Anyone else here make wine?

[Padraig18]

This is our second year making wine, and I will confess that this year's vintages are MUCH improved over last year's. I guess it's a learning experience, like anything else.

:)

[JimmyJazz]

1. You put up this post without providing your address? How

will we know where to find you for some free samples? :7

[Padraig18]

2. LOL!

Well, we may make it available, after we try them out on the family Thusday.

;)

[DBoon]

3. Yes

One nice advantage to living in SoCal is being able to grow vinifera - this at one time was the biggest wine region in the US, We have about 30 Zinfandel plants in our front yard. Have had 4 vintages so far. The wine is average at best but hey, I made it all myself.

I've found two things to be very important:

1. Everything has to be absolutely clean and sterile
2. Don't introduce any air when bottling

[Padraig18]

4. Yes, we also learned those things.

We make other fruit vintages, as well.

:)

[DBoon]

12. Very good!

Grape minds think alike

[supernova]

5. I'm interested in it

but I hardly know where to start.

[DBoon]

13. Get a kit

For maybe $35 to $70, you get grape juice concentrate, yeast, and all the various other additives and stuff.

The juice quality is consistent. The juice is sterile, so no nasty microbes to ruin the flavor. The juice also has the proper balance of acidity and sugar as well.

You are pretty much guarenteed an acceptable result. Won't get a 99 in the Wine Spectator, but will be a good drinkable wine.

[Digit]

6. I used to make Hay, now just whine.

[Rowdyboy]

7. I'd love to learn....I harvested about 6 gallons of grapes this year

(muscadine) and still have some of the juice frozen. I've just never found a simple recipe.

[OldEurope]

8. My grandfather used to. He bought lots of raisins

from a hypermarket, wich were to old and rotten to be sold regularily. He had built a sort of press in the cellar, and his son (my father) and later his granddaughters and their spouses had to assist him. My, after one day of helping him pressing and filling the barrels, we were all gluey from head to feet, and so was the whole cellar. I hated cleaning this mess, but... ok, it was Grandpa.
He never stopped the fermentation, so his "wine" tasted like some smooth vinegar with at least 20 % alcohol. He used to drink 2 liters of this dayly. He died at the age of 87, and until his last few weeks, he was at very good health.
R.I.P., Grandpa!

[Sabriel]

9. My dad used to

In fact, I still have some carboys (sp?) around. His worst vintage EVER was dandelion wine. What a waste of a cork!

We kids used to dare each other to smell the acid he used to clean the glassware. It would burn out your nose hairs.

[Ms_Mary]

10. I made a batch of Peach Schnapps a couple of months ago

It was from a kit, but that was my first foray into making alcoholic drinks from scratch. Not bad at all, very nice with iced tea. I'm interested in making wine but I keep putting off buying the equipment. I was thinking of brewing beer. My store in next to a hobby shop that sells the kits for all of it.

[Coventina]

11. I'm thinking of a parody thread......

"Anyone else here make water?"

But Skinner probably wouldn't approve.....

:D