Friday, February 25, 2011

March Into Spring

Saturday & Sunday, March 19th & 20th, 2011:

March Into Spring

GREEN OPEN HOUSE
Noon to 5 P.M.

In-Store Specials on all wines with Green Labels Wines,

Plus Vintage Tastings
&
Hors D’Ouevres.

**Wear green and enter to win an Erie Shore Vineyard Green Gift Basket!**
$5/person




Saturday, February 19, 2011

Genetic Diversity in Wine Grapes

...."75 percent of the varieties were as closely related as parent and child or brother and sister. “Previously people thought there were several different families of grape,” Dr. Myles said. “Now we’ve found that all those families are interconnected and in essence there’s just one large family.”
Thus merlot is intimately related to cabernet franc, which is a parent of cabernet sauvignon, whose other parent is sauvignon blanc, the daughter of traminer, which is also a progenitor of pinot noir, a parent of chardonnay. ".... 
Read more...New York Times

A Wine Cellar for your Home-

"Most wine cellars run between $6,000 and $12,000. No matter how much money you're spending on your cellar, there are certain precautions and considerations to factor in to ensure your vino keeps perfecto.
Keeping an optimum humidity level is integral to wine cellars because extreme high humidity of 70 per cent or more with no air movement can be a recipe for bacteria and mould.
It can also cause valuable wine labels to peel off, rendering expensive vintages worthless. Instead of spending thousands on a separate humidification system, most homeowners opt to invest in a climate-control system, says Arnel Marchand, owner of Koolspace Wine Cellars in Calgary.
"You want the humidity to be consistent," says Marchand. "Climate control systems work to raise humidity to 60 per cent, and gets rid of any humidity over 65 per cent. Climate control systems for cellars operate at a lower temperature and are designed to move the air a lot more. They run about 60 to 70 per cent of the time."
Insulation is another key factor. When you're building a wine cellar, you're essentially building a fridge. Therefore, the better insulation you have, the less temperature fluctuation will occur, in the cellar and the better your wine will keep.
Insulation requirements are determined by the outside wall area the cellar will occupy and the depth of the cellar below grade. The best type of insulation is sprayed-in-place two-pound polyurethane. However, this is a more costly option.
The second best option is insulation baths fitted into the stud cavities. This means the outside walls and ceiling joists, which can be difficult sometimes given the placement of plumbing pipes, ductwork, electrical wirings, etc.
And, of course, what's a cellar without storage?
"If possible, the racking design should be determined before cellar construction commences," says Durst. "The walls can then be proportioned to the exact size of your racking layout, thereby giving the racks the look of a true custom installation. This is for both walls and ceiling height.
"Racks should be chosen according to your collecting style. Depending upon your budget, design ideals and available cellar space, you can use a modular, premium, custom or vintageview racking/ storage systems."


T H I N G S T O REMEMBER

. Control humidity levels
. Have good air circulation
. Apply effective insulation
.-Try to implement good rack design
-Use nonaromatic wood like a hardwood such as mahogany or cherry
. Include inventory control system
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Monday, February 7, 2011

Festival of Ice- February 12 & 13

We invite you to join us for the:
Festival of Ice 2011 Open House
Saturday & Sunday, FEBRUARY 12TH & 13TH
FROM 1 – 5 PM 
$5 admission gives you a choice of:

-One ounce of either:
2006 VQA Vidal Icewine
2008 VQA Cabernet Icewine
-2 ounces of either:
2008 Fire & Ice
2006 Vidal Winter Harvest

2006 Winter Harvest Cabernet

 -5 oz Erie Shore Vineyard Table Wine
Also:
FESTIVAL OF ICE SPECIAL:
2008 VQA CABERNET ICEWINE WITH GIFT BOX

REGULAR $29.95 ON SPECIAL FOR $19.95
2 DAYS ONLY!
OTHER IN-STORE SPECIALS!
You can also enter to win an Erie Shore Vineyard Gift,
As well as a grand prize from all SWOVA wineries!