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The importance of properly caring for and preparing bottles for filling with a completed batch of wine is sometimes overlooked or ignored by craft wine makers. This can be a very big mistake.  Starting out with clean and sanitized wine bottles is paramount to having healthy, beautiful wine. The alternative can lead to spoilage of your wine and embarrassment upon serving to friends and family.

Keeping your bottles clean is a simple task that doesn’t have to end up a big chore. All of the labels used at JUST FINE WINE are vinyl or vinyl-coated, both of which use “peel & stick” technology. This means they should peel off your bottles about as easy as they stuck on. To remove, simply lift up a corner and gently peel the remainder of the label form the bottle. If you are having any trouble, try filling the inside of the bottle with hot water and let stand for a few minutes. Then try again – the heat from the water should have loosened the grip of the label. Please note that you do NOT want to get the vinyl-coated labels (the ones that look like a paper sticker) wet as they will become gummy and extremely sticky upon contact with water.

After removing the labels and the shrink cap, rinse your wine bottle several times with hot water. A good technique is to fill the bottle about 1/3 full, put your thumb over the opening and shake vigorously, then drain. Repeat this process 3-4 times. After this is completed, leave the bottle(s) to rest upside down. When they are dry, put them back into your crate or box upside down and they will be ready to use on your next bottling appointment. Storing empties upside down prevents unwanted material such as dust, dirt, and insects from getting inside. If you are entertaining and the night is late, simply fill your bottles with water, let stand overnight, and then take care of the cleaning the next day.

Never use soap, baking soda, or anything other than household bleach to clean your bottles.  Soap and baking soda residue can be difficult to completely rinse away from the interior of the bottle and can ruin the taste of the next wine put in that bottle.  JUST FINE WINE has a great cleaning product available for purchase called Chloroclean, which is essentially a “food-grade” bleach. We also sell various sizes and styles of bottle brushes if you need to scrub inside your bottles.  It is recommended that bottles should be bleached each year, depending on usage.  When you clean with Chloroclean or household bleach, be sure to rinse thoroughly with water, MANY TIMES, to ensure there is no residue left in the bottle.

It’s important to keep in mind that even a tiny spot of mold or a single fruit fly that finds its way into one of your empty bottles can ruin your wine. To check for cleanliness, put the bottle to your eye and lift towards a light in order to do a thorough scan of the bottle, making sure it is free of dirt, grime, residue, mold, mildew, insects, etc.  Do not try to re-use any wine bottle that is dirty or contains black mold or mildew spots on the inside – it just isn’t worth it.  Send that bottle to the recycle depot and move on with a new one.

Proper care of your wine bottles is a relatively easy task that can ensure years of use with great results.

Just over a month ago we unveiled the Just Fine Wine’s Top Ten Wines of 2013. As in previous years, we here at Just Fine Wine like to compare and contrast how our top ten list of most popular wines against what is most popular throughout the rest of the province of B.C.

As has been the case during the five years that we have been tracking the results, the BC Top Ten remains very consistent. Last year three wines made their first appearance on this list and they all remain there a year later. Only one wine (Vintners Reserve Gewurztraminer) is a new addition to the group this year, returning after a one year blip that saw it fall out of BC Top Ten contention in 2012. Falling off the list this year to make room, is Selection Australian Chardonnay, a perrenial strong contender. Of the ten wines presented below, five varietals appear on both the BC Top Ten and Just Fine Wine Top Ten.

Without further ado, we present to you BC’s Top Ten Wines of 2013: 

*Wines are listed in descending order with the previous years’ rankings included.

“-” Not Ranked That Year

With over 150 varieties, Winexpert has no shortage of top quality wines to make and it’s a sizeable task to try them all. Our facebook page is a great place to connect with fellow wine lovers who may want to swap a few bottles or even start a new winemaking partnership/group to share a batch of something new.

At Just Fine Wine we pride ourselves on our ability to offer you the finest quality handcrafted wines available on the market. We are so confident that you will be happy with the end result that we guarantee your satisfaction for every purchase of a Winexpert product. With over one hundred varietals to choose from, we are always excited to find out which of these wines our loyal and supportive clients are enjoying the most.

In 2012 Winexpert completely overhauled the Vintners Reserve, World Vineyard, and Eclipse lines of wine kits. This past year Selection Original and Selection International were revamped under a single “Selection” banner. With all the Winexpert brands now being new and improved, we were curious to see if there has been any impact on our top ten most popular wines.

There are several interesting things to note regarding the Top Ten of 2013. Three wines have maintained a stranglehold on the top three spots since 2009; have they continued their dominance again this year?  The number of white wines in the top ten has dropped from four to three with Selection California Symphony and Eclipse Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay just missing the cut this time out. Taking one of those spots is a white wine making it’s debut on the chart. Speaking of debuts, there is a total of three wine varietals making their premiere appearance in the top ten.  Another wine returns to the rankings after being bumped off it last year. One of the casualties, World Vineyard Chilean Merlot narrowly missed making the list again after placing sixth last year.

Without further delay, here they are. The top wines of 2013 – as decided by you:

*Wines are listed in descending order with the previous years’ rankings included.

