HOME VINTNER GEARS UP FOR 2012 PROVINCIAL WINE AWARDSAs published in the Airdrie Echo newspaper, March 28th, 2012 By Josh Eberley. With 538 provincial, national, and international medals, The Home Vintner has successfully been helping average folks become expert wine makers since 1993. Paul Sass is the owner of The Home Vintner and has nine separate Alberta locations he travels to and from. Sass is dedicated to the quality of his service and insists his clients hold themselves to a high standard when drinking both wine and beer. “Raising people’s standards is the goal and focus,” said Sass click here to read full Airdrie Echo article... click here to see the judging pictures on facebook... APRIL LIMITED EDITION AVAILABLE NOW!Click here to view this years Limited Edition videos - with complete written descriptions of our five 2012 Limited Edition wines. ● Washington Meritage - sold out ● South African Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon - sold out ● California Petite Sirah/Zinfandel - still available ● German Traminer Spatlese - still available ● Spanish Matador Trio Red - our first shipment has arrived - over the next few weeks we will bring in our allotment. BUYER BEWARE – IMPORTANT – AVOID CHEAP WINE BOTTLE SALES!! from Paul Research provided by GlassRite Research DataGlass offers protection from UV light that can affect wine and beer quality. The correct quality of the glass and colour can enhance the protection of your wine and beer. Thinner bottles and poor colouring have implications for its ability to protect your wine. Light & short wave lengths in the UV & blue end of the spectrum causes chemical reactions within the wine which shows up as “wet dog and cooked cabbage”! This reaction is known as Light-Struck and occur within hours of exposure to light. Red wines, because of their tannin content, are less susceptible to Light-Struck flavours than white wines. click here to read more... THE ITALIAN TWINSA few Italian Amarone have arrived, the Italian Brunello in our Selection International with Grape Skins varieties will soon be available - huge demand! Please phone first to see if we have stock. The 4 grape skin products have been very successful and we are excited to be adding these 2 very popular products to this line. Many of you will recognize these kits as all 6 have been Limited Editions from previous years. click here to read more about these great Italian wines... NEW-PINEAPPLE PEAR PINOT GRIGIOAvailable Now This delicious wine leaps out of the glass with juicy sweet pears, succulent, ripe pineapple, and a bright and flowery fragrance. Firm acidity from the Pinot Grigio gives it mouth watering juiciness and a refreshing finish. click here for more info... TWISTED MIST RETURNS!Available mid April The new Twisted Mist Hard Pink Lemonade and Lime Margarita are now available. This product is also available in a combo pack which will produce 15 bottles of each with bottle labels included for both. Bring on summer! Please phone first to check on availability. click here to read more... NEW-FRENCH ROSEAvailable mid April - a dry Rose Talk about a wine made for relaxed summer fun and spontaneous barbecues! This easy-going Rosé from France is brimming with the fresh flavors of red fruits - strawberry, raspberry and a hint of citrus. A blend of predominately Syrah and Grenache grapes brings a refreshing well-structured wine. This Rosé is dry, similar to our previous year's Spanish Rose and is capable of handling summer's best fare, from grilled veggies to Asian spice, certainly a wine to be stocked and ready to go all summer long! FROM OUR WINE MAKER OF THE YEAR / RonnieI hear it almost every day, "I just don't have time to make more wine". So here we go with how long it actually takes to make a wine kit from start to finish. Total time comes in at 3 hours and 10 minutes - that works out to 10 minutes a bottle. Now about the wine - Domaine Des Brumes - Brouilly, the largest Cru in Beaujolais, is a wine noted for its aromas of blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries currants and floral notes. Our brouilly is called Domaine des Brumes, a refreshing, easy drinking red revealing a slender texture, smooth tannins and a medium finish. The Gamay grape is light and fruity in the same palette as a Beaujolais wine. click here to read more... FRESH SCHMESH!! by TerryI think most of us have seen those tv ads for commercial beer, touting it's "freshness". I was always a little skeptical of the advantage of freshness, as beer is a fermented beverage, and, like wine, should probably smooth out and generally improve with some ageing. Since I started making my own beer, however, I have chosen to throw the fresh idea out the window. Here's why - last summer, my friend and I made a straight-up Dutch Lager using a Baron's kit with the yeast and hops that were included in the box. click here to read the rest of this blog... click here to read all of our blogs... OUR TOP TEN WINE KITSThese are the top 10 wine kits sold by Winexpert in Canada: ● World Vineyard Italian Pinot Grigio ● Vintners Reserve Liebfraumilch ● Selection Italian Pinot Grigio ● Vintners Reserve White Zinfandel ● Vintners Reserve Merlot ● Selection Australian Shiraz ● Vintners Reserve Mezza Luna Red ● World Vineyard Australian Shiraz ● Vintners Reserve Vieux Chateau du Roi ● Vintners Reserve Pinot Noir 20 ACCOLADES FROM OUR GROUPON CUSTOMERSAwesome class! I have been making wine at home for a year now, but can't seem to get it to not have that "homemade watery" taste to it. After this class, I now have confidence that I will make great wine at home with the tips and tricks that I learnt at this class. I will also be starting to make beer at home at the same time as well. I will be back to buy my kits soon! click here to read the other accolades... AVAILABLE THIS WEEK - THE HOME VINTNER GLUTEN FREE BEER KITWe're excited to announce that after much research, The Home Vintner has sourced ingredients to make a great gluten-free beer kit - all ingredients are certified gluten-free! Yes, we have a waiting list - contact us to have your name added. click here to read more... JOIN US ON FACEBOOK TO QUALIFY FOR OUR MONTHLY DRAWJoin us on facebook to enter our draw. To qualify for the draw become a friend of The Home Vintner on Facebook. This months winner of a $25 gift certificate is: Tlou C. click here to become a friend on facebook... MONTHLY STORE DRAWMonthly, each wine or beer purchase automatically enters you into our monthly draw. Congratulations to Kevin R- pick up your $34.95 Breathable Eisch wine glass. OUR WINE & BEER MAKING CLASSESPaul demonstrates the making of a wine kit from the first steps right through to removing the CO2 and proper corking. Years of experience are shared, so the novice wine maker can be successful on their first attempt. For those who have made wine for years, there are new methodologies which will improve your end result. Also, step by step Paul walks through the making of a beer kit with secrets shared so your first kit will be a success. Pre-registration is required. Payment of $25 per person is payable at the class. Each student will receive a coupon worth 15% off their next wine or beer kit. click here to see our current calendar... WINE ON SALE IN APRILVintner's Reserve - continues to set the standard in it's category by yielding wines of excellent quality, flavour and aroma. Vintner's Reserve World Vineyard - featuring popular grape varietals, with grape juices and concentrates from some of the finest growing regions in the world, this 10 litre kit produces high quality wines that you can enjoy within one month after bottling. Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir - $5 OffThis very popular grape produces a wine with very fruity, yet spicy characteristics. Pinot Noir has a velvety flavour that is met with a fullness of aroma resembling black currants. Ageing uncovers further complexity. Pinot Noir has been grown for winemaking for over two thousand years. It’s primarily associated with France’s Burgundy region, but it’s now also found throughout Europe, theU.S.,Canada, andAustralia. In general, younger pinot noir has fruity flavors of raspberries and cherries, and will pick up an earthier, truffle flavor as it ages. Sweetness: Dry | Body: Light-Medium | Oak Intensity: None Wikipedia - click here for more info... Vintner's Reserve Pinot Blanc - $5 OffA versatile varietal grape which displays an agreeable dry, sharp, lightly fruity yet full-bodied taste. Rich pear and citrus aromas on the nose with lively acid on the finish, this wine is a true example of a Cool Climate wine. The palate is full and creamy, with a dry finish. Sweetness: Dry | Body: Light-Medium | Oak Intensity: None Wikipedia - click here for more info... World Vineyard Australian Shiraz - $5 OffAustralia's route to fame on the world wine stage,Shirazfrom Down Under offers lush berry aromas that beg for a hearty whiff. A wine of ripe fullness, its concentrated blackberry fruits and fragrant spiciness are a delight on the tongue. It has the uncanny quality of allowing early consumption despite its complexity and bigness'. Robust and lively, Australian Shiraz is a savoury treat. Sweetness: Dry | Body: Medium | Oak Intensity: Light World Vineyard Australian Chardonnay - $5 OffSupple and slightly buttery, with aromas of peach and mango with layers of toast and spice, this wine lingers on the palate in a vanilla-laden oak finish. Lovely, rich aromatics of smoky oak, nuts, praline, toffee, malo and wild ferment. Brilliant forward and zippy wine. Full of fruit and elegance. Seductively nutty palate with cornish cream and crème brûlée richness. Sweetness: Dry | Body: Medium | Oak Intensity: Light Wikipedia - click here for more info... BEER ON SALE IN APRILAMBER ALE - $4 OFFMalty rich flavour and body. This reddish ale has slightly more bitterness than typical ales but its maltiness gives a nice balance between sweetand bitter. Our unique blend of 2-row pilsen, crystal and chocolate malts gives this ale its incredible character. Comparable to a Sleeman's Amber Ale. Our HV Tartan Ale recipe starts with a Barons Amber Ale - 500 grams of smoked malt and dry malt rather than dextrose ($10). Try Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast. We were pleasantly surprised with this Scottish style ale with warm amber hues and complex aromas, giving it a full-bodied taste with a slightly smoky finish Click here to read our blog on Alexander Keith's Limited Release Tartan Ale. |