What Do You Need To Make Your Own Wine?

Homemade wine making is fast becoming very popular across the world. There are several reasons for this.

The biggest one is that the cost to transport that yummy nectar from where they grow, harvest, and ferment it is going up right along with the cost of fuel. There’s no two ways around it – we are about to see bottles of wine at the grocery store and wine shops double.

In the last year, there has been a flurry of “How To” guides crop up around the internet. All of the guides are helpful and at least can get a beginner started.

The truth is, you can make high quality wine, award winning wine, at home, in a 5 gallon food bucket.

Some preparation and materials are required. You have to at least have a hydrometer. You need at least the 5 gallon bucket. AND – you need some kind of near air tight secondary fermentation vessel. In the industry we call this a “carbouy”.

There are very inexpensive airlocks and some plastic tubing to round out the equipment.

Some chemicals may be required as well. Yeast is an obvious first one (not really a chemical but a dormant microbe). Citric acid, potassium sorbate, metabisulfate, campden tablets, pectin enzyme and a few others are pretty common.

The biggest secret in home wine making is: get the good stuff to start with.

There are actually vineyards that will sell small quantities of grapes or even crushed grapes and juices, fresh from the vineyard. Although these are hard to locate, they do exist. I have found at least one wine making guide that lists these sources.

Aside from the money savings (you can make wine for about 25 cents a bottle), there is the actual enjoyment of making something that you can drink! If your batch comes out really good, you will be calling all your neighbors and friends to come and give it a try.

Cheers and happy wine making!

Article by Mike Carraway, click on link below for the “Complete Guide To Making Wine”.

The Complete Guide To Wine

Winemaking (Advance Wine)

So – you have decided that you want to try your hand at making some wine. This article will describe the basic steps and some of the pitfalls to avoid to make sure your first batch turns out good enough to drink.

First things first – how much do you want to make?

I recommend at least 5 gallons. Why? Because beginning home wine makers just cannot wait to taste what they have made. In addition, 5 gallons is only 25 bottles. So you’ll get the batch finished, and then you will try a bottle or 2 or 3. Then you’ll wait a week and try a few more bottles. Sooner than later, it will all be gone before it has a chance to age and get really good.

If you just want to do something quick and simple, you could do a gallon in a plastic milk jug. The drawback is, once you have tasted it a few times – it’s all gone and you’ll have to start over.

With 5 gallons – you just might be tempted to let a few of the remaining bottles age. Believe it or not, the biggest mistake beginning winemakers make is not letting their wine age in the bottle. The difference in taste is, to put it mildly, AMAZING.

The next step is to decide which type of juice you want to ferment. Grape juice, cranberry juice, muscadine, and cherry are all good starter choices. The first 3 should produce a rather normal tasting wine while cherries usually will give you a sweeter wine. Of course, you can always add sugar to sweeten your wine after it is stabilized and has stopped fermenting.

The next step is to completely sterilize all of the containers and equipment you will be using. Some people use extremely hot water, others recommend using a sanitizer. I like the sanitizer because you do not have to scald yourself with the hot water. The sanitizing solution should be poured over everything and should make contact with all surfaces. Then you just rinse everything off with hot water.

Put your juice in your 5 gallon bucket – that’s the next step. BUT – it’s not time to put your yeast in yet.

We first want to sterilize our “must” or our juice. You can do this with 4 Campden Tablets. These are sulfite tablets that will get rid of any type of bacteria that could be present in the juice. Crush the tablets and then dissolve them in some warm water and then pour them in your juice or “must”. Let this sit overnight while the sulfites do their work.

24 hours later, you are ready to sprinkle in or “pitch” your yeast.

The type of yeast you decide to use is really a question that is beyond the scope of this article. However, I’ll say that there are hundreds of different yeast strains for literally thousands of different uses. For our first batch, we can just use the bakers yeast that you can easily find at the grocery store. Later, and after some research, you will probably want to use one of the specialized strains.

Now – wait 7 days and watch. you will want to cover your bucket with a cloth towel or even put on a lid with an airlock in place. The wine will be perfectly safe during the fermentation stage because it will give off lots of Carbon Dioxide. The Co2 will protect your wine from the oxygen in the air.

