Our Beer

Our Wine

We started our first batch in 2003 and finally bottled the next February. At the end of this page, I am keeping a running list of the wines we have bottled.

Since we prefer grape wines and, specifically, dry, red wines, we normally buy juice concentrates from the home brew stores. These are basically kits containing the grape juice, bentonite, metabisulphite, sorbate, fining agents, wine yeast, and sometimes, wood chips. Most of the kits range from around $50.00 to over $150.00 each and produce 30 bottles (750 ml) of wine.

Although each kit is a little different, the basic steps are the same.

Sanitize everything! The sanitizers will eliminate any bacteria that may be on your tools. Don't dismiss this step or you will end up with ruined wine. And don't use soap!
Start primary fermentation. You first add some water and bentonite then add the juice to the fermenter (we use a plastic fermenter with an air hole). At this time, you add the wood chips (if you have them) and then the yeast. Don't stir the yeast, just sprinkle it on the top of the liquid. Attach the top and your airlock and go away. Let it ferment in about 65-70 F room.
After a period of time (normally seven days), you should check the specific gravity. Each kit is slightly different so be sure to follow the directions you have. If the reading is within specs, you can start secondary fermentation.
Secondary fermentation. Take the primary fermentor and place it at least three feet off of the floor. Take your secondary fermentor (we use a six gallon carboy) and make sure it is sanitized. Rack, or transfer, the liquid from the primary into the secondary. Leave as much of the yeast droppings and wood chips behind as you can. Don't top off the carboy. Make sure you attach your airlock and bung to the carboy. Leave it alone for seven to 10 days.
Some kits will tell you to add the metabisuphite, sorbate, and fining agent at this time. Some don't. Be sure to check your instructions.
After the designated period of time, check the specific gravity again. Once more, check your instructions as different kits are different. You may rack the wine again into another clean, sanitized carboy and add the metabisulphite, sorbate, and fining agent. After you add each ingredient, stir vigorously to drive off the CO₂. The wine WILL NOT clear if you don't stir it vigorously enough (I know).
After eight or 10 days, check the wine for clarity. If it isn't cleared, leave it alone for a few more days. If the wine is not clear here, it WILL NOT clear in the bottles!
Bottling. Start by sanitizing at least 30 bottles. I usually have 32 on hand. (Oh, did you remember to get the corks?) Fill each bottle and cork it. We generally have an assembly line approach to this. One person fills the bottle while the second one corks.
After bottling, leave the bottles upright for at least three days. Then, place them on their sides in a wine rack. Putting the bottles on their sides keeps the cork wet and helps prevent cork damage.
Don't touch them for at least one month. Some kits recommend three months or even six months. All I can tell you is longer is better. But be sure to talk to your home brew company to see how long you can keep the wine in their bottles.

I know, not opening the bottle is tough. But believe me, letting the wine age in the bottle improves the flavor dramatically.

What now? When the time comes to open your first bottle, there is always a bit of excitement and some questions. Did I do everything right? Did I remember to sanitize everything? Will the wine taste OK? Normally, the first bottle will let you know if you suceeded. If it tastes alright, you can be assured that the next ones will be even better! Our first batch's last bottle was almost 2 years old when we opened it and it was even better than all the others before it!

One thing to remember is that since you aren't adding a lot of preservatives to the wine (the metabisulphites), these bottles may not last more than a year or so. It is best to talk to your homebrew store to find out more. Also, the type of cork you use will also help determine how long the wine can be kept. There are many variables but, as we've found out, most of our bottlings will rarely last out the first year! (We do have at least one bottle from all of our bottling still uncorked. We are waiting for some special occasion to open the last one. Once gone, gone forever.)

There are several different companies making kits out there. Unfortunately, I didn't keep the names of all of them so I don't remember which ones are the best. When I know the name of the company, I will list it like this - Selection Estate Series.

