VOLUME  1
May 2000

Home produced beer has no chemicals or additives


There is less caffeine in a cup of espresso than regular coffee


Green tea leaves are unfermented, black tea leaves fermented and oolong tea leaves semi-fermented


Temperature does not affect antioxidants so iced tea is as good for you as hot tea


Decaffeinated tea has the same antioxidant benefits as tea with caffeine


In Peru, chamomile herbal tea (called mazania) is a very important beverage because of its relaxing benefit

BEER MALT SPECIAL

During the month of May and June we will take $1.50 off one can beer malt.  Click on Coupon Specials Link.

WELCOME to our first HEART OF THE VINE e-mail newsletter!  With each issue we will provide our subscribers with information, tips, announcements and specials relating to our product lines. Established in 1979, our business focus has been to provide customers with the finest products and information relating to coffees, teas, home brewing, gourmet foods and unique gifts.  In addition, our cappuccino espresso parlor offers a sensitive atmosphere in which customers can relax and enjoy fine coffee and tea drinks, sodas,  pastries and ice cream.

COFFEE BEAN HISTORY

The coffee tree plant,  indigenous to Ethiopia, was first used as food. The raw green beans were mashed and rolled into 'fat balls', then  roasted and consumed prior to tribal battle.  In such a concentrated form, the 'fat balls' provided high levels of caffeine which converted into energy.
     
On the European continent, coffee beans were 'steeped',  producing a whey much like wine.  The whey, when consumed as a drink,   was considered  an aphrodisiac because of its stimulating effects when consumed.  The great churches considered this a 'drink of  Satan',  so for many years this practice was banned.
     
It was during the 13th century that mankind discovered coffee as we know it today.  By roasting the beans, they realized what a wonderful beverage could be achieved by grinding, then producing a 'cup of  brew'. 
     
The great coffee houses of  Venice and other European cities soon began specializing in espresso and Turkish style coffees. In America, the practice of purchasing fine coffee beans for home consumption has been evolving steadily the past 20 years,  resulting in  an explosion of public awareness and popularity these past 5 years.  Along with this interest has been the creation of  hundreds of coffee bars and houses throughout the United States, offering consumers their individual style of espresso, cappuccino and other coffee-based drinks.
     
Heart of the Vine began specializing in Arabica coffee beans in 1980.  Our major emphasis has been to educate the consumer's  coffee palate as well as provide the very finest coffee beans. We currently distribute over 90 different roasts, styles, blends and flavored Arabica beans.  All of our coffee beans may be purchased whole bean or ground in 1/4 lb., 1/2 lb. or pound increments.  You will find a complete listing on our Coffee Bean web page.
     
We have also created a coffee parlor with a sensitive environmental theme where customers may  enjoy fresh brewed coffees,  lattes,  cappuccinos, espressos,  pastries, sodas and ice cream products.

                                          COFFEE ROASTS

The manner in which coffee beans are roasted determines their final taste, body, boldness and appreciation.  There are basically five different roasts - Regular light),  Full City gold),  Vienna,  French and Espresso.  The longer coffee beans are roasted,  the darker and oilier they become, increasing both their strength and bittersweet quality.  Therefore,  varietal coffee beans such as Kenya AA, Colombian Supremo, Sumatra Mandheling, Hawaiian Kona  etc.  will taste entirely different depending on which roast is used. 
     
Heart of the Vine offers a variety of roasts for the 90+ coffee beans we distribute.  You will find a listing of the various roasts on our Coffee Bean web page.  Following is a special we are offering to illustrate the difference in taste using the Colombian Supremo coffee bean as an example.  This coffee gift pack includes four samplers -[ l] Colombian Supremo as a Regular roast  [2] Colombian Supremo as a Vienna Roast  [ 3] Colombian Supremo as a French Roast and [4] Colombian Supremo as an Espresso Roast.  Each of the four samplers  will produce approximately 20 cups of  fresh brewed coffee.

This GIFT PACK is offered for $12.00.  You may pick the sampler up in our shop at 1014 West 4lst in Sioux Falls or call the order in to us at 605-331-5899. Shipping cost is $4.00.  We accept Master Card, Visa or Discover credit cards. (Indicate if coffee should be whole bean or fresh ground.)

                      WINEMAKING HOBBY

For centuries, the hobby of making wine has fascinated mankind.  Legend has it that grapes resting on a rock in the sunshine released a mixture of sugar and yeast, resulting in a natural fermentation that produced a grape drink with remarkable qualities.   Thus, the desire to produce wine was born.
     
The art of making wine has become an essential part of our culture, whether as a commercial venture or as a hobbyist at home. For the home hobbyist,  producing your own wine can be a fascinating and rewarding venture.  Whether you choose to produce wines from fresh fruits, grapes, berries or from premium concentrated wine bases,  it is possible to produce vintage wines with great character.
     
