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Bringing Home the Gold
Amateur winemakers can bask in the glow of gold when they make their wine with award-winning Ken Grossi of Niagara Wine & Brew Co. in Grimsby.
In fact this holiday season, they could be offering family and friends a taste of international acclaim with the wine they've made from premium quality wine kits and the expert guidance of Mr. Grossi at his on-premise wine-making facility.
Mr. Grossi recently brought home top awards to Grimsby and the region of Niagara from the prestigious 2006 Wine Maker International Amateur Wine Competition, held in Manchester, Vermont. The 2006 edition represented the largest and most diverse collection of amateur wines ever assembled under one roof. This competition is unique in that it puts wines produced from grapes, juices, and kits in the same categories.
"I first sent entries of my own wines vinted from grapes of the Niagara region a few years ago mainly to get professional judging remarks. As it turned out, I won six medals and gained some valuable advice. I thought it would be interesting this time to submit wines strictly vinted from our Ultra Premium wine kits. I wanted to see how they would compete, and show our customers how good this line of wine kit really is," Mr. Grossi said.
As a licensed member of the Fermenters Guild, Mr. Grossi ended up winning an array of medals to add to his wall of fame with these submissions, joining the 2,417 total entries that were judged at the international competition.
He won Gold each for a 2004 Vidal Ice Wine and a 2003 Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Merlot; Silver, 2003 Napa Valley Cab-Merlot Blend and 2004 Amarone Style; and Bronze for 2004 Australian Shiraz and 2003 Bordeaux Style Blend.
Mr. Grossi sets the bar high, and his enthusiasm and knowledge are carried over to help his customers make outstanding quality wines.
"Niagara is the heart of Canada's wine industry, so naturally I want our customers to make wines of high quality. We specialize in ultra premium wines," Mr. Grossi said, referring to the large selection of Winexpert's premium quality wine kits, including the Selection Estate Series Crushendo Line which adds crushed grapes skins to the primary fermenting process.
"Twenty years ago, brew on premise facilities offered cost savings, but the technology hadn't yet advanced to make the outstanding quality of wines that are available today. Now we can offer higher quality juice concentrates of prestigious varietals and styles, sourced from exclusive vineyards in the world's greatest wine-making regions. But per bottle, it is still a fraction of the cost of store bought," Mr. Grossi said.
In fact, Niagara Wine & Brew guarantees that wines made from their Selection Estate Ultra Premium wine kit series will, with some aging, compare with $18-$20 bottle store-bought wines. This is not just seasonal. Customers can make these outstanding wines all year round.
"He really knows the business and he knows what he's talking about," said St. Catharines' customer Colin Martin.
"Kenny guides me on every selection," Mr. Martin said. "I've never made a bad batch."
The process begins when customers choose a wine variety. They mix the contents into a large vessel and start the fermentation process by sprinkling yeast into the juice. Mr. Grossi and his staff, handle intermediate processing steps such as stabilizing, clarifying and filtering. Between five and nine weeks later, depending on the type of wine kit, the customer then returns to bottle, cork and personalize their finished product.
When you enter through the front door, the store's unique design and inviting winery-like atmosphere immediately make you feel at home. As customers work around the central bottling island, they share stories and wine-making tips.
It takes a lot of time and talent to build that trust and confidence and the facility has held the top spot for seven consecutive years as the No.1 wine and beer making store in West Niagara. It is also recognized as one of southern Ontario's finest Brew-on-Premises, with customers from Niagara through to Hamilton, and as far as Oakville and Toronto.
Customers dropping by last week greeted Mr. Grossi as a friend. He helps them select and make their wine and gives each one their due respect as amateur vintners.
Niagara Wine & Brew also offers premium micro-brewed beer. Customers can make an all-grain, craft-style beer at exactly half the price of store bought, by simply tossing yeast into the "wort" which has been shipped to the Niagara Wine & Brew Co. from a real micro-brewery.
"We take it from there, finishing the fermentation, cold stabilizing, filtering and finally, carbonation. The customer returns after two weeks to bottle their product. Because we don't use malt extract, there is no bad aftertaste. The result is equal to a beer produced from a commercial craft-style brewery, we guarantee it!"
The Niagara Wine & Brew Co. is the exclusive distributor for Winexpert Inc. Group in the Grimsby/Lincoln area, the world's largest manufacturer of premium wine kits. Owned by Andres Wines Ltd., they are the No. 1 selling wine kits in North America.
Mr. Grossi was raised in the warm Italian environment of family and wine. But it wasn't until he reached his early 20's that he developed his interest in wine-making, after being introduced to fine wines. After 20 years in construction, he left his partnership at the family construction business, "Grossi Tile & Building Centre" in St. Catharines, and pursued this passion for wine-making and made it a career. In 2002, wanting to learn more about the chemistry of wine-making, he successfully completed the "Analysis of Musts and Wines" course instructed by Dr. Tom Schulz at Niagara College.
When asked who his favorite winemaker is, he quickly responds with an affirmative "Angelo Gaja, no question! His elegant wines and style of wine-making have made him famous throughout the world. In Angelo Gaja, Italy probably has the most gifted wine producer of his generation."
When asked what his favorite wine is, the answer comes with a little more thought. "People ask me this everyday, especially those who need help in choosing their next batch to make. I am careful how I respond. First I need to know what they like in a wine, then I can recommend a choice to fit that style. Wine is so personal, what I may like, they may not. But to answer your question, I enjoy big, full-bodied, serious reds, like the Great Super Tuscan's: Brunello, Sassicaia, and Tignanello.
Mr. Grossi and his wife Connie, who share this passion for wine, had originally looked at opening a cottage winery, but instead went the route of on-premise vinting and opened their store in September 1998. As an architectural designer/technologist, this love for wine has flowed into Connie's work, designing the complete look and layout of the store. She has also been involved in the design proposals of several Niagara Region wineries, and her portfolio includes the creative and impressive design for Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery, including the coach house and on site restaurant.
Mr. Grossi generously shares the store's success with his dedicated and knowledgeable staff. "Karen Weiss has been with us for almost six years and has a great rapport with all our customers. Jessica DeFoa and Josh Komar make up the rest of the team and are a tremendous asset. Brother and sister Nakita and Daniel Stanec, still come in to help out even though both have moved on to college."
Darrin Young worked for the past four years at the Niagara Wine & Brew Co. and is now completing a co-op at Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery as part of his Niagara Wine and Viticulture Technician program at Niagara College. He was part of the team that submitted the recent award-winning wines at the international competition. "I'm so proud of him," Mr. Grossi said. "It's hard to believe Darrin intended to pursue a career as an industrial electrician, but while working here, he developed such an interest in this industry, that he changed his whole career objective. I can understand that. I know it certainly has changed mine!"
Niagara Wine & Brew Co. is located in the lower level of 80 Main Street W., across from Coronation Park in downtown Grimsby. Store hours are: Monday to Friday 9:30-6:30, Saturday 9:30 till 4:00. For more information contact Kenny Grossi at 905-309-9463, visit our website at
www.niagarawine.ca or www.winexpert.com
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