Varietal	Bottled	Comments	Rating
Merlot	2/27/2004	Marvelous first bottling! Everything worked exactly as we wanted and the wine was excellent. The success encouraged us to try another kit.	Excellent
Shiraz Selection International Australian	5/14/2004	We are on a roll! This bottling is fruity and scruptous. Clear in the bottle and great tasting.	Excellent
Cabernet Sauvignon	11/20/2004	We really expected more from this one but it remains a great bottle. This one definitely needs more time in the bottle. So, we opened the next to last bottle in April 2006 and it was phenomenal!	Very Good
Zinfandel	1/22/2005	Very nice color in this one. The fruitiness is exceptional. A little cloudy (we need to figure that out).	Excellent
Pinot Noir	3/5/2005	Not a big fan of Pinot Noir but decided to take a chance with it. Very glad I did as this bottling quickly became one of our favorites.	Excellent
Sangiovese Barbera Syrah Vintner's Reserve	4/3/2005	I was introduced to the Sangiovese grape at my retirement ceremony when Stephanie Markam gave me a bottle as a present. I always wanted to try this varietal and soon as I saw the kit, I had to try it. Unfortunately, it wan't the Italian grape I expected but rather a blend of three California knock-offs. Overall, it got somewhat better the older it became but still not wonderful. It is, however, a great cooking wine! As you all know, you must vigorously stir the wine when you add the ingredients in the secondary fermentor to drive off the CO₂. Well, in this batch, I had just bought a stirring rod and used my electric drill. I was having a great time until the foaming started. The wine started spewing out the top of the carboy! I tried to stem the flow with my hands and succeded in only creating a funnel-effect that enabled the wine to squirt all the way to our ceiling! Needless to say, I had quite a time cleaning the wine from the ceiling, table, floor, and curtains.	Average
Sauvignon Blanc Selection Estate Series	5/5/2005	Our first white. This wine finished very well and sparkled in the clear bottles. Although we do not especially like whites, this one is nicely dry with a wonderful nose. I took two of these to the annual Campsey reunion in Jacksboro, Texas and offered them to the auction where they brought $25 to the reunion fund.	Excellent
Shiraz	7/16/2005	Not as good as our first offering. Need to let it stay in the bottles longer.	Good
Sauvignon Blanc Vintner's Reserve	12/21/2005	We started this one in Austin and actually had to move the secondary fermentor to our home in Richmond, Texas. The cloudiness never completely settled out even though it stayed in the secondary for well over 8 weeks. The first bottle was OK but no where near the excellent clarity and taste of our first batch of this grape. I believe temperature and too much agitation in the secondary may have caused this wine to fail to clear.	Good
Montagnac Vieux Chateau D'Oc Selection Estate "Crushendo" Series	2/6/2006	This kit contains juice from Vieux Chateau in Pomerol whose wines usually demand a premium price. The grape varieties are Merlot 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 30%. This particular kit contained a large number of grape skins and stems that were added during the primary fermentation and will add additional body and color to the wine. Need to wait until August 2006 before first opening. And this was the most expensive kit I've bought by far costing $139.00 meaning that each bottle is costing me $4.63 each. We opened our first bottle on 31 July 2006 and are very, very happy with it. Smooth, fruity, full-bodied. Well worth the investment! And I'm thinking I'll do this one again.	Excellent!
Merlot Selection Estate Series	4/30/2006	This is a Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Merlot. I have high hopes for this one since Sharon did everything from start to finish. I only provided the muscle to lift and cork! Started primary fermentation on 2/12/2006. We will be able to try this one in November 2006.	Superb
Viognier Selection International	6/21/2006	I bought this only on the recommendation of the store clerk who had not led me wrong in the past. I started doing some research and found an entire website dedicated to only this varietal! (http://www.enjoyingviognier.com) I learned a lot about this grape from Northern Rhône area of France particularly since it was almost eliminated due to low production and its proneness to diseases. However, I smiled when I saw it is a wine for ABCers (Anything But Chardonnay) since neither Sharon nor I can stand Chardonnay!	Nice and dry
Chianti Selection Estate Series	10/16/2006	One night, we were having some pasta and Sharon mentioned she would have liked a nice Chianti to go with it. So, here it comes.	Superb
Cabernet and Merlot Selection Estate Series	6/22/2007	I decided to try this combinational grape. Hope to figure out if I like it.	TBD
Cabernet Sauvignon Selection Original Series	TBD	Really like Cabernet so we'll give this one a go.	TBD