There a lot of great wines. I think that this is a great avenue for winemakers to learn about how their fellow winemakers wines compare. More importantly how their own wine stand up to critique from knowledgable judges.

I want to thank the Organizers from the Alberta Amatuer Winemakers for running an excellent competition.

Tom C

We had a very good meeting with nine members attending.

Business:

• We agreed that the membership dues will set at $30 per year with a couples’ fee of $45.
• Dues will go toward Guild expenses. For example: food pairings/snacks and commercial wines for tastings. The food preparations will be rotated fairly among the members.
• The Guild season/year will run from September to June, therefore the initial dues will not be payable until the September 2010 meeting.
• The Vineyard will extend a 10% discount to all members in good standing.
• We will plan two ‘Social’ events throughout the season: A Christmas Potluck and a Spring BBQ.

Wine Tasting:

We ‘blind tasted’ two South African Chenin Blanc wines. The results were very enlightening with the homemade version being picked above the commercial example. The homemade wine was a World Series South African Chenin Blanc produced by and for a wine making class held at The Vineyard in 2009. The commercial wine was a “Ratts Chenin Blanc from South Africa, costing a little over $20.

A huge improvement to the homemade was seen by the use of a Vinturi (wine breather) and a decanter. It is strongly recommended by the Guild that wines must be decanted and allowed to breath.

Next Meeting: Tuesday April 20^th

We will taste some special dessert wines handcrafted by members. If you have a dessert wine – please bring a bottle to the meeting. Debbie has volunteered to an appropriate snack – thanks.

One of the unfortunate urges that beginner winemakers get is the unseemly desire to fiddle with their wine. Even when the wine is perfectly adjusted, finished fermenting, fully stable and now needs only time to show its glory, they want to intervene.

Some sources urge winemakers to rack wine immediately off of any visible sediment to avoid H2S contamination. Since racking has the goal of separating the wine from sediments, thus leaving it clear, frequent rackings are a good way to satisfy this urge. However, in winemaking as in life, more is not always better.

In the first year of a wine’s life, four rackings are probably too many. Even red wine fermentations from grapes — which can throw very large amounts of sedimented pulp, stem material and yeast cells — only need to be racked three times to achieve decent clarity in the first year. Extra rackings should only be attempted if the wine begins to show off flavours and aromas that can be attributed to lees contact, and only after careful analysis shows that this is the best course of action.

In the words of the sage, “Don’t just do something, sit there"

It is a time honoured tradition to resolve to lose weight and exercise more. While that is very important for your health and general well being, that does not mean you have to cut out our favourite ‘adult beverage’. It has been accepted by the medical professionals that wine and beer can be good for you – in moderation of course.

One 5 oz glass of red wine contains about 125 calories and 5.3 gm carbohydrates. Research show that pinot noir has the highest concentration of flavonoids in wine that may protect your cardiovascular system.

One 17oz glass of beer contains about 155 calories and 12.8 carbohydrates. Choose an India Pale Ale if you want your beer to deliver a higher dose of antioxidants.

One 1.5 oz glass of my favourite Scotch whiskey contains about 105 calories.

One 1.5 oz serving of rum has only 97 calories HOWEVER it is the coke you put it in that has way too many calories.

So by all means keep that New Year Resolution to lose weight and exercise more. If you want a glass of wine or beer now and then don’t feel too guilty just keep everything in moderation. Proost.

 I am quite often asked what exactly does the oak powder (some even say ‘sawdust’) do to the wine? Well the answer is fairly simple: It gives your wine that taste and bouquet of a fine barrel conditioned red wine. Most fine red wines have been conditioned in an oak barrel.  Unfortunately the barrels are very high maintenance. If they are not kept full and properly cared for they will very quickly turn sour and that would prove disastrous for your wine. So the best bet for us  home winemakers is to put the barrel in the wine rather than the wine in the barrel. The oak from the barrel is ground, cut or shaved into smaller pieces. That way we do not need to worry about the possibility of damaging our wine or the very high level of maintenance needed to care for the barrel.

At The Vineyard most of our red wine kits come with oak and if you want to add more, we carry the oak powder, oak chips and also oak cubes.

Which one to use is up to you but a general rule of thumb is the longer the oak is to remain in contact with wine the larger the pieces should or could be. Remember that the smaller particles such as the powder increase the surface area ratio to liquid. So the powder is generally added in the primary fermenter, where it is usually only in contact with the wine for seven days. However if you plan on leaving your wine in a carboy for a while, think about using bigger pieces of oak, either the chips or cubes.

The bottom line is that oak can really add to the flavour profile of your red wine. Although recently there seems to be a trend of “un-oaked” wines, I really like the taste and bouquet of oak in my red wine. In fact some of my friends nick named my winery “Chateau Two by Four”.

• Vinturi wine aerator
• Labels and Shrink tops
• Gift Certificates
• Wine and/or Beer making Equipment
• Wine kits
• Beer kits
• Cork Screws
• Pocket Sommelier journal
• Wine Tote bag
• ‘Top Hat’ no drip pourer and stopper
• Wine power stirring tool
• Many more tools and gadgets for the wine or beer maker on your list

Wine and food are a natural combination. But there really is no need to stress over the pairings (the Season already has enough stress).  The simplest rule to remember is that there is no rule. All food goes with wine.

Traditionally we paired fish with white and red meat with red wine. But I’ve really enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir with roasted, fried or BBQ chicken and especially any style of salmon.

Just keep in mend the impact food can have on wine and visa versa. For Example the tannins in red wines really help balance the fat content of meats and cheeses. The acidity in white wines will balance out the sweetness of creamy and rich foods. The slight sweetness along with acidity in ‘off-dry’ whites really balance and enhance spicy foods.

So it is up to you – do not be afraid to experiment. One of my classic favourites is chocolate with port, actually even with any red wine.

I will be bringing commerical examples of the five fabulous offerings. I also will bring along a couple of the food pairings that we tried at the Annual Vineyard Food and Wine tasting October 30th.

However to ensure your order please do not wait much longer - email or call either store today.