Welcome to 2010

Dear %displayname%,

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS!  We thank you for your past patronage and look forward to serving you with all your winemaking needs in 2010 and beyond. 

CHEERS!

Trevor Jordan (Owner / Passionate Winemaker)

January Specials

WINE KIT CLEARANCE.  OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW.

We’ve had a very busy bottling season and now our wine room is empty and our stock room is full.  Time to mix more wines!  Take 20% OFF all regular priced, regular stock wine kits.  Save from $13 to $36 on regular stocked wine kit purchases for a limited time.  Pre-ordered LIMITED EDITION wine kits are excluded from this special. 

No phone orders please.  Customers must be present to provide a signature on mixing day.  Regular wine storage fee applies to all wines when made in our store.  Special ends Saturday January 23 / 2010.

Limited Edition 2009

The first round of Limited Edition wine kits are now in our store.  South African Shiraz and California Lake County Trio Blanca.  Those of you who pre-ordered these special wine kits can stop by to pick up or mix these wines at your earliest convenience.  For those who missed the pre-order deadline back in December, not to worry.  We have extras on hand.  Price per wine kit is $131.95 take home, and $194.99 made in store.  Read about all five Limited Edition wine kits HERE.

BONUS:  Mix any regular stocked wine kit in our store on the same day as your Limited Edition, and take an additional 5% off the already reduced price of the second kit.  This is a bonus savings of $16 to $45 depending on the quality of the second wine kit chosen. 

Website

DiVine Wines has a newly launched website.  Visit www.divinewinesnb.com to see all our products, pricing, tips, wine ideas, testamonials and much more.  If there is anything you would like to see added, or if you have any likes or dislikes, please feel free to post your comments on the contact page.

Facebook

DiVine Wines is now on facebook.  Click here to visit our fan page.  Become a fan of DiVine Wines and receive early notification and/or Facebook only notification of special offers.

Tip of the month: cooking with wine.

The idea behind cooking with wine is to intensify and enhance the flavour of food.  Think of wine like a sort of “super-condiment” that compliments your dish.  The alcohol in wine also releases flavours in food that otherwise would not come out.  Keep in mind that commercial “Cooking Wines” are made from the cheapest bulk wine, and includes high levels of salt that adversely affects flavours, so you’re lucky you’ve got your own cellar to draw from!  If you’d like your own wine to do more in your kitchen than just accompany that roast, here are a few tips for cooking with wine:

• Your least expensive wine will not bring out the best characteristics of food.  It’s actually a good idea to cook only with wine you would enjoy drinking.  If you don’t like the flavour of the wine in the glass, you won’t like it in the food either.
• For best results, wine should not be added to a dish just before serving.  The wine should simmer with the food or sauce, to meld the flavours and enhance the dish.  If added late in the preparation, it could seem harsh or sharp.  Wine also needs time to meld with food, so always wait at least 10 minutes to taste before adding more wine, which could overpower the dish.
• Don’t cook with aluminum or cast iron pans with wine, as these metals can impart a flavour to acidic sauces.  Stick with non-reactive cookware such as enamel, stainless steel, or non-stick pans.
• Alcohol doesn’t actually “burn off” in cooking.  That’s a process that takes many hours.  Keep this in mind if you have a guest who’s avoiding alcohol.

Talking Turkey?  Choosing a wine to go with a roast bird, cranberries, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, yams and all the other good stuf is impossible.  All those flavours need at least three varieties, and each has to be agile enough to work with a wide range of taste challenges.  Your best bet is to choose a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, an off-dry Riesling and a flexible red, like Vieux Chateau du Roi, Bergamais, or Tempranillo.  When all else fails, don’t worry:  choose a wine people will enjoy drinking, and let the food fall in behind:  chances are your guests will love whatever you choose to share with them.

MEMORABLE QUOTE: I love to cook with wine.  Some times I even put it in the food (W.C. Fields).