URBAN TROUT FISHING

We had planned on going camping in southern Virginia a few days after arrival and thought that the fishing would begin then.  We were surprised when our grandson announced that we would be fishing the same afternoon we arrived.  I asked him where we were going fishing and he remarked “We are going to our neighborhood pool”.  I surmised that he really meant an urban fishing pond, but I was wrong.  In all my years my wife and I had never fished in a swimming pool, but that day we did.

The pool was stocked with rainbow trout and most of them hung out in the 8 foot deep diving end of the pool.  We set up our lawn chairs at the pool’s edge and commenced fishing using worms, corn, marshmallows and salmon eggs. The limit was two fish per person and it didn’t take more than an hour and we had caught our limit. The other amazing thing was the people managing the fishing pool derby also cleaned our fish before we left the area. My grandson declared that it was now time to take them home, cook them, eat them and polish the meal off with a trip to the ice cream shop.

TROUT COOKING INGREDIENTS 

Whether you grill the fish, bake them or cook them over a campfire, there are some key ingredients that you need.  You need some dry white wine, butter, lemon juice, fresh parsley, salt, pepper and tin foil to wrap them in for cooking.  In the trout’s body cavity, first add a pat of butter, a sprinkle of wine, a dash of lemon juice, some fresh parsley and then season to your taste with salt and pepper.  Next, roll each individual fish in tin foil being careful to seal the ends to keep the liquids in.  Grill, bake or place in hot campfire coals for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish is completely cooked (it will be white and flakey when done).

BEST WINES WITH TROUT

Using a dry white wine to add flavor to the fish is a must, but what wine would be the best to drink when eating the trout?  Several sources say select an Anjou, Arbois, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or simply drink your favorite champagne.  We selected a Sauvignon Blanc made locally in Virginia.  My grandchildren can sometimes be picky eaters, but they really enjoyed the fish as much as we did, even though they drank milk.  After the meal, we all did go to the ice cream store.  I had a three scoop banana split, which I am now working off since we returned home.

Catching trout is fun.  When cooked properly, it is a great fish to eat, especially joined with your favorite wine.  I always say buy the wine your like, store it properly until ready to drink and serve it at its optimal temperature.  Fishing and wine will make your world better.

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Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

I was sitting in my recliner perusing the sports page and absorbing the college basketball scores to ready myself for picking my March Madness basketball brackets.  My wife called me from the kitchen with an overemphasized, “Honey, please come here – right now!”  I reluctantly headed for the kitchen to see what crisis was about to bestowed upon me.  As I entered the kitchen, she started telling me about our wine tasting party next week.  She had purchased two dozen bottles of various types of wine, several pounds of cheese, a plethora of varied crackers and enough green vegetable snacks to feed an army of rabbits.

She started out the conversation emphasizing that she was doing all the work for this party and that I only had one insignificant job to do.   She said, “Your job is to accumulate enough ice buckets from our friends and family to keep eight to twelve wine bottles chilled and available for our quests to enjoy.”  Since we had only one qualifying ice bucket, I knew I had better get going on this task.

The Search

Several calls to friends, family, co-workers and a few strangers netted me promises for only 3 more ice buckets.  I was striking out on the only “insignificant task” that I ever had. My savior in doing research has always been the internet so off to the computer room I went.  I searched for wine chillers and servers looked at many listings and stumbled upon a solution to my dilemma.

The Solution

I found an 8 bottle wine cooler  that stored bottles upright in round openings, while keeping the wine cooled to a temperature of my choosing.  Additionally, the wine chiller had a thermoelectric cooling system that was eco-friendly in that it did not use CFC chemicals in its cooling system.  This was the perfect solution for improving our entertainment ability and enhancing the wine tasting party my wife had been religiously planning for weeks.  I bought one on line and the delivery took only a few days.

Being aware of all the wine my wife had bought and the number of guests she had invited, I was doing the math and figured out that each person would have to drink at least two bottles of wine each. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case as we only have one extra bedroom for people to sleep off the buzz they surely would get.  This wine bottle chiller  and server that I had purchased could also very easily handle the partially consumed wine by re-corking them and placing them back in the cooler in the upright position. I was so proud of myself that I patted myself on the back more times than I could count.

While this story was written to provide some humor, there is a new wine cooler and server now being offered that will make wine tasting parties easier to hold.  I have included a copy of the specifications below for your information.

