The Home Vintner Blog

Toronto U Brew

Paul Sass — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Visitors to BC may be familiar with the "U-Brew" concept, a store in which all the work is done for you and all you have to do is bottle the finished wine. Sounds like a good deal? Read on ...

I was in Toronto a couple of weeks ago, visiting a similar store in order to review some of their procedures. The thing I noticed above all is that some of these places are cutting corners in order to rush the wine out the door due to space restrictions and demands on the employee's time. Where they most often go off course is omitting the VIGOROUS stirring in the primary that is of the utmost importance! This of course undermines the quality of the product and the clients end up bottling substandard wine.

These stores are not legal in Alberta as of now, so for the time being we have to do all the work in our homes, ourselves. All the wines that the Home Vintner carries contain natural sugars from the grapes, which is difficult to dissolve, requiring extremely vigorous stirring in the primary fermentor. After stirring WELL, take a hydrometer reading, if it is low, stir, stir, stir again! You can lose about 25 per cent of the weight and character if stirring is not done thoroughly. A little extra time, care and vigilance at the stage will reward you with the most from your wine.

St Johns Newfoundland

Paul Sass — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I started here for a few days, in the oldest city in North America, founded in 1497 ! Discovering the rich history of this venerable area, one pint at a time, I was duly impressed by the fact that George Street has more bars per square foot than any other street on the continent. Is this merely coincidence, or a natural evolution? Water Street, the oldest road in North America, has it all -- lively music, great pubs, good beer...the better were the offerings from the Quidi Vidi brewery, very solid quality, the lesser of the local brew came from Storm Brewing (bland !) You can judge for yourself, do the usual tours and tastings to sample all.

Next would be Yellow Belly Brewery on the corner of George and Water. Five floors of character and home of my personal favourite, Fighting Irish Red Ale.

"Oh Newfoundland, dear Newfoundland...

I long once more to see,

So here's a toast to Newfoundland,

Wherever I may be. "

---From an original Newfoundland song, author unknown.

Edinburgh Scotland

Paul Sass — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Deacon Brodies Tavern is a pub I know well. In the past, not only many a pint here, but one of my daughters worked as a server here for a while. It makes a father proud when his kid can make a shamrock on a pint of Guinness!

There are so many old, classic pubs in this town, and it's certainly worth the effort to track them down, pint by pint. Not all have real ales, in some you have to ask for them, but the character of these pubs adds to the enjoyment of your pint.

As for Deacon Brodies, the Guinness and haggis are indeed comfort food in the drizzly Scottish weather!

A Battle Brewing in Scotland

Paul Sass — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

There is a brewing trend in Scotland, a crusade to reclaim the quality of beer in this country.

I am sitting in the Central Pub in St Andrews on the front lines, amongst a group of locals who recognise excellence in the service of cask ale (aka draught)

Self-proclaimed quality control enforcers, they routinely inspect pubs to check out the temperature, appearance, aroma and flavour at the point of dispense. They maintain that ONE of TWO pints are of poor quality. That's fifty per cent BAD BEER. Shocking.

Due to their findings, there is big push to promote real ales here, the types made the traditional way. Our Barons kits are in this category, made with wholesome food ingredients, fermented in the carboy once, and again in the bottle for natural carbonation.

If you want to experience the real ale style, try Barons Pale Ale, Redwood Ale, Golden Ale or Amber Ale. Real ale is a rich source of vitamins and has genuine health benefits, but the real reason to try this beer is, it tastes great!

Glasgow Pub Crawl

The Home Vintner — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Many of the pubs in Great Britain are closing due to lack of patronage. Pubs doing well are the ones focusing on quality real Ales. These beers have many flavours and a wide range of aromas - nuttiness/ apricot / burnt popcorn / grapefruit / honey / banana / pear / apple / prune / roasted chestnuts / chocolate and cherry. You cannot get this character in a "run of the mill" pint!

I still find some pubs here don't respect the proper handling of their brews, but most are taking more care as their patrons are demanding that they do.