“-” Not Ranked That Year

“T10” Tied for Tenth 

With over 100 varieties, Winexpert has no shortage of top quality wines to make and it’s a sizeable task to try them all. Our facebook page is a great place to connect with fellow wine lovers who may want to swap a few bottles or even start a new winemaking partnership/group to share a batch of something new.

One of the best things about being a local family-owned business is that we get to know our clients quite well and we consider you all friends as opposed to just another business transaction. Not only do we strive to offer the best available products but also to provide the best possible service to our loyal patrons. Recently Bob Negen brought it to our attention that most people do not like to complain and will go out of their way to avoid confrontation. Many are afraid they’ll be met with rudeness, hostility, or outright dismissal if they bring attention to a problem. This fact seemed pretty obvious to us since we don’t enjoy complaining at all. The thought of complaining to a friend is even worse! While this may not be breaking any new ground, the eye-opening consequence of this common behaviour trait is that when customers are disappointed with a product or service they often will simply stop patronizing the business altogether rather than have to deal with the potentially uncomfortable situation involved in making a complaint. We do NOT want this to happen with you!

Last month we unveiled the Just Fine Wine’s Top Ten Wines of 2012. Well, every year we also like to see how our most popular wines compare to what’s going on province-wide.

As you can see, the BC Top Ten remains very consistent. That being said there are three wines making their first appearance on this list. Of the ten, four varietals appear on both the BC Top Ten and Just Fine Wine Top Ten.

Without further delay, we present to you BC’s Top Ten Wines of 2012: 

*Wines are listed in descending order with the previous years’ rankings included.

“-” Not Ranked That Year

With over 150 varieties, Winexpert has no shortage of top quality wines to make and it’s a sizeable task to try them all. Our facebook page is a great place to connect with fellow wine lovers who may want to swap a few bottles or even start a new winemaking partnership/group to share a batch of something new.

The number one objective we have at Just Fine Wine is to make sure that you are 100% satisfied with both your wine and the experience you have with us. We proud of our affiliation with Winexpert and our ability to offer you the finest quality handcrafted wines available on the market. Each time the calendar rolls over to a new year we are eager to find out which of these wines you, our amazingly supportive clients, are enjoying the most.

Last year saw a lot of changes by way of Winexpert’s complete overhauling of almost their entire lineup of products: 4-5 Week Vintners Reserve; 4-5 Week World Vineyard; 8 Week ECLIPSE. This year will follow suit with the improvement of the Selection Original and Selection International series which is being revamped and merged into one series simply titled “Selection”. So with all these changes, we were especially intrigued to find out if these improvements would have any effect on out top ten list that has otherwise remained fairly consistent over the several years we’ve been tracking the numbers.

The number one wine of 2011, Stag’s Leap Merlot, holds down the top spot as it has done for three of the four years we’ve tracked the data. This year has also seen favourites Selection Merlot, Selection Italian Montepulciano, and Selection Chilean Merlot knocked out of the top ten. In their place are returnees ECLIPSE Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay, World Vineyard Chilean Merlot and newcomer to the top ten list Vinters Reserve Mezza Luna Red.

Without further ado, we present the top wines of 2012 – as decided by you:

*Wines are listed in descending order with the previous years’ rankings included.

“-” Not Ranked That Year

“T9” Tied for Nineth

“T10” Tied for Tenth 

With over 150 varieties, Winexpert has no shortage of top quality wines to make and it’s a sizeable task to try them all. Our facebook page is a great place to connect with fellow wine lovers who may want to swap a few bottles or even start a new winemaking partnership/group to share a batch of something new.

From Vintners Reserve to World Vineyard to Eclipse (formerly the Estate Series) and, coming soon, Selection International. You may have noticed that Winexpert has been revamping and reformulating their entire product line. This process goes far beyond a redesigned box and a sticker that says “New & Improved”. Winexpert’s Technical Services Director Tim Vandergrift explains just what it all means for you and your favourite wines:

Video from Northern Brewer in Minnesota.

Recently Just Fine Wine attended the Winexpert Conference at the River Rock Hotel and Casino. For two days the Winexpert company and authorized Winexpert retailers from across Western Canada gathered and discussed just what it is that sets Winexpert apart as the industry leader in on-premise winemaking how we can build upon this. Fittingly, the event was titled “The Wine X Factor” and to say that there are eXtremely eXciting things happening now and in the near future is a vast understatement.

From drastic improvements to all Winexpert wine kits (beginning with the new and improved, reformulated 4-6 week Vintners Reserve line which is available now); to new products; to in-store improvements; and much more . We know Winexpert is the leader in the industry on on-premise winecrafting but we don’t want to rest on those laurels. We want to continue to find ways to maintain and, more importantly, improve your experience both in-store and at home with the wine you make with us.

Cheers!

What a great weekend. We closed up the shop a bit early on Saturday and the Just Fine Wine gang made our way to the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre at the Grand Villa Casino for the Winexpert Western Canadian Retailer Conference. The annual event includes a Q&A with wine guru Tim Vandergrift; the Limited Edition unveiling, a wine tasting and food pairing event; and a day filled with useful workshops and information sessions.

