grape Skins adds intense tannins to round out the concentrated nose of blackberries and black pepper.
Rosso Grande Eccellente Deep, dark and rich, this assertive wine is bold in all aspects. A delectable bouquet of sweet ripe berries, spices and farm cherries opens up to the palate, stacked with juicy fruit flavors and firmly structured tannins. Fermented on GenuWine Winery Grape Skins and un-toasted American oak, this wine is sure to create waves of excitement.
Winemaker’s Trio (Red) The Winemaker’s Trio is the perfect blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel fermented on GenuWine Winery Crushed Grape Skins. This new world style red has a nicely integrated balance of tannins and acidity. It features an inviting blend of vanilla, red berries, and black cherry on the nose and it combines the sweet flavors of ripe raspberry, chocolate, and cherry on the palate.
Winemaker’s Trio (White) This Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat blend exudes pretty floral aromas with hints of tropical fruit and lychee. The juicy pineapple, mango, peach, and lychee flavors pair well with seafood, BBQ pork, fresh salads, spicy Pad Thai and peach cobbler. If a cheese pairing is preferred, serve Winemaker’s Trio White with your favorite brie or goat cheese.

Note: At this time, we are currently unable to get the Rosso Bravissimo, as it has been discontinued.

Store hours: December 2015

Store hours: December 2015

Wine Tree

From our house to yours: A Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Just a quick note to let you know that beyond our normal hours, we’ll be closed 12/24-12/26 and 12/31-1/1/16.

Labels

Labels

Labels

Chocolate Salted Caramel Port

We come across some phenomenal custom labels during our travels. They celebrate a special event, a cherished memory, or sometimes, just a fantastic bottle of wine. But whatever they’re sharing, sometimes it’s difficult to get it “just right”. We’d like to spend a little time reviewing our process and share a couple of new ideas for creating labels.

We traditionally print labels that use Avery labels templates:

    • 5164 – 3×2 (4″ x 3 1/3″) format (6 per sheet)
    • 5163 – 5×2 (2″ x 4″) format (10 per sheet)

We print on two types of label. The first type are removable self-adhesive labels, they’re quick and easy to apply. The second type is parchment type paper, which requires use of glue sticks to attach them to the bottles, but they produce great looking labels!

Nebbiolo

Designing labels (new options!)
    1. We have traditionally used Avery label software to design the labels we produce. You can get it for free at their download site. You can also use the Avery online site, located here. (Note: The online site appears to require the use of Adobe Flash.)
    2. We have recently discovered that you can print Avery labels via templates available in Microsoft Publisher as well. We have had very good luck with them and, in fact, sometimes find the editing tools in Publisher to easier to use than the Avery software. (ex: It’s MUCH easier to create an oval image in Publisher!) Notes on how to find Avery templates in Publisher can be found here.
    3. Maybe saving the best for last, we’re really loving Canva. An online web service, it produces images, posters, labels, infographics, you name it, for free! Simply create a free account (there ARE options to upgrade if you desire), and begin to play! There are HUNDREDS of designs to start from and you can edit to your heart’s content! (Note: Make sure to explore all of the options: Posters, Presentations, More…, there are different options associated within each type.) Wine OnWhat’s really cool is that you can tweak to your hearts content. Start with a template that Canva supplies and tweak the colors, size, fonts, whatever! Alternatively, start from scratch and create your own design. Upload an image (or three!) and add some text and/or borders and VIOLA! You are an artist! Be sure to download your creation as an IMAGE file when you’re done. (PNG is our first choice, it’ll resize better.) The PDF option won’t work for us (see below).
FINALLY

: No matter which tool you use to create your labels, what works best for us is if you bring your image in as a graphic file (although we can deal with the Avery files too). PNG’s work GREAT, JPG’s and GIF’s work as well. What doesn’t work great for us is .DOC, .DOCX and/or .PDF files. Unless the file is the exact size of the label, .DOC and .PDF files won’t resize like you’d like them to.

By the way: All of the labels in this post were created with our new favorite: Canva!

Black Friday 2015 special

Black Friday 2015 special

It’s our Black Friday 2015 special!

Black Friday 2015

Take advantage of our Black Friday 2015 special. If you purchase a gift certificate of $150 (or more), we’ll give you a free double hinged waiter’s corkscrew bottle opener to include under the tree with your gift certificate!

Waiter's corkscrew

Act now, it’s a short term opportunity – 11/27/15-11/28/15!

Also, we’re extending our Wine Cooler Sale. Get any of our Lt. Blender’s wine freezers for 25% off! They’re not only great for a summer day at the beach, but they’re great at holiday parties too! On sale now, try serving the Peach Bellini or a Sangria during this year’s festivities! (While supplies last.)