Once the 7 days has passed, siphon off the wine from the bucket into another bucket or into a glass “carboy”. These can be found online or at your local wineshop. When you are doing the siphoning, you will want to get as little of the gunk on the bottom of the bucket as possible. This gunk is called “lees” and is made up of dead yeast. Wine that sits on top of the dead yeast sometimes can develop an “off” flavor.

Once your wine has been transferred into what is called your “secondary fermenter”, then you will want to put an airlock in place and just let it sit for about a month. There’s a song about this part – “The Waiting is the Hardest Part”. It’s true. Every budding home winemaker just cannot wait to taste the stuff – but – don’t do it. It surely won’t hurt you but during this month it is still fermenting. The wine isn’t finished yet. Be Patient.

After the month is up, you will want to transfer it back to your bucket, again making sure that you leave the gunk on the bottom. The process of transferring the wine from one vessel to another is called “racking”. Why? That’s something I am going to research for another article.

You are just about there. Theres only one thing left to do and that is to add a “stablizer” to your wine. A stabilizer inhibits yeast reproduction. In essence, it stops yeast from doing it’s thing. Part of what happens during yeast growth and reproduction is that it releases Co2 gas. If that is happening after you bottle the wine, you will get popped corks or exploded bottles or both. So – put in the stabilizer, stir the wine well, and then return it to your Secondary Carboy fermentation vessel. Be sure and clean out the secondary and sterilize it before you do.

Now, all you have to do at this point is wait until the wine clears. Gravity is your friend here. Of course, it won’t hurt a bit to bottle cloudy wine. But if you wait another month, it should be crystal clear. The clearing process is another subject that you can find a great deal of information on in other guides and books and I suggest you read up on this subject when you get a chance.

Bottling time! All you have to do is make sure your bottles are clean and sanitized and just siphon the wine into the bottles. Corking the bottles can be a little difficult and i highly recommend you get some king of corker. Again, these are available online or at your local wine shop.

Now – BE PATIENT and let the wine sit in the bottle for 6 to 9 months. The longer the wine ages, the better it will taste – I guarantee it. Happy winemaking!

Article by Mike Carraway, click on link below for the “Complete Guide To Making Wine”.

The Complete Guide To Wine

Winemaking (Featured Articles)

Making your own wine at home is all the rage right now. Those how engage in it say it’s an educational, fun hobby.

There are lots of winemaking recipes available that make the process easy and claim to ensure success. It’s not as hard as it sounds. There are a few basic steps that, once learned, are simple to put into practice. And then there are the advanced principles that are not hard to master, although they’re not required for a good homemade wine.

Of course, the base ingredient is the grape. It contains, naturally, the right mixture of nutrients, tannin, sugar, and moisture for fermentation and preservation. It even has its own yeast.

But, what many don’t know is, wine can actually be made from just about any non-toxic plant if the correct additional ingredients are added. It may not be as good, but it is possible.

There is a lot of information and instruction available online about the art of winemaking. There are so many variables in certain ingredients, and tips and hints that are passed on from winemaker to winemaker that will help you avoid the problems and pitfalls of winemaking. For example, when a recipe advises you to gently squeeze the grape to extract the juice, what it’s really saying is that rough squeezing will lead to a cloudy wine that refuses to clarify. It just doesn’t say that in so many words.

This can be the hardest part of winemaking, all the little things that can make or break your wine. The problem is, finding all these tips without having to go through all the trial and error and storing of hundreds of bottles of bad wine in your garage.

So, if you’re thinking about making your own wine, or have a few failed attempts under your belt, these resources will help you accomplish the great-tasting homemade wine you’ve been dreaming of.

The Complete Guide To Making Wine
This guide states that it’ll have you making “Excellent, award winning wine for less than 29 cents a bottle”

Tips And Secrets To Making Great Wine
Over 190 of the best-tasting homemade wine recipes available

Home Winemaking Step By Step
Thanks to this powerful insider information, over 8,364 home winemakers learned to make prize winning homemade wine while avoiding the pitfalls that can occur

What Temperature Is Wine Best Stored And Served At?

You may have heard the old adage “refrigerate white wine and drink red wine at room temperature,” but it is simply not true.

Despite being “aged,” wine is a perishable product. If you store it at 100 degrees, it will lose its flavor. However, if you store it at 3 degrees, just as much damage will be caused.

