Holiday Message

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:03:54 +0000

Wine Craft would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year .

Please note : Our store will be closed from December 24 2011 to January 2 2012.

Have a great holiday!

Price Increase

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:53:31 +0000

Advintage Distribution

Announces a price increase effective January 1 2012

"Please take note that the price of Advintage winemaking kits will increase effective January 1 2012 .

Our industry has been facing on-going pricing increases due to raw material and fuel increases. As always our goal is to provide the best quality and service at the fairest price in the market. Advintage Distribution wishes to thank all of our loyal customers for your support and understanding."

Effective January 1 2012 all wine kits and supplies will increase by 5 percent .

Why make your own wine

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:30:59 +0000

Do you purchase wine regularly at the LCBO?

Do you enjoy a nice wine with your meals and believe it enhances the experience?

Do you serve wine when entertaining?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions you may want to consider the following:

Wine consumption in Canada is on the rise and you are part of those statistics. The British firm IWSR found that wine consumption in Canada increased 26.6% from 2003 to 2007, and expects Canadian consumption will increase an additional 29.3% by 2012. (source: Financial Post - Jan.31, 2009)

REDUCE YOUR TAXES and save on your cost of wine by making your own wine.

Wine quality from a Ferment-on-Premise facility has never been better than now and it keeps improving as demand increases. You can make you own QUALITY wines for a fraction of what you would pay at the liquor store or wine store.

The juices and kits available provide you selection from some of the world’s finest vineyards. The same vineyards that provide the juices for the wine you purchase from the LCBO and other commercial sources.

If you have never made wine you will be surprised at how easy and fun it can be. Not only will you be able to save money, but you can also proudly claim to having contributed to making the wine.

Another added bonus; you are contributing to a greener environment, because you reuse your wine bottles which is better than recycling or worse yet, going to landfill.

Reduce your taxes and make some great wine.

Sweetness Scale

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:40:16 +0000

Wine Characteristics

Wine: How Much Is Good for You?

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:26:52 +0000

Studies show wine is heart healthy, but what about the calories?

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away. Could this be true? WebMD talks to experts to learn how we can get the health benefits of wine or alcohol while keeping our weight in check.

Do Like the French?

The French diet is often used as an example of how wine can improve heart health. The French have a fairly high-fat diet but their heart disease risk is relatively low. And some have attributed this to red wine.

But there are so many differences between the lifestyle of the French and Americans from their activity levels to the foods they eat. You cannot isolate red wine as the magic bullet for disease prevention says Alice Lichtenstein, DrS, Gershoff Professor at Tufts University.

Choose whichever alcoholic beverage you enjoy, drink it in moderation and try to have it with meals, advise Lichtenstein and Eric Rimm, DrS, a Harvard researcher.

Arthur Agatston, MD, cardiologist and creator of the popular South Beach diet, encourages patients who enjoy alcohol to also drink it with meals.

"Alcohol can stimulate the appetite so it is better to drink it with food. When alcohol is mixed with food, it can slow the stomach's emptying time and potentially decrease the amount of food consumed at the meal," asserts Agatston. His alcohol of choice is red wine due to the antioxidant resveratrol. However, he agrees that any alcohol in limited quantity will provide the same health benefit.

There is a misperception that red wine is abundant in antioxidants. "It does contain some, but they are not always well absorbed. If you want antioxidants, you are better off eating a spinach salad with vegetables than drinking a glass of red wine," Rimm tells WebMD. Lower Your Cholesterol

Alcohol also can have a very powerful effect and increase HDL "good" cholesterol by 20% if used moderately and in the context of a healthy diet along with regular physical activity, says Rimm. Higher HDL levels are linked to lower risks of heart disease.

"The research evidence points to ethanol, or the alcohol component, of beer, wine, or spirits as the substrate that can help lower cholesterol levels, increase 'good' HDL cholesterol," he says.

Boost Your Brain

A recent study shows a boost in brain power for women who enjoy a little alcohol. The study, published in the Jan. 20 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated more than 12,000 women aged 70-81. Moderate drinkers scored better than teetotalers on tests of mental function. Researchers found a boost in brainpower with one drink a day. Moderate drinkers had a 23% reduced risk of mental decline compared with nondrinkers.

With Alcohol, Moderation Is Key: Easy Does It

Just as you shouldn't eat a 12-ounce steak daily, you need to watch your portion sizes of alcohol as well.

What is one drink?

5 ounces of wine

12 ounces of beer

1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, such as vodka

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend one drink a day for women and two a day for men. This doesn't mean to can save them up for a weekend party and expect to get the same benefits.

Will a Drink a Day Make You Fat?

A drink a day may help keep your brain sharp and heart healthy but what about the calories?

Alcohol supplies calories with few essential nutrients. If you drink alcohol, it needs to be budgeted into "discretionary calories" to maintain a healthy weight according to the 2005 dietary guidelines.

"Most Americans are sedentary, putting them into the lower calorie levels, leaving little room for alcohol, sweets, and extra fats," states Theresa Nicklas, DrPH, a member of the dietary guidelines advisory committee.

It is more important and healthful to select foods packed with nutrients, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than alcohol when calories are limited. The health benefits of moderate alcohol do not outweigh the risks of being overweight or obese, says Nicklas.

An individual on an 1,800-calorie level eating plan only has 195 discretionary calories or the equivalent of a 9-ounce glass of wine or a small dessert. If you want dessert along with your daily allotment of alcohol, you need to increase physical activity to balance your calories to achieve a healthy weight, according to Nicklas.

Double-Edged Sword

A little may be good but too much alcohol can lead to serious problems.

No one should start drinking if they don't already drink, advise Lichtenstein and Agatston. It is well known that alcohol can lead to numerous health problems for many individuals, such as pregnant women and women at high risk for breast cancer (alcohol raises the risk of breast cancer). Individuals with family histories of alcohol abuse should also not drink, says Lichtenstein.

To gain the benefits of good health, do your part to enjoy your one to two drinks per day at mealtime and follow the advice of the dietary guidelines for food, fitness, and weight management.