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For all of you who utilize CO2 in your beverage serving or carbonation of your favorite beverage we are happy to be a partner with Party Rental to provide a CO2 Cylinder Exchange Program. To enter the program all you need to do is to initially purchase a tank (we have them in store) for $149.00 + GST. When you need to get some more CO2 just bring back your empty tank and we will exchange it for a full tank at a cost of $35.00 plus GST.
At this time, we are not selling regulators (the part that attaches to the CO2 tank) but if the demand is there, we can look at sourcing them from our supplier.
We are also using this CO2 in our sparkling wine production.
Sparkling Wine Update
Since the last news letter, we have made our first batch of sparkling white zinfandel. The first taste was less than impressive so we made some adjustments to the carbonation equipment and tried again. The second attempt was better but still not where we need it to be. So, the experiments are continuing. Research and Development is a great part of our work here in the Cellar.
Bottling will be different than what you have been accustomed to with your still wine. We will be using a floor hand corker. A little manual work with this one. The corks are larger and the usual corker isn’t designed to insert them. Like a lot of new equipment, you have to get used to how it operates. I only broke the first three bottles before I got one not to break. The corks themselves are different than what you are used to as well. The first one I got to go in properly didn’t mushroom like you would expect from a sparkling bottle of wine. It was more like you stuffed a cork back in a bottle with your hand. It stuck out a bit but not the way we were expecting. Again, further experimentation is required with the corker before we offer it to our customers.
We are also reaching out to our fellow vintners to see if they have some sage advice to offer us to speed up the process of getting it all figured out.
Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new opportunity.
Wine of The Month – Petite Syrah
This varietal produces a big, robust, deep red wine with good aging potential. Because of its higher tannin levels, it is well suited to the amateur looking for a hefty red with substantial body. It is sometimes blended with Zinfandel to add some zest and complexity. Petite Syrah (or Durif, as the French call it) was first discovered in the vineyards of botanist Francois Durif shortly before 1868 in eastern France (by Grenoble). The grape is a natural cross between Syrah and the even more rare: Peloursin
Serving: A slightly cooler temperature (65 ºF) will deliver more floral and mineral aromas along with Petite Syrah’s characteristic bold fruit.
Comparable Wines: Syrah, Red Zinfandel
Pairing: Suits roasted vegetables, fowl and red meats.
Oak: Medium Body: Full Aging: 6-9 months
Available In: Supreme Sterile Juice Only
We enjoyed a bottle of Petite Syrah last evening with some stuffed peppers, hot sauce, and a cheddar cheese melt on top. So good!!
Trivia Question
What covering protects corks and contributes to the look of a wine bottle?
Answer is at the bottom of the last page of the newsletter
Recipe of the Month
Port and Cherry frozen pops
Ingredients/ Instructions
2 cups fresh or frozen cherries, cut in half, stem and pit removed
1/2 cup Vintner’s Cellar Port
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 cup coconut milk (this makes them creamy don’t omit)
1. In a small saucepan, heat cherries, port, water, sugar, and lime juice over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until cherries are softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
2. Puree cherry mixture in a blender. This should make about 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Pour liquid into a bowl or glass measuring cup and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator.
3. Pour coconut milk into a small saucepan and add sugar. Allow sugar to dissolve into coconut milk over low heat. Once sugar is dissolved remove pan from heat.
4. Combine the cherry-wine liquid and the coconut milk in a pitcher or large measuring cup that will allow for easy pouring into popsicle molds. You should have about 1 3/4 cup of liquid total. Fill popsicle molds.
5. Let popsicles set in freezer for at least 8 hours. To remove popsicles from mold, run cool water over popsicle mold for about 60 seconds. You'll see the popsicle start to release from the sides of the mold, then you can gently remove the popsicle.
Answer to this month’s trivia question is Capsule or foil.
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