Summit 8 Bottle Wine Cooler and Server

FEATURES: * Energy Efficent, Quiet Thermoelectric Operation * Sleek Black, Easy To Clean Finish * Light Weight Portability (weights only 26 pounds) * Unique Design Meets Entertainment Needs * 115 Volts/60 Hz * Rating: 2.0 Amps * Digital Thermostat * Easy to Read Control Panel * Interior Circulation Fan * Interior Light
CAPACITY: * 8 Wine Bottles (vertical position)
DIMENSIONS: * Width 28.88 Inches x Depth 12.75 Inches x Height 9.38 Inches
MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY: * 12 months parts and labor

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

Because the earth takes a little longer to get around the sun each year (5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds), February gets awarded an extra day every four years.  The first person to propose a chalendar change to accomodate this annual over run of time was Julius Caesar back in 45 B.C.E.  The extra day was added to February back then because it already was the shortest month of the year.

Some say that the term “leap year” resulted from the lack of legal status in old English courts for the 29th of February.  Consequently, February 29th was “leaped over” in the records and whatever happened on that day was recorded as occuring on February 28th.  To read more interesting facts about February 29th, go to Brownielocks.com.

LEAP YEAR SALE PRICING 

In event, Ideal Wine Coolers decided to have a store wide sale on all its counter top, free standing, under counter and combination wine coolers.  The sale extends to our line of draft beer coolers, thermoelectric wine coolers and our kitchen and undercounter ice mackers.  See our Sale Page for details on the Cash Back savings you can realize.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-President, Ideal Wine Coolers

Swiss Cheese Fondue 

The Fondue was from Switzerland and was made of Swiss cheese, wine and special seasonings.  Herdsman in the Valais and Gruyere alpine regions of Switzerland enjoyed dipping chucks of bread into melted cheese dating back to the 18^th Century.  I am sure they did not have a small fondue pot with an electric heating unit resulting in precise control of the cheese temperature.  Our bread was a loaf of French bread cut into cubes and lightly toasted in the under the oven’s broiler.

Bacon Scallops

The scallops were wrapped in a single strip of bacon and skewered with wooden oversized “tooth picks”.  They were carefully placed on a baking sheet and also put under broiler heat in the oven for a few minutes.  When the timer went off, my wife carefully turned them and placed them back in the over for a few more minutes.  The result was a morsel that simply put, “melted in your mouth”.

The accompanying green salad, imported from Mexico, was simple leaf lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced celery and green peppers.  Of course, I liberally applied my favorite blue cheese dressing.  The salad was a perfect accent to the taste buds already primed by the fondue and scallops.

Rose Wine 

Finally, my wife had picked up a bottle of rose wine.  I know some would say a chilled white wine, such as a Riesling, would have been better with the fondue, but my wife and I especially like rose wines.  Upon examining the bottle, I discovered that this wine, Yellow Tail Rose, was actually bottled at the Casella Winery in Yenda, Australia.  Of course, my curiosity about the Casella Winery was stimulated, because this delightful rose with a nice bouquet that wasn’t too sweet was not American or French in origin.

The Casella Family has been making wine since 1820 in Italy, but immigrated to Australia in the 1950s to start a new wine growing enterprise.  The Casella Winery is now one of the largest in Australia with over 300 employees.  The main varieties that they bottle are Cabinet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Shiraz-Grenache, Pinot Noir, Rose, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.  The Yellow Tail brand name is becoming known world-wide.

Arizona Statehood

Valentine’s Day also was the Centennial Celebration of Arizona Statehood.  Several activities are planned for the celebration throughout the year.  Tucson’s Fiesta del Los Vaqueros Parade, non-motorized horse and buggy event, this year will feature this 100 year event.  The streets will be crowded with on lookers enjoying what is predicted to be a nice, sunny day in the Old Pueblo.

Rare Snowfall 

I can remember a few years Tucson had a measurable snow fall.  The years that I can remember are 1958, 1971, 1987 and 1998, but my memory doesn’t always serve me well.  At least, I can say that snow in Tucson is a rare event.  The biggest snow I remember was a December day in 1971 when we got 6.8 inches in one day.

My Valentine’s Day was special.  Arizona celebrated 100 years of statehood, it snowed in Tucson, and I with my lovely wife of 35 years had a great dinner, of French bread, cheese fondue from Switzerland, rose wine from Australia, scallops wrapped in bacon from California and a green salad with primary ingredients coming from Mexico.  It was truly a great holiday that incorporated rare weather, a government birthday and international cuisine.  Does it get any better than that?

