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!
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!