The trick is to store it at an ideal, stable temperature, and then to serve it at a temperature which best shows off its personal characteristics.

Serve the wine too cold, and all of the flavors will be hidden. Serve it too hot, and all you’ll taste is alcohol.

More than half of the enjoyment of wine is involved in the aroma. The taste has only four aspects; salty, sweet, sour, and acid. Your nose does the rest of the work.

You see, vapors are created as the wine becomes warmer. So, you want your wine to be just a few degrees below the ideal drinking temperature for this to work. Room temperature is rarely, if ever, a good temperature to serve wine at. Being too warm makes white wine taste dull and red wine too alcoholic.

Here are the best general temperatures for drinking wine at. Remember, however, the temperature of the room will be relative to this ‘idea temperature’. If your room is 60°F and you are serving a fine Burgundy, you’ll want to chill the Burgundy to 58°F to allow it a little breathing and warming up in the glass.
Temperatures are in Farenheit:

66  Vintage Port
64  Bordeaux, Shiraz
63  Red Burgundy, Cabernet
61  Rioja, Pinot Noir
59  Chianti, Zinfandel
57  Tawny/NV Port, Madeira
55  Ideal storage for all wines
48  Chardonnay
47  Riesling
45  Champagne
43  Ice Wines
41  Asti Spumanti

The Three P’s Of Selecting A Wine

The three “P”s in selecting a wine: Price, Preference and Pairing.

Always keep these in your mind when choosing a wine and you’ll usually come away with a winner.

Price

The price you are willing, or not willing, to pay for a bottle of wine is an important factor in selecting the wine that’s right for you.

It used to be that a “good” bottle of wine cost no less than $30. But today, there are plenty of outstanding wines available for around $15 or less.

So rest assured that you don’t have to pay a fortune to experiment with various wines. A decent wine merchant will be able to give you plenty of suggestions in your price range.
Preference

We all have our own preferences. And they can change in a second. However, with your wine preferences, allow to change in accordance to what you’ll be drinking them with or who you will be sharing them with.

An example; you’re hosting an afternoon get-together. So your preferences may lean towards “safe” reds and whites. For people that aren’t used to heavy-bodied, heartier wines, give ‘em a break. Serve a softer Merlot or Pinot Noir. These are sometimes referred to as “Starter Reds.”

As far as white wine, who doesn’t enjoy a refreshing Gewurztraminer? If you want to experiment with a new varietal, then speak to your local wine merchant about wines. Styles and labels that you have enjoyed in the past. Asking him for specific recommendations should provide good direction for another great find.

If you, yourself, are new to wines and need a few suggestions – try a Riesling, Gewurztraminer. Or even a Muscat dessert wine if sweeter wines suit your fancy.

Do you prefer a drier white wine? Look for a Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.

As for reds, start with a Gamay, Pinot Noir, or Merlot if you don’t want anything too complex or full-bodied.

However, if you’re looking to turn up the complexity meter, then go with a great California Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah (or Shiraz if its from Australia) or a Zinfandel.

Pairing

If you’re specifically looking for a wine to go with dinner tonight, you should take into account what the key ingredients will be.

Will you serve white or red meat?

Will you be using fresh or dried herbs? And what types of herbs?

Will the dish be spicy or fruit-filled?

These questions play an important role in deciding which wines will go well with specific entrees.

In general, white wines accent a lighter flavored meal very well, while red wines more often compliment heartier meals.

Keep in mind that pairing foods and wines is 99% personal preference and 1% science.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

Is wine really good for you? It’s true, a glass or two can help your heart, prevent cancer and more. In moderation, and of course, as part of a healthy diet, the short answer is yes!

Because of its alcohol content and the non-alcoholic phytochemicals (naturally occurring plant compounds), wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and even slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

Of course, the amount of wine you drink matters. A lot. If you drink more than what’s recommended, the health benefits are lost and your health risks rise.

What’s considered safe and effective? Well, for men, no more than two drinks per day. For women, no more than one. “One” drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine.

When it comes to wine and its health benefits, here’s what we know:

It’s been proven that moderate amounts of alcohol can raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and thin your blood. This is thought to be one of the primary cardiovascular benefits from wine (red and white) (as well as hard liquor and beer).

