Welcome to the Brewers Wort Online Newsletter! We have lots of news to share with you in this edition, so let's get to it. This newsletter is brought to you by subscription only. Unsubscribe information is at the end of the newsletter.

• New Selection wine coming...
  
• New Selection International Series wine ...
• New Vintner's Reserve Passport Series wine...
• New En Primeur Kits introduced...
• Sale wines for September...
• Sulphites, sulphites, sulphites ...
  
• Contest winners and new contest...
• September's coupons...
• The last word...
  
  

New Selection wine an old favorite...
You may remeber Viognier as a Limited Edition wine a couple of years ago, and it is now a regular feature in the Selection line! The response to this wine as a Limited Edition was overwhelming, and for good reason.The intense fruitiness of this beguiling wine suggests rich sweetness, but it shows a surprisingly dry and aromatic finish. A delicate yellow colour, tinged with the variety's typical 'green-gold' hue, it bursts out of the glass with apricot, peach and spice aromas. As it matures, it can also display hints of jasmine, honeysuckle, kiwi, mint, orange blossom and even mango! While higher in alcohol than many white wines, it drinks well young nonetheless. Lower acidity makes it friendly to a wide range of foods, but it's 'soft but strong' character makes it excellent for sipping alone. This wine will be available in the next couple of weeks, and I'm sure it will fly off the shelves with the holidays coming up!

Argentine Malbec coming to the Selection International Series...
The wines of Argentina are getting a lot of excellent reviews commercially, and for good reason. Now you can enjoy the wines of Argentina your home with the release of Argentine Melbec. Rich purple colour and juicy fruitiness are backed by spicy, earthy notes in this wine. Damson plums, blackcurrant and violet aromas give way to tobacco and leather notes, backed by firm tannin and mellow acidity. Drinks well young, ages beautifully, and pairs well with 'stick-to-your-ribs' foods like barbecue, cassoulet and braised lamb. This wine will be available mid-October, in the meantime though you can read more about Argentine Malbec here.

P.S.: I think that only a few people will know what cassoulet is, I know I sure didn't! Cassoulet is a rich, hearty stew of various meats, beans, fats, and aromatic vegetables and herbs, all simmered in layers for three days and topped with a fine golden crust. The recipe can be found here.

New Passport Series Chilean Merlot...
The Passport Series has gone over very well, with a variety of wines from France, Italy and Australia, and now Chile! Powerful fruit and spicy flavours show well in this wine, with mellow tannins providing a supple, smooth finish. While this Merlot will mature more quickly than Cabernet Sauvignon, it deserves ageing to bring out the ripe cherry character that makes Merlot so famous. Food friendly, it pairs well with red meats, lamb and hearty stews. This wine will be available in a couple of weeks, just in time for the holidays!

New En Primeur wines in stock...
You all got the E-mail introducing the En Primeur kits, and quite a few of you have been in to check them out, and put one on. We will let you know when the first wines get bottled how they turn out, but the juice has beautiful color and aromatics, and I'm sure they will turn out great!

Sale wines for September...
The sale wines for September in the Vintner's Reserve line are Chardonnay for $53.99, and Barolo for $55.99. In the Chai Maison line, the sale wines are Gewürztraminer for $37.99, and Valpolicella for $39.99. Finally, in the Vintner's Reserve Passport Series line, the sale wine is Italian Pinot Grigio for $58.99.

Sulphites, sulphites, sulphites...
The following was a Brew King Technical Bulletin which is very interesting and informative:

"All Brew King wine kits contain metabisulphite, and we recommend sanitising winemaking equipment with sulphite solution. Sulphite works by releasing free sulphur dioxide (FSO2), which inhibits yeast, mould and bacteria. Sulphite is also added directly to wine after fermentation, to prevent oxidation. Oxidation in wine follows the same pattern in an apple slice exposed to air—the wine browns and takes on a flat 'cardboard' taste. Sulphite binds with oxygen, preventing browning and flavour loss.

The use of sulphite goes back more than 500 years. The Dutch popularised it during the 16th
century by shipping only sulphite-treated wines. They insisted because treated wines were the only ones that survived a long sea voyage without turning into vinegar.

Some facts that might clear up any misunderstanding about sulphites:
· Sulphites are a recognised food additive. Its use is governed by Federal legislation.
· All wine contains sulphite; even those labelled ‘no sulphite added’. All wine produces
sulphite naturally during fermentation, up to a level of about 10-PPM. Even with no addition
of outside sulphite, wine always contains it—it cannot be removed.
· The legally allowable amount of sulphite is 70-PPM FSO2 in dry table wine. The amount of
sulphite provided in Brew King wine kits is 15 to 20 PPM FSO2, at bottling.
· Nearly all dried fruits and meats contain sulphites. Raisins have up to 1250 PPM. Bacon,
orange juice, potato chips, cider, candied fruits, sausages, and even pancake syrup contains sulphite: often at levels higher than found in wine.
· The human body produces its own sulphite as a by-product of metabolic activity.

There is no such thing as a sulphite ‘allergy’. Allergic reaction is the body’s response to the
presence of foreign proteins. Sulphite is not a protein, and cannot cause an allergic response. What is commonly described as a ‘sulphite headache’ is a reaction to bio-amines. Bio-amines are compounds formed in wines for various reasons—the commonest being malolactic fermentation. Since wine kits don’t go through malolactic they have no bio-amines. This is not to say that sulphites are benign: the vapour that comes off a liquid solution smells sharply of sulphur matches and can irritate the throat and eyes. People with asthma or emphysema should avoid the vapour. It can act as a bronchial constrictor, aggravating any breathing problems.

A note on leaving out the sulphite: if you choose to do so, you must leave out any sorbate addition as well. Sorbate can be converted into another substance, called Hexadienol, by lactic-acid bacteria. These bacteria are suppressed by sulphite, but without it they flourish. Hexadienol, unfortunately, smells of rotting Geraniums.

The upshot is this: without sulphites you have to be very careful to keep all of your equipment sanitary and you still must to drink your wine quickly, before it spoils, probably within two months. If you choose not to add sulphite, no wine kit company will warrant its kits against spoilage.

If you’d like more information on sulphites and their effects, consult your family doctor, local
health authority, or regional allergy clinic."

Copyright Brew King, 2002. All rights reserved.

Contest winners ...
Thanks yet again to Brew King for supplying the prizes for the last contest. The winner of the Baron's beer mugs was Diane B. We had the best response ever for this contest, and I hope we get even more entries for this month's contest!

New summer contest ...
Well, we thought we would give away something every winemaker needs: a corkscrew. This one is a stainless steel corkscrew/bottle stopper combo, very elegant and sure to compliment your wine accesories collection. Sorry, you have to subscribe to enter the contest.

The coupons for September...
Sorry, you have to subscribe to get the coupons.

Thank you all for the feedback on the last newsletter, it's nice to know you enjoy it. I hope your long weekend goes well, and remember the kids are back in school on Tuesday, slow down and keep an eye out. Take care, and we'll see you next month right here in your inbox.

 

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