A Glass of Red Wine a Day, Keeps The Doctor Away

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I am sure you have heard red wine is good for your heart, but do you know why?

Many doctors agree a minimal amount of red wine each night can result in heart-healthy benefits, and it is because of resveratrol.

Resveratrol is a chemical found in various plants, including the skin of red grapes, and reaches the blood stream about 30 minutes after being consumed. It is an antioxidant that also has anti-inflammatory properties contributing to the heart-healthy benefits in red wines.

The effects of resveratrol were originally studied because of the French paradox, a puzzling fact that people in France, who enjoy a high-fat diet (rich cheeses and buttery croissants) seemed to suffer less heart disease than Americans.

After many studies, researchers believe that the amount of resveratrol in a glass of red wine each night may help prevent fat accumulation and reduce insulin resistance.  This can therefore lower bad cholesterol by protecting the lining of blood vessels, which lowers the risk of inflammation and clotting, preventing diabetes and obesity.

A four-ounce glass of wine is equivalent to one serving.  Generally speaking, men would benefit from consuming one to two glasses per day, while woman should consume just one serving per day to gain maximum benefits.  Those who consume three or more drinks per day increase their risk for “elevated serum triglycerides” (fat in the bloodstream), which can do long-term damage to the nerve cells in the liver and the pancreas.

So as the holidays approach, enjoy a glass or two of red wine guilt-free.

It’s Harvest Time Again

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It’s that time of year again!  August, September and October are the busiest time for winemakers; it is prime time for the annual grape harvest for most wineries around the world.

Grapes increase in sugar levels the longer they are left on the vine. For this reason, sparkling wine grapes and white wine grapes are harvested first to ensure lower sugar levels.  Red wine grapes take longer to mature, so they are sent to crush next. Finally, ice wine grapes are harvested last and sent to crush.

There are two traditional methods wineries practice when getting grapes ready for crush, hand-harvesting, mechanical harvesting or sometimes a combination of the two.  Hand-harvesting allows more accurate selection and does a better job of protecting the grape’s juice content from eliminating damaged skins, which results in oxidation.

Mechanical harvesting is more efficient, especially for larger vineyards and usually more cost-effective.

The United States, Italy, France and Australia are a few countries among the many different countries that produce wine grapes.  A winter that is cool with good moisture, a moderate spring and a summer with temperate days and cool nights is ideal weather for growing grapes.

Weather has a remarkable impact on how the grapes grow, which greatly affects the quality of the wine. If you would like to learn more about grapes and wine be sure to check out Zin-Zig, our wine tasting trivia game that is a not only a great way to learn, but fun as well!

If you are interested in creating your own backyard winery, check out From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine.  From breaking ground to savoring the finished product, Jeff Cox’s From Vines to Wines is the most complete and up-to-date guide to growing flawless grapes and making extraordinary wine.

Oktoberfest!

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Attracting anywhere from 5 to 6 million visitors each year to Munich, Germany, Oktoberfest was officially the world’s largest fair in 2012.

Oktoberfest was originally the celebration of a Bavarian royal Wedding in 1810. It became an annual tradition as a result of the immense amount of people who congregated and rejoiced with the family.

Oktoberfest was originally celebrated with an annual horse-race, and evolved into amusement rides, including the first horse carrousel, local vendors and street performers.  Drawing in more and more individuals each year, Oktoberfest continued to progress appealing to many different cultures.

Currently in Munich, Oktoberfest is a 16 day festivity, celebrated this year from September 22 to October 7.  The festivities began with a parade led by the mayor throughout the fairgrounds to the tapping of the first beer keg.  The ceremonial tapping of the first beer keg is the official start to Oktoberfest.  Promptly done at noon, the keg was tapped and everyone shouted O’zapft is! (“It’s tapped!”).

Best known for the array of beer tents, all beers served at Oktoberfest were about 6% alcohol, brewed within the Munich city limits. Oktoberfest also entertained guests with amusement rides, performers, vendor booths with gastronomic delights and customary garments worn by many.

Munich will forever host the original and most traditional Oktoberfest, but is now imitated by over 100 countries, and is celebrated in different ways all over the world.

Is there an Oktoberfest near you?

If you missed out on the festivities this year, host your own Oktoberfest with our True Fabrications™ beer accessories, including assorted bottle openers, beer bands and kits to brew your own, guaranteeing  superlative products for a remarkable time.

Mr. Beer Home Brewing Kit

 

Find the Perfect Wine-Anytime, Anywhere

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Have you ever walked through the wine aisle and had no idea what wine would complement the steaks you are marinating for dinner?  Or reminisced about that glass of wine you had last night that tasted of sweet red berries, plums, tomatoes and cherries but could not remember the name?