Non-alcoholic phytochemicals in wine, such as flavanoids and resveratrol, act as antioxidants and prevent molecules known as “free radicals” from causing cellular damage in the body. Although some studies that have focused on the health benefits of resveratrol use much greater dosages than you’ll find in an average glass of wine, resveratrol has been shown to prevent blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries by altering lipid profiles and plasma viscosity.

Findings from a recent study suggest that resveratrol can produce potent anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk for coronary heart disease. In animal studies, resveratrol even reduced tumor incidence by affecting one or more stages of cancer development.

Red wine provides much more resveratrol than white wine. That’s because the longer the skin is kept on the grape during the wine making process, the greater the concentration of resveratrol in the wine.

In the case of white wine and its production, the skin is removed before fermentation, giving white wines a lower concentration in resveratrol compared to red wines. Also, wines made in cooler climates have greater amounts of resveratrol too. So, red wines from cool climates have the most resveratrol.

The Difference Between Red And White Wines

You probably have your favorites when it comes to wine. Most likely you’ve tried several varieties of red and white wine. But what is the real difference between reds and whites? The difference goes much deeper than just the color.

Both red and white wines can be either dry or sweet. It depends on how much of the sugar was converted to alcohol during the fermentation process. But, if you taste a glass of red wine and a glass of white wine and you’ll notice that the red wine, overall, will be more robust and complex than the white wine.

You see, there are more layers of flavor in red wine that don’t exist in white. The difference has less to do with the grapes used and more to do with the fermentation process. That is the primary difference.

In the fermentation process, in white wines, after the grapes get pressed, the seeds, skins, and stems are removed from the juice. But, with red wines, the seeds, skins, and stems are all left in the juice during fermentation. This allows tannins to be released into the juice. It’s the tannins that give red wine its comlexity and full bodied flavor.

Tannins are plant compounds that exist in leaves, barks of trees and grapes. You may have tasted tannins in a strong cup of tea. Tannins cause an astringent, bitter taste.

The tannins that are released during fermentation react with proteins and help prevent the wine from oxidizing as it ages. As white wines are not aged as long as red wines, usually, the tannins aren’t needed. But, they are needed to help the red wines age properly.

Tannins also provide another layer of flavor and complexity. As the wine ages, the tannins mellow and blend with the wine, losing most of their astringency.

And now, the next time you choose a wine, you’ll know why it has the color and flavor that it has. Tannins.

That Leftover Wine – What To Do With It?

When you have wine leftover from dinner or a large party, the question is always asked, “what should I do with it?”

When it comes to leftover wine, you’ve basically got two options: keep it or toss it.

But there is a third option. Recycle it.

First of all, you must realize that if you keep that leftover wine, even just for a day or two, it will never be the same. It doesn’t matter what re-corking method or storing technique you use. But, there are some strategies that work better than others.

To avoid oxidation, use refrigeration. Whether it’s red wine or white wine, make sure to store it in the fridge. Never let it sit out on the counter overnight.

To increase the odds of preserving the wine intact, be sure to recork it with the tightest fit possible. Possibly the cork that came in the bottle will still fit. But if not, make sure to use a replacement cork that fits tight to make the best possible seal.

Many of the pretty, hobby-top corks are cute, but they don’t hold a tight seal. “Lever Bottle” or “Vacu Vin” stoppers usually hold well and can be a good replacement cork.

Another strategy to avoid wine degradation is to use a squirt of Private Preserve, an inert, non-toxic gas that displaces the oxygen that creeps into the empty portion of the bottle.

In addition, there’s the “smaller bottle” option. Say you have a half-bottle or less of wine. Pouring it into a smaller, clean wine bottle will significantly decrease the bottle’s capacity for oxygen.

Recycling Wine

There is no reason to let your favorite, and possibly expensive, wine go to waste.

True, an already-opened bottle of wine may not be up to the same performance level the next day, it could be the rock star in a nice Sangria recipe where the fruit, sugar and additional alcohol will give it new life.

Or consider using the leftover wine in a marinade or salad dressing. Cooking with your wine is another way to both save an opened bottle of wine and add richer flavors into sauces, soups and meats. It’s a win-win situation. 

So, tossing that leftover wine, or gulping it down because you don’t want to waste it, remember to consider your options.

