I have never been a fan of Ice Wines or wines with sweetness levels above 1. However, when I tried the Selection Speciale Okanakgan Peach Ice Wine from a few years ago, it was love at first taste.

If you like peaches you will love Okanagan Peach Icewine!

I recently removed a carboy of the 2008 release of the Selection Speciale Peach Icewine  from my cellar which has been bulk aging for 2 years. I was shocked by its deep, amber, peach colour and even more delighted by its sensuous mouth feel and its lingering taste of peach pie. If you like peaches, peach desserts or peach pie, give this kit a try.

I’m very pleased that it has been released again this year (it was not available in 2009). This Gold Medal winning treat will not disappoint.

Cheers,

Blaine (Wine Sense- Southdale Square)

-Contact your favourite Wine Sense location to reserve your Selection Speciale Okanagan Peach Icewine.

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Filed under: New Products, Wine by Craig

It’s always nice when new gadgets come along and the Auto-Syphon Clamp is long overdue. I’m sure most winemakers are aware of the Siphon Clip- the little red clip that attaches to your siphon combo and secures it to your pail or carboy. It allows you to ‘hover’ the end of your syphon over the sediment bed so you don’t pull in any sediment while syphoning.

The Clamp- holding the Auto-Syphon to a Primary Fermenter

The Auto-Syphon Clamp works exactly the same in that it clips onto pails and carboys. The bonus is that it is designed specifically to fit the Auto-Syphon – something the red Syphon Clip could never do. You can now use your Auto-Syphon when filtering and bottling or filling your Wine-On-Tap system (which are on sale until July 24th!) 

I’ve had an Auto-Syphon for years but have never used it to bottle because it stirs up the sediment too much- which ends up in the bottle or plugs your filter pads. Now that problem has been solved and for the low price of $3.99 you can have one too.

If you don’t have an Auto-Syphon pop on down to your favourite Wine Sense location and we’ll be happy to show you how it operates… no more having to suck on your syphon to get it started!

Cheers,

Bob, Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield Rd.)

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Filed under: Equipment, New Products by Craig

Winexpert often has the opportunity to secure small amounts of very special raw materials. These raw materials are unique and deserve special attention. The grapes are either unique varieties, come from special regions, or can be combined to produce exciting blends. The result is the ‘Small Lots’ program.

This year we have a Meritage blend which is a combination of two or more “noble” Bordeaux varieties. Our Meritage 3 Continents is a blend of Petit Verdot from Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon from California, and Merlot from Chile. Meritage wines historically are prized for their smooth, silky texture and robust structure. The ‘Small Lots’ Meritage 3 Continents has flavours of blackfruit, soft notes of licorice, and hints of cedar and chocolate. I’m tasting it already!

Chardonnay is becoming one of the most popular grapes in BC, and has become a sought after wine. The ‘Small Lots’ BC Chardonnay provides us with the unique opportunity to choose the style of Chardonnay we wish to have. Keep the oak out to create an un-oaked ‘New-World’ style- crisper and more fruit forward. Alternatel you can add the oak creating a more traditional style bringing out some of the vanilla notes and extending the finish. I’m going to add the oak!

I’ll be making one of each as I don’t want to miss this opportunity.

If you buy yours before May 22^nd you’ll receive a FREE $15 Wine Sense Gift Card!

We only have a few left and once they are gone that’s it- thus the name ‘Small Lots’…

Cheers,

Victor- Manager (McPhillips)

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Filed under: New Products by Craig

Twisted Mist is back in stock at Winexpert and more is being shipped to Wine Sense right now. Although some Wine Sense locations may be low or out of stock right now- all should be back to normal by Thursday or Friday of this week.

The sales of Twisted Mit have been simply amazing. For those of you who don’t know you what Twisted Mist is- you can now make your own Mojito and Strawberry Margaritas! Click here for more details.

Many of you must be close to bottling at this time, and it would be to your best interest to review the instructions. The one big difference is that the fruit pack is added at bottling time. Also, the finished product will have a cloudy appearance. The final product should look this way- so do not worry. 

One other interesting note in the instructions concerns degassing. They suggest that after you have completed the degassing phase that you siphon some wine into your test jar- halfway is good. Insert a solid bung or cover with your clean hand and give a good shake. If you hear a pop or puff of gas then you should continue degassing. If the wine foams up but no pop of gas then you have completed the task. I think this is a great idea and should be applied to all wine kits.

Cheers

Bob- Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield Rd)

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Filed under: New Products by Craig