These top 5 apps will eliminate these problems right in the palm of your hand, and are perfect for every wine lover.

Wine Enthusiast Guide App has the ability to instantly transform your iPhone into a wine connoisseur.  Adding approximately 500 qualified reviews each month, the Wine Enthusiast Guide App gives you easy access to up-to-date details, ratings, reviews and retail prices for over 100,000 wines worldwide for $3.99.

Snap a photo of the label of your favorite bottle of wine and Snooth Wine App will do the rest.  This free image-based app can find wine stores near you, organize and store wines you have tasted and reviewed, or let’s you browse popular vintages.  Upgrade to Snooth Wine Pro for $4.99 to eliminate advertisements.

CellarApp has the ability organizes all the wines you love and the wines you hate by a list of names and vintages- your entire cellar in the palm of your hand for $4.99.

Hello Vino App is a free wine pairing and suggestion tool right at your fingertips.   Hello Vino offers an easy-to-use “Question & Answer” option giving you the ability to identify what wine to pair with a meal, buy for a special occasion, what is perfect for holidays or what flavor will satisfy your taste preferences at that moment.

Once you have decided what you are going to serve at your next dinner party, or what you want to order when you are out at that fancy dinner, be confident with how you are going to PairIt!  This interactive app for $4.99 suggests matches for over 180 varietals with 1,000 food items reducing all questions you may have about what to pair with your next dinner.

We would love to hear about your favorite wine apps!

The 4th Quarter is Just Around the Corner

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Although temperatures may have you fooled that summer is still here, next week marks the beginning of the 4th quarter. We don’t have to tell you how important it is to be ready this time of year to capture as much business as possible. Here at True Fabrications, we’re getting prepared in order to service your business to our best abilities this holiday season.

Our Winter 2012 catalog has been out for a month and we hope you’ve had a chance to take a look at all of our new products. If you haven’t seen your copy of the winter catalog, please give us a call, and we will gladly send you a new one. We highly recommend taking a look at the new wine aerator line by Host Studios. Host has 2 different aerator styles that we will be featuring. The first aerator is the In bottle Deluxe Aerator and Pourer. The ease of in-bottle use, combined with exceptionable aerating capabilities make this a great gift for the holidays. The second host aerator is the Adjustable Aerator which features a dial that allows the wine drinker to dial in the exact hours of decanting time they would like the aerator to perform. Like every person’s tastes, every wine is different Using the Host aerators allows you to customize your level of aeration to make sure you enjoy the perfect glass, every time.

As you make your way through the catalog, we would also like to bring your attention to the addition of many new holiday and Christmas themed wine bags. Due to many requests from you, we went out of our way to create multiple pages of new wine bag designs. Enjoy!

 

Mix it up With In-Store Events

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Driving foot traffic into your store is the main goal of your advertising and marketing efforts. I recently read a good article on the wesite retailminded.com regarding the importance of holding in-store events to boost traffic and help create added buzz around your business. The article suggests that while a great location, personable staff, and a quality mix of products will help your store succeed, having unique and special events can help drive your sales to the next level. Check out this article to see 3 great reasons to host in-store events.

The article emphasizes the importance of inviting as many people as possible to the event. Emailing customers and tools like facebook are great ways to generate buzz for events. Facebook is no longer just for college kids keeping in touch with their friends. Businesses, bands, authors and other people trying to sell their goods are using facebook to reach consumers like never before. If your business is not on facebook, you are missing a big opportunity to maximize your exposure to the general public. Whether or not your facebook followers and the people in your email address book can attend your event, everyone appreciates being thought of. So, remember to invite as many people as possible. Reaching out to your customers, even though they may not be able to attend, will keep your store fresh in their minds.

In store events are great because they mix up the day to day routine in your store. The article also suggested focusing on events that are not based around sales. Consider bring in musical acts, food vendors to pair with wines, or anything else that you can do to enhance the experience of visiting your store. We often hear from our customers about how they incorporate True Fabrications’ products into their store’s events. We would love to hear from you about successful events you’ve tried in your store.

Innovations in the Wine Industry

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I stumbled across an article the other day about the implementation of “wine vending machines” in restaurants. At first, this may sound a bit crass. But these state-of-the-art machines allow patrons to enjoy a glass of wine that has been preserved in its original, just-opened condition for up to 30 days.

Restaurant owners and wine drinkers both can rejoice with the implementation of these “vending machines’.  It allows wine lovers to enjoy a glass of a more expensive vintage, as opposed having to purchase the entire bottle. At the same time, restaurants are able to manage the inventories of their high-end wines while reducing waste. Unfortunately, these machines are likely to cost the restaurant upwards of $5,000.