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

BACK ORDER REALITY

The wine cooler and beverage center manufacturers enjoyed record sales for the months of November and December last year.  Up to that time, the industry showed a great reluctance to maintain high stock levels of their products.  As a result, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers were faced with many orders that they couldn’t fill.  Back orders of these products became the rule rather than the exception.  Demand exceeding expected levels and lack of stock caused many a customer frustration.  The back order situation is still an issue as we start 2012.

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 

The last couple of years, manufacturers generally did not expend a lot of money with new product development because of the general state of the economy.  For the last couple of years, the cooler models available for purchase remained a relative steady and unchanging list for customers to consider.  Since the first of the year, our business experienced an increase of discontinued models.  In our case, the discontinued models accounted for about 6 to 8 percent of our offered products.  Manufacturers at the same time began introducing new replacement wine cooler models, but the reality is they are still trying to catch up.

PRICE ESCALATION

Another customer reality is that prices on beverage and wine cooling appliances are increasing.  Pricing on many items have increased anywhere from 5 to 15 percent in the last 30 days.  Everyone will be paying more for these products as the year progresses.  Most manufactures now employ MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) pricing strategies for most of their best-selling top of the line models.  Customers will find it harder to find deals on the MAP priced products as everyone is required to advertise them at the same minimum price.  Retailers that violate MAP pricing directives can be suspended from offering these products in the future.  Pricing competition is obviously reduced as manufacturers and suppliers seek higher profits after a couple of tough years of declining business revenues.

THE FUTURE STATE 

I believe that the industry will use 2012 to settle into a situation where they will continue to develop new and innovative products to sell and get a better handle on demand so they can reduce the constant back order situation we are now in.  Of course, the state of our American economy and its ability to sustain consistent growth will ultimately define any industry outcome.

MY RECOMENDATIONS 

I do have some recommendations for you the consumer.  First, if you run into a situation of a back ordered product, don’t be reluctant to get on the list for the first restocked items.  Sometimes it is better to wait a bit rather than “miss the boat” on what you want.  Be sure and ask for price protection as newly stocked items might come with a price increase if you wait to purchase them later. Second, seek out a company where customer service is important.  Call the company and talk to a real human-being rather than a menu.  Companies that value you as a customer should make personal contact with you as your order moves forward.  Third, when purchasing the more expensive appliances, call the company sales people and ask for delivery capabilities and price breaks.  You will never know what is possible unless you ask.  Fourth, large companies don’t always have the best deals nor are they necessarily able to provide the best personalized customer services.  Some smaller retailers will be able to fill your needs just as well.  Lastly, when buying anything of significant price, do your research and perhaps go beyond page one of the search engine listing.

Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, 1/24/2012

WINE BOTTLE SIZES

Most wine will come in a standard 750 ml. bottle and in fact this size bottle is the basis for naming many of the other bottle sizes.  Wine cooler and chillers are typically sized to handle the standard 750 ml. bottle.  Some of the standard sized wine bottles that you are most likely to come across are: Split (1/4 bottle, 0.1875 liters ), Half (1/2 bottle, 0.375 liters), Bottle (full bottle; 0.750 liters), Magnum (2 bottles, 1.5  liters), Double Magnum (4 bottles; 3.0  liters), Jeroboam  ( 6 bottles, 4 ½ liters), Methuselah (8 bottles, 6.0 liters), Salmanazar (12 bottles; 12.0 liters), Balthazar (16 bottles; 12.0 liter), and Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles; 15.0 l.).  It is interesting to note that many of the larger sized wine bottles were named after Biblical Kings and other figures.  The United States waited until 1979 to adopt the metric measurements for bottles of wine and use the 750 ml. standard bottle.

The Split size bottle stands about 7 ½ inches tall with a bottom diameter of about 2 ½ inches.  These wine bottles are often used for desert and sparkling wines and are small enough to drink in one serving as they lose their fizz rapidly after opening.   The most widely sold standard 750 ml. bottle stands about 11 ½ to 12 inches high and is typically 3 ½ inches in diameter at the base.  Magnum bottles stand about 14 inches tall and are around 4 inches in diameter.  Jeroboam bottles stand 19 ½ inches tall with a base diameter of about 5 inches.  The higher capacity bottles such as the Methuselah (22 inches tall) range upward in size to the Nebuchadnezzar that is 31 inches tall.  Imagine picking up a bottle that is over 31 inches tall and pouring its wine into your delicate glass stemware.

