July 27, 2012
A lot of people come into the store and say “Hi Bruce, what’s new?” Well, the answer is … a lot of things are new. We have new equipment to make your life easier, new cocktail mixes to make your summer more fun and the we have New & Improved Vintners Reserve and World Vineyard to make your wine better!
For your patio pleasure, we have the Still Spirits Cocktail Pouches. Just mix with 2 cups of white wine
and top up to 1 litre with water and you can instantly enjoy your choice of Lime Margarita, Pina Colada, Strawberry Daquiri, or Seabreeze.
We have 1 litre Green Bordeaux wine bottles. Only 2 dozen needed to bottle a batch which saves time when bottling. They use a standard cork so you can use the same corks and corker you’re used to.
We have the new Bottle Bin. It is a sturdy bottle holder that holds 15 bottles with handles that makes it very easy to carry. The bins are made of recycled plastic. Great for taking wine to the lake.
And just arrived we have the 4 litre Wine Boxes. The boxes are reusable and
recyclable. The bags are pre sterilized and each bag holds just over 5 bottles- a great way to save time when bottling! Great for entertaining or for taking wine to the lake.
Finally – the New and Improved Winexpert Vintners Reserve and World Vineyard wine kits. Vintners Reserve is in the new Green boxes while the World Vineyard are in the new purple boxes. How new and improved you ask? The kits have been completely deconstructed and reformulated to be the best 4 week wine kits on the market. You can expect:
-A fuller mouth feel 
-Improved aromatics
-Stronger varietal character
-Improved tannin profile
-Bolder, more expressive oak
-Enhanced alcohol levels
Come on in and I’ll be happy to show you “What’s new”!
Cheers,
Bruce, Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina Hwy)
Filed under: New Products by WineSense
July 20, 2012
The temperature is rising, upwards to 40c with the humidex. What does this mean? Everyone is using their air 
conditioners. What does the air conditioner do? Cools the house.
Although the house is now comfortable for you, it is not for any wines you have fermenting. The result is that wine’s temperature will drop which can effect your fermentation rate, your wines ability to clear and can make it more difficult to degas.
Remember, your house’s thermostat is only accurate in the room/area that it’s in. If your thermostat is in a warmer area of your home- the temperature is going to be even cooler in the other areas of your home as the air conditioner churns out it’s sweet relief.
My advise is to use a Brew Belt. This handy electric belt wraps around your fermenters and raises the temperature of the must to aid in fermentation. I make wine in my basement and I use a Brew Belt.
Note: A Digital Thermometer is a great way to easily get an accurate measure of the temperature of your carboy. The stick directly on your fermenters and can be read at a glance.
Enjoy the weather!
Cheers,
Bruce, Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina Hwy)
Filed under: General, Equipment by WineSense
July 13, 2012
It’s official! Summer is here and it is HOT outside. When the weather is this warm I like to enjoy the sunshine by sipping on a nice chilled wine- like the Selection French Rosé or one of my dwindling stock of Limited Edition Pacific 
Quartet.
How do I keep these wines nicely chilled on a hot day you ask? My secret is ICE. I have an aluminium ice bucket to keep the bottle of wine cool, and I will put a cube or two of ice in my glass of wine to keep the wine chilled while I enjoy it.
Now you’re asking is it good wine etiquette to put ice cubes in wine? For some styles like a crisp French Rose ice is perfectly acceptable and for Niagara Mist and Island Mist ice is required!
A little nervous about breaking the ‘rules of etiquette’ ? Make some ice cubes out of wine and you’re ready to go!
But most importantly- however You enjoy your wine… it’s acceptable 😉
Enjoy the warm weather!
Cheers,
Bruce, Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina Hwy)
Filed under: General, Wine by WineSense