Beer is no longer alone as an option for kegged alcohol as another innovation in wine drinking is evolving out of California restaurants. Wine on tap is not a new concept but it has been both implemented and rejected in the US in the 70s and 80s. However, wine kegs have made a comeback are beginning to open up a new market for wineries and putting a new spin in the wine industry.

Kegged wine has numerous advantages including being more environmentally conscious with the use of less materials, keeping wine tasting the way it was intended to taste, and being a less expensive alternative to bottling. That aside, the question remains is whether or not the average wine drinker can mentally overcome the stigma attached to drinking wine from a keg rather than the bottle.

Personally, whether my glass of chardonnay comes from a “vending machine” or a keg, as long as it’s chilled and tastes fresh, I’m a happy oenophile. Cheers!

The Younger Generation

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How do you get more traffic into your store? Do you add new products frequently to keep inventory fresh? Offer large discounts? Stand a guy outside with a sign pointing people toward your business? Or, do you attempt to engage a larger audience? If you chose the last idea, you might be on to something that many in the wine business are slow to adopt. The millennial age group (21-35) is an often overlooked demographic by the wine industry. Counted as the second largest group of wine drinkers, (ages 55-64 comes in at #1) approaching and engaging the millennial generation is a great way to expand your customer base.

An article titled “Marketing Wine to the Next Generation” inspired this blog post. The post describes how perplexed, young people can become frustrated by wine and end up with a “screw it, let’s just get drunk” attitude.   To prevent this, a connection must be made with the younger consumer. To approach this group, “Good wine is not nearly enough, an experience must be provided as well”.

Does your business offer activities tailored for younger consumers? As a member of the wine and spirits industry, consider holding tastings targeted towards younger wine drinkers and apply your expertise by teaching wine basics. Helping them understand wine will allow them to appreciate the contents of their glass, and get them away from the “let’s get drunk attitude” Target the millennial age group in your advertisements and offer a discount to the young people that participate. Events offering musical entertainment and food are also a great way to engage the millennial demographic. Wine can be confusing, and working to make it as accessible as possible will allow you to capture this expanding group of wine drinkers. We would love to hear about any activities you’ve created to reach out to the millennial demographic of wine drinkers.

True Fabrications Adds Some Flavor

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True Fabrications would like to welcome two new product lines to the catalog. We are very excited to carry Mama Lil’s products and Demitri’s bloody Mary seasonings and rimming salts.

Mama Lil’s peppers and relish are made from organically grown peppers from Washington State. Each type of pepper/relish features a distinct flavor profile as a result of their oils and spices. Mama Lil’s products are used regularly by many well respected restaurants across the Pacific Northwest. The creator of these peppers says they have a shelf life that can last for years. He believes “they hit their peak at 7 years in the jar. The true fabrications team had the opportunity to take these peppers home and try them out We were all very impressed with this product. We highly encourage giving these peppers/spreads a try. We would love to hear the recipe you created using these products.

Our second product, Demitri’s, is perfect for anyone who loves a good bloody mary. Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning is a concentrate seasoning that is added to tomato juice. Mixed with Vodka, Demitri’s makes an excellent bloody mary. These seasonings come if 4 different flavors: original, chilies & peppers, chipotle & habanero, and horseradish. We’ve been told Demitri’s makes a great rub/seasoning for barbecuing and grilling as well.

We are very eager to be carrying these products and introducing them to our customers.

ZinZig The Wine Tasting Board Game

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ZinZig, the wine tasting and trivia game, is the newest board game to the market. What makes it special? The game was designed by wine lovers, for wine lovers. Drinking wine is a sensory experience and every aspect of the game was designed to replicate that.

The game will challenge both your mind and your palate. Compete individually or in teams against other players to taste your way to the winning winery on the center of the board.

Players begin the game with a wine tasting (so far so good right?). Every player will sample each type of wine and make notes of the varietal, the vintage, the region or country of origin, and the winery or vineyard. Players will be tested on this information throughout the game later. Each bottle is then covered with the included bottle covers before starting the game.

Throughout the game play, players will avert disasters, swap and steal resources, and test how much they really know about wine. With over 250 trivia questions and blind wine tasting cards, ZinZig can be played over and over again.

Players from any experience level can benefit from the wide range of trivia questions covering topics from pop culture, to the wine-making process, to famous varietals. So whether you’re a novice or a sommelier, we guarantee you’ll learn something new every time you play.

From the cork player pieces to the playful illustrations on the board, ZinZig makes wine fun and easy to not only enjoy, but also learn about, one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world.

Happy playing!