WINE BOTTLE SHAPES

Wine bottle shapes are as varied as their sizes.  Most wine producers opt for bottle shapes that are most appropriate for their wine.  For example, Chianti and some other Italian wines come in a round-bottomed bottle encased in a straw basket.  Champagne and other sparkling wines come in bottles that are thicker walled because of the excess internal pressures.  Wine producers often choose a wine bottle shape strictly for marketing purposes.  For that reason, a German Company uses a bottle shaped as a “house cat’” for a Riesling wine it produces.

WINE BOTTLE COLORS

There are several traditional colors that you will find being used in wine bottles.  Dark green bottles are typically used for red wines (Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone).  Mosel, Rhine and Alsace wines often use a lighter green or amber colored bottle.  Clear bottles seem to be the most popular for white wines in many countries.  Champagne is typically bottled in a dark to medium green color.  Some wine producers also use colors relating to their individual marketing strategies.

FUTURE WINE PACKAGING

The future of wine packaging is wide open.  Many producers are opting for cost reducing screw type caps instead of corks.  Because the weight of the bottle approximates about 40 percent of the total bottled wine weight, plastic bottles and tetra packs are being explored as a lighter alternative that is cheaper to handle and ship.  Packaging wine in lighter containers and exporting wine in bulk quantities then bottling it in smaller bottles closer to the point of consumption are all strategies being explored to improve wine sales and reduce shipping costs.  Perhaps, the cost of a good imported French wine will become more affordable in the future.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice President, Ideal Wine Coolers

The Avanti wine bottle coolers can be used in counter top, free standing and under counter applications.  Wine bottle capacity ranges from 8 to 166 wine bottles.  Features that are available include French door designs, table top to pantry size classes, dual zone wine compartments, clear and mirrored glass doors, slide out shelves, interior lighting, auto defrost and more.

The Avanti compact refrigerators are perfect when space is an issue as in a apartment, condo or dormitory room.  Avanti mini refrigerators range in capacity from 1.7 to 3.1 cubic foot capacity.  Several models also incorporate a small freezer section that will aid in keeping your food properly preserved.  Another Avanti appliance we carry is a unique ice maker water dispenser that will fit your kitchen counter top and make up to 30 pounds of ice per day.

We also carry two different Avanti Beverage Coolers.  Our Avanti Side-by-Side beverage center model has dual zone storage for both beverage cans and wine bottles and is made for either free standing or under counter applications.  The smaller Avanti beverage can cooler has a storage capacity of 3.1 cubic feet with a reversible door, adjustable shelves, auto defrost, stainless steel door trim and full range temperture control.

Ideal Wine Cooler’s original Mission Statement stated that we would continue to find more quality products to maximize the choices our customer has.  We believe the Avanti products that we have added will provide our customers with the best possible range of choice.

ALSO CHECK OUT OUR HALLOWEEN SALE THAT IS ACTIVE UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER.  We have reduced pricing on our entire product line at our web store.  Additionally, you can get additional bonus saving of $10 to $30 dollars off the reduced pricing.  Any one purchasing more than a $750 cooler will also receive a FREE 1 year extended in home warranty that will add to the standard factory warranty.  For details CLICK here.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

In 1999, the state had a grand total of 2 licensed wineries, but now can boast that there are more than 85.  In the twelve years since 1999, Iowa can boast about what many call an “explosive expansion” in wine related industries.  The first commercial vineyard planted in the state was in 1857.  When Prohibition became a reality in the United States and following many unplanned events in the late 1800s, the Iowa grape growing industry pretty much disappeared until its recent growth spurt. Iowa was recently ranked 14^th nationally in the number of wineries and 22^nd in production.

Iowa wineries are in what I would call a time of trial and error when it comes to grape growing.  Many times new vineyards are initially planted with several grape varieties just to see which ones will grow and which will not.  Some of the grape types currently cultivated are: Bluebell, Catawba, Chardonel, Concord, La Crosse, Niagara, Steuben and Vidal Blanc.  Several other varieties are also grown, but most commercial wine growing focuses on French hybrids and grapes native to America.  Agricultural Extension Services at Iowa and Minnesota Colleges continue to provide expert advice to current and potential grape growers to improve the odds of success.

There are no recognized official wine growing regions in Iowa.  The three primary grape growing areas that I recognize are located near the cities of Dubuque (Dubuque and Jackson Counties), Des Moines-Ames (Story, Polk, Dallas, Madison, Warren, Boone, Jasper and Marion Counties) and Council Bluffs (Fremont, Mills and Pottawattamie Counties).  Other counties that have notable grape growing operations are Carroll, Jefferson and Van Buren Counties.  Many of these operations are small family run collaborations where grapes are often harvested by hand.  Total Iowan area in grape production is about 1200 acres spread out on over 400 vineyards.