How To Taste Wines

Learning how to taste wines is an easy adventure that will increase your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. The look, the smell, the taste – start with your basic senses and expand from there and you’ll be tasting wines like a pro in no time!

Bear in mind that even though you can smell thousands of unique aromas, your taste perception is actually limited to sweet, salty, bitter and sour. It’s the combination of smells and tastes that allows you to discern flavor.

Look

Check out the Color and Clarity. Pour a glass of wine into a wine glass. Take a good look at it. Tilt the glass away from you and notice the color of the wine from the rim to the middle of the glass.

What color is it? Look beyond the obvious red, white or blush.

If it’s a red wine, is the color purple, red, brick, maroon, ruby, garnet, or even brownish?

If it’s a white wine, is it clear, straw like, golden, light green, pale yellow, amber or brown in appearance?
What about the wine’s opacity? Is it dark or watery, opaque or translucent, brilliant or dull, clear or cloudy? Can you see sediment? Tilt the glass a bit, swirl it a bit and look again. Is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floaters? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.

Smell

Your sense of smell is critical to correctly analyze a glass of wine. To get a good impression of the aroma, gently swirl your glass to help vaporize some of the wine’s alcohol and release more of the natural aromas, and then take a quick sniff to get a first impression.

Now stick your nose down far into the glass and inhale deeply. What’s your next impression? What do you smell? Vanilla? Citrus? Berry? Oak? Flowers?

The aroma is an excellent indicator of the quality and unique characteristics of the wine. Continue to gently swirl the wine and let the aromas mingle, and keep sniffing until you define your impression.

Taste

Finally, taste the wine. Start with a small sip and let it roll around on your tongue. Pay close attention to the alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. These four pieces to the puzzle cause sensations to your palate. Ideally, these four components will be well-balanced. Each piece will not be more prominent than another.

These four pieces do not display a specific flavor. They meld together to offer impressions in intensity and complexity, soft or firm, light or heavy, crisp or creamy, sweet or dry, but not necessarily true flavors like fruit or spice.

Next, discern the flavor profile of the wine. If it’s a red wine you might notice fruit – berry, plum, prune or fig. Or perhaps some spice – pepper, clove, cinnamon, or maybe a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or even a bit of smokiness.

If it’s a white wine you may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits. Or the taste may be more floral in nature or consist of honey, butter, herbs or a bit of earthiness.

And now, for the finish. How long did the flavor last after the wine was swallowed? This is where the wine culminates, where the aftertaste comes into play.

Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied like water or full-bodied like milk? Can you taste the remnant of the wine on the back of your mouth and throat? Do you want another sip or was the wine too bitter at the end? What was your last flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? Does the taste persist or is it short-lived?

After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Was it sweet, sour or bitter? How was the wine’s acidity? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine’s name, producer and vintage year down for future reference.

Because, after all, the most important thing is how it tastes to you!

How To Choose A Wine Glass

If you’re new to wine, or are just in the market for some new wine glasses, there are lots of things to consider before selecting. The decision goes further than which glasses you think are the nicest, or most attractive.

Every wine drinker has their own preference for what wine they like to drink. You should also develop a preference for your wine glasses. Because, believe it or not, the glass you drink from plays a major role in your overall satisfaction with the wine.

Red wine glasses are different than white wine glasses. While a red wine glass resembles an egg, a white wine glass will be thinner more resemble a tulip.

A white wine glass has a smaller opening. This is essential to your flavor and enjoyment. It allows for less aeration, or breathing. Since white wine is usually enjoyed server colder than red, this keeps the temperature cooler, longer. And, since the “bowl” of the glass is smaller, less hand-to-glass contact occurs, also preserving the temperature.

On the other hand, the red wine glass has a larger opening and a larger bowl. You’ll want to drink your red wine at a slightly warmer temperature. The increased aeration accomplishes this, and having more hand-to-glass contact won’t hurt the flavor.

Going smaller yet, we get into champagne glasses. Champagne is actually wine that has been processed differently to obtain the carbonation and sweetness. The glass, or “flute,” that you’ll drink champagne out of is even thinner than the white wine glass, and has a smaller opening. This allows it to remain chilled longer and retains the carbonation better.

So, the next time you go out to buy wine glasses, remember, they’re not only nice to look at, they’re functional as well.

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