Retail Expert Kevin Graff. Photo by Tim Vandergrift.

As much as we’d like to let you in on this year’s Limited Edition lineup, we’ve been asked to keep things a secret until the public release day of October 1st. At that time we’ll forward you the information immediately. Be sure to also keep your eye on the Limited Edition Website for further details and your chance to win prizes. For anyone who absolutely just can not wait, zoom in on the banners in the background of the picture we borrowed from Tim. You will see there that this year’s lineup will be “three reds and two whites” (a one liner we also stole from Tim)! Sorry, looks like Winexpert is also expert at keeping things hush hush and have already blurred out the photo. We will say that some of us were not overly familiar with some of this year’s Limiteds but after tasting the commercial equivalents – and coupling that with the knowledge that the wines we’ll have at Just Fine Wine will be so much better – we couldn’t be more excited! We’re confident you all will be as well. We still have tickets available for our Annual Wine Tasting Sunday, October 17th. Come see and taste for yourself.  The aforementioned Tim Vandergrift will be there facilitating the event and he gives one heck of an entertaining presentation!

Winexpert did a great job of organizing a fun and information packed weekend. For anyone booking an event or conference, the staff, facilities, and food at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre were top notch. We’re not sure what sort of price range they fall in but as far as quality and service goes, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.

Recently we made our way to Cepperley Meadow in Stanley Park to experience Fresh Air Cinema’s presentation of the classic 80’s adventure movie The Goonies. For anyone not familiar, Fresh Air Cinema is a mobile open-air movie theatre (for hire by businesses, organizations and individuals) that can set up pretty much anywhere and everywhere there is an open space. Movies are projected on to a giant inflatable screen, turning any area into an instant drive-in or walk-in theatre.

Movies begin at dusk, which on hot summer nights can be as late as 10pm. We arrived a little over an hour and a half early which was good enough to get a good (but not great) spot at the back of the park. While there were plenty of children around, the demographic was less suburban family and more urban bohemian. The vibe was friendly, laid back and the weather, in a word, perfect. Almost everyone was enjoying a picnic, pre-packed dinner, take-out, or other treats on their blankets. Several couples and groups were responsibly enjoying a (plastic) glass of wine or other beverage. While there were park authorities present they seemed unfettered by the occasional libation.

There were two minor drawbacks to our experience however. Nothing that ruined our evening but things worth pointing out to anyone thinking of making this a night out. The first issue was latecomers who jammed themselves in or met up with and overcrowded their friends’ spot. Obviously space is expected to be at a premium at an event like this but when several people arrive at dusk, shoehorn themselves in and consequently impede both your personal space and view, it’s a touch impolite. Second, we were surprised at the amount of smoking. A lot of cigarettes were being lit up, some of them of the ‘wacky’ variety. The scene was almost reminiscent of a 1980’s bingo hall, except outdoors. We’re of the belief that chain smoking kind of defeats the purpose of “fresh air” cinema, but to each their own. An allergy to cigarette smoke certainly doesn’t help matters.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening with a real good community feel. The crowd can get really involved cheering and reciting lines – a highlight was definitely the collective cheer that erupted when Chunk did Truffle Shuffle! While there aren’t any more films currently scheduled for Stanley Park, there are many open air cinema events taking place throughout the rest of the Summer.

Recommendations

Arrive really early for the best choice of location for your setup. If you have a touch of claustophobia or just don’t like being in the heart of crowds, might we suggest setting up your blanket on the boulevard or grass on either side of the Beach Avenue sidewalk. If you’re checking out events at another location, search the fringe of the area especially for any rises or grassy knolls. Out there on the periphery you have a fine view of the screen; a whole lot more elbow room; and you can even get away with lawn chairs (these being frowned upon in areas closer to the screen). Don’t overdo it but bring a sizable blanket to stake your space and give yourself a bit of extra room. Pre-pack a picnic dinner or snack and be sure to bring along a nice pre-chilled Selection Original White Zinfandel or Estate Series Washington Yakima Valley Pinot Gris.

(Photo from BeyondRobson.com)

This morning we braved the rain and relatively early hour to join thousands of our neighbours at the Port Coquitlam leg of the 2010 Olympic Torch Run. It was amazing to see people young and old lined up at least 5 deep (perhaps more) on either side of Shaughnessy Street as well as a jam packed band stand area at Leigh Square. The weather had no affect on the jovial mood and the torch came in blazing. Whatever your political viewpoint on the games, one must feel proud to see such a positive display of community spirit and patriotism. We sure are! Go Canada Go!

We’re celebrating until February 22. Take advantage of our special offer on award-winning wines.

Click Here to see watch the torch’s arrival in downtown Port Coquitlam.

We noticed a demand for Thursday night bottling appointments so we’re altering our hours to serve you better. Effective March 1st, 2010 the shop will be open from 11am to 8pm on Thursday. On Mondays our hours will now be 10am to 5pm. 

New Hours (As of March 1)

Mon: 10am – 5pm

Tues-Thur: 11am – 8pm

Fri-Sat: 10am – 5pm

Sun: Closed

Just Fine Wine is extremely excited to present to you our new and very much improved website!