deVine Thoughts

July 22, 2009


Demystifying Wine Aerators

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 8:49 pm

VenturiAuthor: Dirk Chan

The hottest wine gadget of late has been a class of accessories called ‘wine aerators’, the selling point being it will make your wines taste better. The concept is not new, it is exactly the same as a decanter, premature aging of the wine via oxygenation. The difference is in the packaging. The decanter process involves slow pouring of the wine into the vessel taking care not to mix in any sediment and using the large surface area to expose the wine to air thus (hopefully) leading to a better aromatic profile for the wine due to the ‘opening up’ process.

These ‘wine aerators’ do the same thing except in a smaller package. They aerate as you pour the wine into your glass or decanter thus fulfilling our society’s current fad for immediate gratification. There is a vessel or bowl like surface area to pour the wine into, there is the gurgling nose as it throws the wine around in this reservoir to aerate it before being letting it into your wine glass or decanter. All this happens in a matter of a few seconds (as opposed to twenty minutes in a decanter alone) and voila you have a wine that is ‘ready-to-go’ and ‘singing’.

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July 11, 2009



Thank You for Making
Al Fresco a Roaring Success!

Filed under: deVine's Daily Blog Article — Dirk @ 8:05 pm

Alfresco4



Author: Ed Fong

A big THANKS! to all who came out to enjoy Al Fresco and bid on our silent auction items.  Your support and generosity helped us raise nearly $21,000 for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.  This tripled our projected goal, so hats off to all who participated.

What started out as a deVine fundraiser and a celebration of our 4th year anniversary quickly evolved into a 104th-St. community event.  I want to take this opportunity to thank the various groups involved who made this event the success it was.

Event Sponsors

Thank you to Jim Taylor and the Downtown Business Association for their enthusiastic support.  Your team was truly amazing.  Special mention goes out to Kathleen Ong, Victoria Boutilier and the Core Crew for helping spread the news about the event.

Thank you to Ralph Young and his team at Melcor Developments.  Special mention goes to Catherine Bergamo for her logistical support and Lloyd Diggins Sr. and Jr. for their on-site assistance.

Thank you to Kristina Owen of Fosters Wine Group for your support and assistance.  Your help in liaising with Edmonton Police Services is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to Dirk Chan, my partner and friend who donated the great collection of 2000 Bordeaux from his cellar to host an amazing retrospective tasting.  Your generosity speaks volumes.

The 104th-Street Participants

The involvement of so many businesses on 104th-St. truly made Al Fresco a community event.  Your enthusiasm in pulling together to support a common cause was truly impressive.

Thank you to Brett Cuthbertson of Sobeys for providing popcorn and refreshments to the moviegoers and logistical support to our outdoor Portuguese BBQ.  Your presence on the street and willingness to help out was tremendous.  Thank you also to Thomas Rose of Sobeys for all his support.  Thomas played double duty for organizing a very successful pancake breakfast on behalf of the Downtown Edmonton Community League.  The breakfast was a great way to kick-start the day.

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