The winemaking  process involves a two-stage fermentation during which equal parts of alcohol and carbon dioxide are produced.  Cultured wine yeasts developed by Louis Pasteur,  along with other fermenting agents,  have made the hobby both scientific and controlled.
     
The equipment and process used in making wine from fresh fruit, berries, grapes or wine concentrates is the same.  However, fresh fruit, grape and berry  production is a longer process as the product will require more 'racking' (settling)  and time to mature prior to bottling.
     
The development of quality, fast maturing grape wine concentrates has revolutionized the winemaking hobby. Hobbyists can now produce premium vintage wines i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and many others  with relatively little effort.  A listing of the Vintner's Reserve winemaking concentrates we offer are listed on our Winemaking web page.

$5.00 off  Deluxe Winemaking Equipment Kit (regular price $64.00) is offered to our newsletter subscribers.  Click on Coupon Specials Link at bottom of page.

                          PERFECT CUP OF TEA

Producing the perfect cup of tea is a delicate art.   While teabags are more convenient, loose tea leaves  produce a bolder taste.  The method of  'steeping' or 'infusing' also affects the final  strength and finish.   Green teas, which are unfermented,  have natural acids and tannins which produce a stronger,  bittersweet taste.  Black teas, which are fermented, can  be very bold or mild,  depending on the style and cut.  Oolong teas, which are semi-fermented,  are more delicate and pale in color. 

Research has indicated many health benefits associated with drinking tea.  High levels of Vitamin A and C, along with other protective measures, exist in both green and black teas.  Green tea also contains an amino acid called L-theanine which assists in lowering blood pressure,  promotes relaxation, and acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain.  Teabags appear to protect somewhat better than loose tea because small particles of tea are released  more quickly in hot water.  Studies have also indicated tea may assist in preventing tooth decay because of high levels of fluorine content.      
     
Some individuals prefer plain tea, others flavored tea.  Because there are so many cuts, styles, blends and flavors available, tea appreciators need to find styles and flavors that appeal to individual taste.  Heart of the Vine stocks an extensive variety of loose tea leaves and teabags.  A listing of  loose tea leaves is on our website.  We also carry a complete range of teapots,  infusers, French presses, teaspoons and individual tea cups.


                                       BEERMAKING TIPS

Making your own beer can be as simple or as experimental as the home brewer prefers.  The development of single-stage fermentation, referred to as 'anaerobic', has made it very easy for brewers to produce quality American and European style ales,  pilsners,  lagers,  bocks and stouts.

The body, flavor and boldness of the brew are achieved by a proper balance of malt, hops, dextrose sugars, ale yeast and water.  Sugar inverts into equal parts of alcohol and carbon dioxide but doesn't  provide any flavor to the brew.  Thus, if the brewer prefers a 'heavier' beer (microbrewery style) all malt should be used instead of sugar in the brewing process.  Hops are rated by alpha acid percentages which determine the 'bite' or bitterness in the brew  (i.e. Hallertauer 3.8, Cascade 5.6, Bullion 9.8 etc.).  Yeast comes in two forms, dry or liquid.  Dry yeast is activated by placing it in a cup of tepid water for 10 minutes whereas liquid yeast needs to incubate over a period of 24-48 hours before inoculating it  into the brew.  Note:  There are liquid yeasts that can be used immediately - however their shelf life is very limited so we stock only  the Wyeast brand which requires the incubation period.

Most hobbyists brew in 5 gallon batches.  If making a  standard lighter style beer,  brewers generally use 3-4 lb. malt, 5-6 cups corn sugar, hops, yeast and water.  To achieve heavier micro-style beers, recipes will usually recommend using 6-8 lbs. malt, two styles hops, extra grains, yeast and water.   The beer can be bottled in 8-10 days or transferred to a secondary fermentor and allowed to settle another 2-4 weeks before bottling.  The amount of priming sugar used  prior to bottling determines the amount of carbonation in the bottled beer.  All malt brews (which end at a higher specific gravity) usually require 3/4 cup  (5 oz.)  priming sugar whereas lighter brews made with malt and sugar are usually primed with 1 cup sugar.  It is important not to exceed the recommended amount of  priming sugar which may result in too much carbonation and cause the beer to foam or possibly explode.   The preferred sugar used in both the brewing and priming process is corn sugar (inverted dextrose sugar).

Single-stage fermentation requires brewing at room temperature.  Brewing at too cool a temperature will result in either a sluggish or stuck fermentation.  Then, if  the beer is bottled before fermentation is complete, there is  potential of  bottle fermentation, which in addition to priming sugar  creates excessive carbonation.  An accepted brewing temperature is 68-80 degrees.   Note: Only lager style beers are brewed at a consistent 50-55 degrees with bottom fermenting lager yeast.

There are many extracts, liquid syrups and flavorings available to create flavored brews, i.e. Frambois (raspberry), cherry, strawberry/kiwi, Noisette (hazelnut), cranberry etc.  Wheat-based malts, rather than all barley,  are generally used to produce this style beer.


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