All this beer research has inspired me to expand our beer extras for our Barons kits - a greater selection of hops and grains and liquid yeast - to let our Hop Heads experiment more with their brewing.

I am on my way back to Canada with a quick stop in St John's for a few pints. I have to get back to Calgary to get my own beer production going!

First Class in our newest store

Paul Sass — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

A huge shout out to Whitney for her excellent work starting up and running our newest Home Vintner location in Okotoks! Only open for a few weeks, this store has already hosted its first winemaking class and, despite the beautiful weather that evening, the response was fantastic. We're excited to begin planning more classes here very soon. Thanks again Whitney for your hard work and enthusiasm, we're happy to have you with us in the "big rock town".

ADHS Event

Paul Sass — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Home Vintner helped raise over $1000 for the Airdrie and District Humane Society by hosting a fun night of wine tasting featuring Paul's cheese and chocolate pairings.

This was the first annual even for ADHS and was quite a success. We are already planning to host another "Raise a Glass to the Animals" event again next year.

Rocky Mountain House Event

Paul Sass — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Rocky Mountain House residents have proven that, despite their relative isolation from the big city, they sure have the thirst for wine appreciation.

Another successful wine event was held recently at the local Home Vintner, and, due to the enthusiastic turn out, we will soon be setting up more events and wine/beer making classes to keep up with demand.

A Toast to the Bride & Groom

The Home Vintner — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Last weekend I flew to Ontario to attend my nephews wedding. My mission for the weekend – go to a local winery to choose the wine for the reception. The classic wine and food pairing comes into consideration but more importantly is the group of wine drinkers. The wine that you might personally choose to drink at your table for the evening may be quite different from the wine the whole room would enjoy. Softer tannin wines work well to appease all pallets and for whites slightly off dry styles will match most food pairings not to mention the wedding cake.

At a local winery I found an excellent Baco Noir, mid weight and well rounded and a classic Gewurztraminer. If you need to supply the wine for any festive occasion contact the staff at The Home Vintner for suggestions and take advantage of our expertise.

The Wow Factor With Wine and Chocolate

Paul Sass — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Our wine guild spent an evening with Brad, the chocolatier at Choklat discovering the secrets of what makes a truly great experience in the enjoyment of chocolate. Our group tasted various types of chocolate and then paired them with different wines that they had brought. The winning wines were our peach ice wine and our chocolate raspberry port. (Note both with be rereleased in the fall) Top quality wine deserves top quality chocolate. www.sochoklat.com

A Moment In Time

Paul Sass — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Argentina friends of my daughter stopped to rest on their journey travelling from the southern type of Argentina to Alaska. What is amazing is that they are driving a 40 year old Citroen. Not much money, 2 years working northward. We swapped travelling stories sorting through our English and Spanish. Worked our way through some of our Canadian beers to compare with our knowledge of South American brews. Moosehead Beaver Tail and Wild Rose, as Canadians we can be proud. Their philosophy: people always overestimate the value of money and underestimate the value of people. www.americaencitro.blogstop.com

Wine From Around The World

Paul Sass — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Home Vintner (cabin in the woods) recently hosted visitors Brian and Marie who have spent 3 years travelling around the world on their motorcycle. In celebration of the final leg of their trip back home to Montreal we searched our cellar to find wines from some of the countries where they had travelled. It makes us realize how global our selection of wines is – France, Italy, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand to name a few. We raised a glass in admiration of this determined young couples achievement. It is nice to know that the rest of us can enjoy these fine wines without the hardship of the road.

HOT TUBBING NOT JUST FOR ADULTS ANY MORE!

The Home Vintner — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Darius has the right idea - hot tubbing with a "cool one"! This is Ron's grandson, having himself a blast in his Rub A Dub Rent A Tub. A little too young for a Mint Mojito or a Strawberry Margarita, but he's got the right idea! Summer's coming, & Ron of the Northwest Calgary Store, has his Mojitos fermenting & Hot Tubs for rent -- all sizes -- as you can see!

