Napa Valley Winemaking Courses
August 21, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
I spotted an article on Google News yesterday which caught my eye - it was all about becoming a wine maker in the Napa Valley ( which I think is in California - I can think of worse places to make wine! ).
Apparently over there, the whole aspect of personlisation of wine is a big deal -and I understand that - I have mentioned numerous times on this site how the whole making something personalised, that can be enjoyed by other people is a great way of getting a sense of achievement - and lets face it, wine is always enjoyable!
So the article went on to say how a small outfit in the Napa Valley helps individuals create their own wine - form as little as one barrel upwards. What you basically have to do is book your grapes fro the following harvest, then they will harvest the grapes, and make the wine.
The time frame for production depends on the grape and hence the type of home made wine you want - but typically the longest is 24 months for a decent Cabnernet Sauvignon.
The company that offers this service is called Microcrush - the article basically says that ” whether you own a vineyard or live in a big city, MicroCrush gives wine enthusiasts a fun, affordable way to craft their own Napa Valley wine in the heart of this world famous winemaking region. The service is all-inclusive, from fruit sourcing through bottling, and clients can participate as much or as little as they like. In addition to working with individuals, MicroCrush has helped launch small commercial brands. ”
Unsuprisingly, the brains behind the business are two seasoned wine makers -Art Finkelstein and his son Judd. The family has long owned the Whitehall Lane Winery and are 30 year veterans of wine making in the Napa Valley - something which I really liked - (a) because its a family business, which in these days of blue collar etc etc is refreshing, and (b) because its always nice to hear of small niche businesses making a real go of it!
What also struck me about the article is how this business offers something we don’t really have in the UK - the ability to offer REAL wine making experience! We, on the whole produce our wine from pre made concentrate, but with this firm, you actually get to make it from the grape picking part of the stage.
Dependent on your free time, budget and to an extent, location, you can be as involved or not as you want - brilliant!!
They also offer wine making courses - and if the testimonials are anything to go by, these guys are a lot of fun and very good at what they do!
My take on all this is there should be a similar style business in the UK - it would be a sure fire winner!! I’m off to talk to Chris Onslow about it!
Making Red Wine with the new kit
August 21, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
As detailed in a previosu post I have now got two wine making kits on the go - with the Original White Wine, we have chosen to call Grogan, and now another with a Red Wine, we have chosen to call Crickadilla!
In reality, the white wine is a Chardonnay, and the red is a Cabernet Sauvignon, but by giving them both unique names, we add to the personalisation!!
So this particular diary is all about my production of red wine - its probably important to note at this stage, that the first batch i’m producing came with the kit, and to be honest, I don’t have massive hopes for it.
For a start, its production time is a mere seven days - as opposed to the minimum of 1 month for the white wine. But, as it came with the kit, I may as well make and chart its quality, if only as a benchmark for future wines.
The production of this particular home made wine is striaght forward - clean and sterilise all equipment - done!
Add 900g of sugar to 1 litre of boiling water and stir vigorously until the sugar has evaporated - done!
Add the Red grape concentrate! and stir! - done!
Top up the water to 5 litres - done!
Add yeast and oak chips - done!
Stir vigorously again! - done!
Leave the lid on loosely! - done!
And thats stage one!!!
I guess this diary will be updated frequently over the next seven days as its production schedule is a lot tighter!!
So check back regularly!
Meet the Staff - Chris Onslow
August 19, 2008 by admin · 2 Comments
So since I started my hobby of making wine, i’ve managed to accrue some seasoned help on the way! My joint partner in the project is Chris Onslow
Chris Onslow is an online entrepeneur with his own successful B2B Training Course business, but has shown a passion for wine making that kind of matches my own - so it made sense to go into partnership together.
Luckily we have a good synergy of skill and experience - whereas I position myself at the sharp end of wine production, Onslow ( as he is affectionately known ) is the Marketing and Sales director, with a keen eye for product names and the all important label production!
So far we have 3 products in development :
The initial batch of white wine - Grogan
The new red wine - Crickadilla
And some cider making kit, which will produce the inaugral batch of - Strumpet
The names have been chosen between myself and Onslow - and i’m sure you’ll agree they’re pretty signifcant and catching!
A picture of Chris Onslow will follow shortly!
Not all home wine making kits are the same!!
August 19, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
So my red wine kit has finally arrived - I opened the package with anticipation, expecting to see the same as my original White Wine Making Kit - how was I wrong!!
