October 2008

Dear Member,

We received numerous comments from members trying to access our website last month. After a number of back and forths, Comcast finally decided that they had to upgrade the modem they had supplied to us. Apparently, that was all we needed. Log in to www.wine-concepts.com and enjoy all our site has to offer.

Next time your wandering about in London, England and happen to find yourself in a wine bar featuring stained-glass windows, pictures on a religious theme and decorations in "episcopal purple" you will in all likelihood have come upon the Church of England’s latest scheme to make itself more businesslike. In outlining plans for a chain of center-city wine bars, Mr Hope-Urwin, the first "director of hospitality and welcome" at an English cathedral said: "We're not trying to encourage drinking, but the cathedral has to engage more with the city and find ways of meeting people on their territory. Cathedral wine bars should be seen as a potential commercial operation with profits going into the upkeep of the building and paying for evangelistic work. This isn't about turning the cathedral into a big money-making machine, but we have to think of how we can change and spread the brand.” I’m all for wine bars in any shape or form, but “...spread the brand” is a concept I associate more with packaged goods than religions.

Now’s a good time to welcome back all of our members who are returning from points less hot and wet than Florida in the summer...maybe you’ve all been in Anglican wine bars. We’ve had a wonderful time while you’ve been gone, but, we really missed you and we’re glad you’re back. And to those of you coming back from an even longer separation, we’re even happier you’re back. As for those of you who didn’t go anywhere and drank wine with us all summer, a special toast and our undying love and appreciation.

Last month we extolled the virtue of membership in our Connoisseur’s Selection top-shelf wine club. This month, we would bring your attention to the International Wine Selection program. In this program we send a six pack every quarter containing three red wines and three white wines from vineyards throughout the world...you can of course, opt for all reds or all whites. Our summer selection contained a Pinot Noir from Sicily, a stunning red wine from Greece and from Chile, a Carmenère, that country’s national treasure. As to whites, we featured the classics: French Chardonnay, Australian Sauvignon Blanc and Spanish Albariño. Each selection of six wines can be yours for only $60 plus shipping and tax...an incredible bargain. Join today and you’ll receive our Fall selection of six different wines, sure to excite you senses. To join, just give us a call at 800-749-9463, send a fax to 239-591-2840, send an email to us at wineconceptsinc@comcast.net or do it the easy way: visit our website, www.wine-concepts.com and click on Wine Clubs.

For those of you who have wondered which wine would best pair with your morning breakfast, the October issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine reports that Pinot Noir is the best match for smoked sausage or bacon strips. There are undoubtedly people in this world who will find this to be very useful information.

I remember coaches hollering at me and imploring me to “get the LEAD out...” Well, now I know that it wasn’t my fault. I just wasn’t drinking my red wine. LEAD, an acronym for “lower extremity arterial disease”, is a condition in which the blood vessels in the leg become damaged. As LEAD progresses, the blocked arteries can cause discomfort, cramps or pain in the hips, thighs or calves, especially when exercising. Lucky for me, if I really were to have LEAD, there would be two good alternatives: I can quit exercising ( I would be willing to make the sacrifice but Judy would have a fit!) or I could drink some red wine. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology those who consumed a glass or two of red wine a day showed a lower risk than nondrinkers of developing LEAD. To lessen the chance you will ever hear those dreaded words “...get the LEAD out!” you should consider upping your monthly wine order to four, six or even twelve bottles a month. Do the math...you need six bottles to hit the government proscribed minimum of a glass a day. Give us a call or visit the website to increase your order today, while you’re thinking about it. You owe it to your legs.

Unlike some of our current office holders, our nation’s third president had his priorities straight. Thomas Jefferson’s salary was $25,000 per year - a princely sum, but the expenses were also great. In 1801 Jefferson spent $6,500 for provisions and groceries, $2,700 for servants (some of whom were liveried), and $3,000 for wine. I’m much like Jefferson...I make it a point each year to spend more on wine than I do on servants.

As always we wish to thank you for your continuing support of Wine Concepts. We encourage you to communicate with us...tell us what we’re doing wrong or what we’re doing right. It’s only through your feedback that we can accomplish our goal of being the best wine club in the world...the wine club you deserve. To share with us your comments or complaints, to order wine, give a referral or give a gift, to enroll in a new program such as Connoisseur’s Selection or International Wine Selections, or to increase your monthly shipment, call us at 800-749-9463, send a Fax to 239-591-2840, visit our website www.wine-concepts.com or reach us electronically at wineconceptsinc@comcast.net. We appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful world of wine with you, and look forward to many more years of this special relationship.

All the best!