WHAT DO WINE & HOCKEY HAVE IN COMMON APPARENTLY NOT MUCH!

The Home Vintner — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I was in Ontario last week, and had a chance to do some wine tasting. Wayne Gretzky and Dan Akroyd both opened Estate wineries in the Niagara region, and the opportunity arose to judge their attempts at Bordeaux style wines.
Similar vintages were chosen - 2006 / 2007 - for a side by side comparison. Gretzky should be given a game misconduct. Serve it on ice or not at all !
Dan Akroyd, on the other hand, should be given a warm applause for his attempt, but certainly not a standing ovation.
I did visit one of my favourite wineries in southern Ontario called Smith & Wilson, a small family owned vineyard , not far from the more famous Pelee Island Vineyards
on Lake Erie. If you happen to be in the area, be sure and stop in for a wine tasting! They just focus on wine , not hockey!
Mike Meyers also has a vineyard -- it is on my agenda for my next trip to Ontario.

Rocky Mountain House Wine Appreciation

The Home Vintner — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Spit (maybe not spit -- at least good wine)!

We had a fun and educational event at our Rocky Mountain House store on March 27, 2010 wine appreciation cheese, chocolate pairing class. The Home Vintner has moved people up to better wine kits available in the market. Now, we want our customers to get the most out of their wine.

Put us to the test. Check our website for further events.

Barons Secrets for Making Your Best Beer Ever Advanced Beer Making Class March 24 2010

NW Store - Ron Goodhew - full access — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Beer isn't just for breakfast anymore!

This group was very knowledgeable, well traveled, and experienced in many of the different styles of beer. Being Home Vintner customers, they already have high standards, but want to do more with their basic kits, twisting and turning Barons kits into different styles!

The Home Vintner's own Alan Hunt, Beer maker of the Year 2009, was in attendance. Alan loves to "talk beer"!

We judged the following styles of beer: classic Pilsner, European style Wheat beer, IPA, Amber, Innes & Gunne, Oatmeal Stout, Barley Wine, and paired them all with appropriate cheeses to enhance the enjoyment.

Our Home Vintner beer makers set the bar higher than anywhere else in the province!

Wine Guild Preparing for more Awards on March 6 2010

Paul Sass — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Home Vintner Wine Guild spent the day judging wines to move ahead into provincial competition. When almost all of the wines are of this excellent quality it makes selecting only the top four that much more difficult. Our Wine Guild is one of the most relaxed groups in the country but takes more of the awards. No wine snobs please, just people who get wine and enjoy it.

Wine Cheese and Chocolate and that other thing March 13 2010

Paul Sass — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Home Vintner officiated another private event we shared our knowledge about pairing the right cheese with the right wine and how chocolate enhances the taste of certain wines&nbsp Why do women love chocolate so much&nbsp We know

March 17 2010 NW Calgary Wine Making Class

NW Store - Ron Goodhew - full access — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Another classful of happy graduates of The Home Vintner. We feel that since we are selling the best wine available on the market, we need to teach our customers how to get the most of their hobby. For us, it is a simple equation: start with the best wine kits available, share our knowledge with the highest standards equals loyal customers who won’t tolerate 2^nd rate discount kits.

Groucho Marx Alive and Well in Olds!

The Home Vintner — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

This fun bunch in Olds found a unique and humourous way to protect their identity on the internet! Of all the classes I've done, this was one of my biggest surprises - they were such a light hearted fun - filled bunch. Thanks to Brenda, another group has been enlightened on pairing wine cheese and chocolate and now have the knowledge to host their own events at home.

February NE Store Wine Appreciation Event

Paul Sass — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Another good time had by all. The wine appreciation event at the NE store in February was a lot of fun. Even though the purpose of the evening was to educate it often feels like I’m officiating a party. We always have question and answer time, people often ask about vineyards that they have visited and about the wines that they have sampled. The bottom line is this, can I make the same wine at home? Chances are good that they can! The Home Vintnter supplying vineyards expand around the globe from Europe, North America, South America, South Africa and Australia. We enjoy the challenge of matching our customers with the special wine they are looking for.