Ok, so the basis was the same, tubes, pails, etc etc - but this had a much lesser amount of grape concentrate, and the method to make the wine is a little different.
To chart the two processes, i think i’ll start a Red Wine Diary, and make my current Wine Making Diary a White Wine Diary.
Clearing my homemade wine!
August 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Up until now ( and bearing in mind I’m 2 weeks into the home made wine process ) the wine has looked a little bit like cloudy urine - not the most enchanting description, I appreciate, but true nevertheless!
So today was the day scheduled to add some clearing agents - to be more accurate Potassium Metabisulphite, Potassium Sorbate and a Fining Agent!
After adding each ingredient, the shout of the day was to stir the mixture vigorously for a few minutes! Luckily, I had the help of Chris Onslow who introduced the Pacman method of stirring!
All this completed - I can only report on two things.
Firstly, the wine is still very cloudy, but this shouldn’t be too suprising, as the vigorous stirring will have caused all the sediment to cloud up, and I guess the next step of the process takes two weeks, and the clarity should come in this time!
Secondly - the colour has changed already from an amber colour to a more grapey colour!
I’ll update on Monday!
Home made Red Wine Kit Bought!!
August 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
As I mentioned a few days ago, I now intend to start making a fresh batch of wine, this time red wine! Now, you can buy just the red wine concentrate and then reuse all the equipment from my current batch of white wine to make it - however, I’ve gone for the option of buying a whole new set of kit - here’s my reasoning why :
Two whole kits mean I can make two loads of wine at anyone time - so as my wines become more popular amongst family and friends, I can up production!
We’re nearing Christmas ( still some time off, but hey, it will be here pretty quickly ) so I want to get some wine in reserve.
And lastly, why not???
I opted for the cabernet sauvignon in the end - once it arrives, I ‘ll update you and let you know how progress goes with it!
There’ll also be a heads up on the white wine making later today!
Planning the next batch - Making Red Wine
August 12, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
So the first batch of wine is firmly on the way - at last a photo below to prove it! Basically, it does look a little cloudy and a little like cider rather than wine, but I have been assured that in the next step ( due to take place on Friday! ), the clearing process will begin!!
So, as any confident wine maker would do, I’m already planning my next batch of wine! Oh yes indeedy!!! This time, i have made a white wine, and its with the mix that came with the wine making starter kit, so i’m a little unsure as to what the quality will be like, but I do fell confident I’ve built enough knowledge to be a bit bolder with my next batch.
So, I have decided to make a red wine - just to compare if nothing else - and I think i’ll go for a cabernet sauvignon rather than anything overly complicated or complex in taste, like a Rioja for example.
I’ll look on the internet this afternoon, select and post tomorrow!!
Also coming up in next weeks blog postings - my step by step guide to wine making, plus the brewing plans for the remainder of 2008!!
Caution when reading Wine Making instructions!!
August 11, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
I was always taught to read instructions through, then read them again! If only I had listened!!!
So what i did wrong was - when I siphoned my home made wine into the glass carbouy, I “assumed” the sediment left behind would just sit in the pail, and the wine would be sediment free and ready for the secondary fermentation process to begin!
Having action/ed the siphoning, I noticed after 10 mins a fair amount of sediment grouping on the bottom of the glass carbouy. At this stage, i thought I should reread the instructions to see if this was normal!!
Alas, it’s not normal - what i should have done is use the racking tube and gauze on the end of the siphon tubing to filter out the sediment - obvious when you think about it!!! Further disaster - I could not find the needed racking tube or gauze!! So I improvised - using an old shirt, I siphoned the home made wine back through to the pail, then respiphoned ( again through the shirt ) back into the glass carbouy. Unconventional, but it seems to have done the trick.
The resulting wine is now air tight and looking decidedly clearer already!
So the advice? Read the instructions clearly, reread the instructions before each step, and make sure you understand what is happening at each step!!!
My wine is bubbling!! And it smells….good!
August 7, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The wine is bubbling and smelling like…well, like wine suprisingly enough!! The only slightly disconcerting factor at the moment is the fact that its quite murky in the pail! Not looking much like the clear white wine i’m used too - but its early stages, and a quick look at wikipedia reveals that all is on schedule and going to plan!
I must sort out some wine making photo’s tomorrow!
Adjustment to yesterdays instructions!!
August 7, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Yikes, having read through yesterdays post, i noticed I had made a small error - the yeast was added to the pail after the oak shavings, and it was not stirred - the yeast just settles on top of the mixture. Such are the fineties of wine making!!