While the Iowa grape industry is considered in its infancy, a 2007 economic study showed it did account for an economic impact to the state of $235 million dollars with over 10 percent of that total attributed to tourism.  Wine touring trails are starting to develop that will further enhance the tourism aspect of this industry.  Many wineries make addition income by renting their tasting rooms for use in parties or wedding receptions.

If you are ever in Iowa, take the time to visit some of these family wineries and vineyards.  You may be surprised to find a wine you will really like, but I do know you will meet some wonderful, hardworking people in the process.  Remember, buy the wine you like, store and serve it at its optimal temperature and enjoy it completely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Idealwinecoolers.com

French Wine Producing Regions

Three of the best known wine growing regions in France include Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne.  The Burgundy area produces various wines from the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties.  The Bordeaux area features the “noble” vine, the Cabernet Sauvignon.  The best sparkling wines in the world are produced in the Champagne region.  Other wine growing regions in France include Loire Valley, Savole, Rhone Valley, Alsace and the Midi and Provence Regions near Montpellier, France.  These other regions produce a wide variety of different full-bodied reds, whites, aperitif and dessert wines and popular roses.

Les Coteaux De St Christol Winery

As we drove into the entrance to Les Coteaux, it was obvious that most of the acreage of the farm was cultivated in grapes.  Most of the vines we saw were mature and laden with grapes moving towards harvest.  Harvest of these grapes would not occur until late August or early September.  Most of the vineyards in the same area also had acres and acres of grape vines stretching as far as the eye could see.  One farm had started some new vines that had been lost in a wild fire in 2010.  It was clear from looking at the landscape why France is the leading wine producer in the world.  I was surprise to find out that Luxembourg actually drinks more wine per-capita than France.

As we approached the winery, warehouse and retail shops, I was impressed with the simplicity and neatness of the lay out.  Grapes were harvested here, processed into various types of wines, boxed wine was warehoused and shipped from here and retail sales were also conducted.  The store had a neat but comprehensive display of all the wines that Les Coteaux De St Christol Winery offered.

We shopped and selected some of the ones we wanted to taste before buying.  A cheerful young lady assisted us by carefully pouring into fresh glasses the portion of wine needed to make a decision about its taste.  A black vat was located nearby for us to pour off the unwanted taste tests.  Of course, when we found one we liked, we drank the whole sample.  The best part of visiting a winery like this for me was the rural French hospitality that was coupled with a simple wine tasting experience that I soon won’t forget.  We ended up buying several bottles and I am happy to say they made it back to the States without breaking.

Wine Touring

Touring the wine regions in France provided me many fond memories.  The vineyards we visited were beautiful to behold and included a back drop of historical structures that date back hundreds and hundreds of years.  If you get a chance to tour a French vineyard, you will enjoy the wine tasting, the country style hospitality and at the same time soak up the historical significance of this area of Europe.  For example, several vineyards in the area where we were staying were bisected by an old Roman aqueduct built around 92 A.D.

I failed to mention that the winery we visited had recently won an award for some of its offerings.  I intend to follow up with more details on our trip to France.  In the meantime, buy the wine you like best, store and serve it at its optimum temperature and enjoy immensely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

FRENCH WINE GROWING HISTORY

Cultivation of wine in France has been an enduring enterprise since thousands of years before Christ.  Romans occupying the area around 90 AD produced a surplus of wine that forced Emperor Domitian to order half of the vineyards uprooted.  Viticulture in France during the Middle Ages (400 to 1200 AD) was primarily kept alive by various monasteries located in the country.  During the period of English rule (middle 1100 to middle 1400 AD) of the Bordeaux region of France, much of the wine produced there was shipped to England.  Wine growing in Europe and France was set back in the mid to late 1800s because of disease and insect problems.  In the 1930s, France led a movement to ensure the authenticity of wine related to where it was produced.  Today, France is still producing some of the best wines in the world.

FRENCH WINE PRODUCTION

France is the leading wine producer in the world.  Rankings based on 2002 wine production totals, put France number one followed by Italy, Spain, United States and Australia, respectively.  In 2002, France produced 5,199,930 metric tons, which was nearly 17 percent more than Italy.  Other countries that are top ten producers of wine in ranking order are Argentina, China, Germany, South Africa and Portugal.  However, France is not the per-capita wine consumption leader, but is second to Luxembourg.  The other top three consumers of wine are Italy, Portugal and Croatia.  The United States doesn’t even make the top thirty per-capita consumers.

FRENCH WINE GROWING REGIONS