Cochrane Wine Appreciation & Cheese Chocolate Pairing last Thursday night

Paul Sass — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

It’s always rewarding when someone in the class starts the evening claiming that wine all smells the same to me. And by the end of the class they are so excited because now they can pick out the different characteristics of the wines. “I can smell chocolate, black currents WOW! How did I miss that before? Does that cheese ever change the taste of that wine! I’ll never think about chocolate the same way again.”

Since we only bring in the best quality wine on the market we want our customers to judge it and to get the most enjoyment from the quality.

Rocky Mountain House Wine Making Class

Paul Sass — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Last Saturdays “Beginner Wine Making Class” (Feb 19) at Rocky Mountain House was another great success. The local community there has embraced quality wines and an insatiable thirst for more knowledge. We have the products that satisfy those who have set high standards in their wine making.

Next event at Rocky will be a wine appreciation night where we will be instructing the class on how to judge wine and then how to match wine with the right cheese and chocolate. Tentative date is March 27, watch for more info on this as participants will need to pre-register with Wende.

2 Great Chilean Wines

Paul Sass — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

This week our staff enjoyed a tasting of 2 of our Chilean wines, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. For a quest of more knowledge of Chilean wines I recently went to Chile with my 2 daughters. The wine regions in the foothills of the Andes produces a fruit forward softer tannin style of wine.

The Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon - red and black berries accented with black pepper carries through from start to finish, a very good wine with pepper steaks and spicy pasta.

The Chilean Carmenere – deep crimson with dark cherry aroma, red fruits and berry notes running to a smoky, spicy finish with notes of cark chocolate and tobacco.

With softer tannins both of these Selection wines are good on the younger side, so a great choice for those who are starting to grow a wine collection.

Stags Leap a great addition to any wine cellar

Paul Sass — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Ron brought in a bottle of Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Merlot for a staff tasting. Nicely aged since 2006 the silky smooth structure with fruit forward flavours of plums and red berries was accented with spice notes. Reminded me of my field trip to research wines in Napa Valley. It is easy to see why we have a following for this wine - well worth cellaring to bring out its true nature.

Rockin in Rocky Mountain House

Paul Sass — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Our newest store and fastest growing thanks to Wende was packed last Saturday afternoon. The wine and beer community at Rocky is developing a knowledgeable appreciation of the art of making fine wines and micro brewery calibre beers at home. Blog tip - the secret to making great wine is patience.

In February we are planning another wine and beer making class, dates will be announced soon.

Wine Making Class last Thursday NE Store

Paul Sass — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Another full house - a blend of experienced wine makers and novices. We find that experienced wine and beer makers are appreciative of the knowledge they gain even in our beginning class. Of special interest was solving the CO2 dilema in Calgary.

Barometer pressure is increasing so this week wine should be progressing nicely.

Great Wine Making Class last night at the NW Store

Paul Sass — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Last night we had a full house at our wine making class at our North West Store. Everyone enjoyed the good selection of wines along with cheeses and crackers. The focus in January is, "Raising the standard of everyone's expectations in wine and beer making".

Looking forward to another free wine making class on Thursday night in the North East store and another one Saturday at Rocky Mountain House..

February's focus is educational with classes on Wine Tasting and Judging along with Wine Pairing with cheeses and chocolate.

Barometric pressure is still low so be patient with your wines.

Barometric pressure

Paul — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

For those of you making wine this weekend, there has been a dramatic drop in barometric pressure again. Things will be slow to clear and slow to ferment, be patient.

This is our very first blog entry. In this blog we plan on keeping you updated on changes in the store, new wine discoveries, and the travels of staff and customers. If you have any wine-related travel stories, please send them in and we will share them with our customers. We always enjoy hearing first-hand about various wineries throughout the world.

We have discovered that you can fly upside down and still keep a wine glass on the dash of your airplane.. empty, of course.