| If you believe the wine companies, production of | | | | Place the yeast in your bucket and work it in with |
| quality wine is a mystery that is known only by | | | | your hands. Cover with a towel and let it stand |
| their winemaker who has a degree in enology and | | | | until the bubbling from the fermentation process |
| viticulture and studied under a master winemaker | | | | stops. Allow 7-10 days to complete the primary |
| for many years. Actually wine making is quite | | | | fermentation. Now you must "rack" the wine, or |
| simple and the common man has made wine | | | | separate the juice from the skins and other |
| since the beginning of civilization. All that fancy | | | | sediment. You can siphon it off with a hose, or |
| training may be necessary to run a multi million | | | | perhaps easier, pour the must into cheesecloth to |
| dollar operation, but you can turn grapes into | | | | strain it. |
| good wine with minimum training. | | | | The wine should be put into a five gallon glass |
| The Crush | | | | carboy which is a glass container with a narrow |
| Let's get started and make several cases of wine. | | | | neck that can be fitted with and air-lock This is |
| You will need to buy about fifty pounds of grapes | | | | where your wine will sit for the next two to ten |
| from a local grower or wine supply shop. You also | | | | weeks undergoing secondary fermentation. A |
| can get some of the items used in the process | | | | glass container and the air-lock are very important |
| from a wine supply shop or internet site. Inspect | | | | because no air can come in contact with the wine |
| the grapes and make sure they are free of | | | | during this time or the wine will spoil. The air-lock |
| insects and vineyard debris. Discard any rotten | | | | allows gas to escape so the top doesn't blow off. |
| grapes and remove the stems since they will | | | | Ageing Wine |
| make the wine bitter. Place the grapes in a large | | | | We now must rack the wine again to make sure |
| tub or pail and start the crush. With visions of our | | | | we get rid of any leftover yeast and as much |
| ancestors in Italy having a wild grape stomping | | | | sediment as possible. Here you want to siphon the |
| party in your head, reach into the bucket with | | | | wine from one carboy to a second filling all the |
| rubber gloves and start squeezing the juice out of | | | | way to the top and putting the air-lock back on. It |
| the skins. Actually a potato masher works well. | | | | is also a good idea to add several more Campden |
| Since there is some yeast on the grape skins, | | | | tablets to make sure fermentation is completed. |
| you should add several Campden tablets of | | | | Let the wine age in a dark location at a |
| potassium metabisulfite so fermentation doesn't | | | | temperature of 50-60 degrees for three months |
| start right away. Cover the pail and let your | | | | and rack it again. You may continue to age it for |
| mashed grapes known as "must" sit overnight so | | | | another 6-12 months depending on the grape |
| the flavor from the skins can mix with the juice. | | | | variety you are using and the taste you are |
| Grape Fermentation | | | | trying to achieve. You may have to rack another |
| Now we are ready for fermentation. There are | | | | time if there is a lot of sediment left. Finally you |
| many yeasts that are made for wine, I suggest | | | | are ready to bottle your wine. Fill each bottle by |
| you use either Montrachet Red or Montrachet | | | | siphoning the wine out of the carboy leaving |
| White since it is the easiest to use and works | | | | about 2 inches at the top of the bottle. Insert a |
| over a wide range of temperature and sugar | | | | cork into a hand corker and finish your job. Now |
| levels. Those are the two factors that determine | | | | you are ready to invite your friends over for |
| the alcohol level after fermentation is complete. | | | | your first wine tasting. |