BITTERS & GRAPES
volume seven l number nine l december 2002
COURTICE LOCATION

Christmas Beer!
There are many recipes to help a home brewer make a special Christmas beer. The following is a guideline for turning your favourite home brew into a festive beer:
Make up a Spice Pak in some cheese cloth containing 4" cinnamon stick, 2 oz. dried ginger root and 1 oz. orange peel. Leave this in 4 litres of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the Spice Pak and dissolve 1 lb. of honey in the water and let cool. Use this and any additional water required to get your kit started as per its instructions. Other ingredients that could make up a Spice Pak could be nutmeg, mace, vanilla, corriander or cloves. Experiment and enjoy!

Is Your Best Joke Worth $100?
Do you have a joke that never misses? If you think you can tickle the funny bones of the Bitters & Grapes crew, why not take a shot at winning a batch of wine in the process? Through the month of January, we will be collecting your best side-splitters in a draw box in the store. At the end of January an expert panel of judges (Melanie, Catherine, Sandra, Bobi, Simon, Troy, and Cheryl….oh, okay, Tony too) will pick the top twenty laugh-getters and put them into a special draw for a free batch of wine on-premise.
The other “finalists” will be published in coming newsletters, to the tune of a $10 gift certificate. Not a bad “consolation prize”! So fax us (905-571-7499), email us, or drop by and deposit your entry. Remember to put your name on it (so we can contact you if you win)…and we WILL be publishing winners’ names with their jokes, be warned!

A New Career
Most of our customers know Melanie, the cheerful face you see here. Melanie joined us in our first year, but is soon finishing college and will be off to seek a full-time position in her chosen field, graphic art design.
Melanie will be missed by all of us, but we know she’s going to be a star in her new career. And, although she has pestered Tony for this title for a few years now, we declare her Employee of the Month of our own choice, because she’s terrific.
Good luck, Mel!

By Popular Demand, Our Top Special is Back
You asked for it, and we’ve managed to bring it back. Courtesy of the folks at Wine-Time, whose excellent product is winning many fans, your favourite promotion returns. For the month of January, put down three Wine-Time kits on-premise, and the third kit is free, you pay only the on-premise service (and a pplicable taxes). This represents a savings of up to $55.00!

Please bring this coupon in to receive your Winter Special. Offer applicable to Wine-Time kits only.
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WINE KNOWLEDGE
Pinot Gris
French for "gray," which presumably refers to the grayish hue of this member of the Pinot family. The color of this grape can vary substantially, producing wines that range from white to slightly pink. The style of wines ranges from crisp, light, and dry such as those produced in northern Italy (where Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio), to the rich, fat, honeyed versions from France's Alsace region (where Pinot Gris is called Tokay d'Alsace). Limited amounts of this grape are grown in other parts of France, as well as in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Rumania. A number of producers in Oregon and Washington state are having great success growing and producing remarkably good Pinot Gris.
Gamay
The full name of this French red wine grape is Gamay Noir a'Jus Blanc. Gamay wines have gained prominence in France's Beaujolais region where this grape, which represents 98 percent of all vines planted, reigns supreme. They're so associated with Beaujolais that winemakers outside of the region often try to imitate the style of immediately drinkable, light to medium weight wines with high acid and low tannins.
These light purple, fruity wines suggest flavors of bananas, berries, and peaches. Gamay is grown in other parts of Burgundy, such as the Côte Chalonnaise, where a blend of Pinot Noir and not more than two thirds Gamay is known as Bourgogne Passe Tout Grain. There is very little true Gamay cultivated in California.
For years California vintners grew what they thought was true Gamay Noir a'Jus Blanc, calling the resulting wines Gamay Beaujolais. However, this "Gamay" was eventually identified as an unexciting clone of Pinot Noir. California's Napa Gamay is another case of mistaken identity. It too was thought to be a true Gamay, but has since been recognized as Valdiguie, a variety from Southern France's Languedoc-Roussillon region. The wines produced from both these grapes are light to medium bodied and made in a style similar to true Gamay from Beajolais. Because of historic practice, both California wines are sometimes still called Gamay Beaujolais.

Christmas Hours:
Dec. 24, 25, 26: closed
Dec. 27, 28: open 10-5
Dec. 29: open 12-4
Dec. 30: open 10-5
Dec. 31, Jan. 1: closed__________________________________________________________________