Co-op Wine Making Club in Chattanooga TN

[Crewmember]

Hi all, I belong to a group of amateur wine makers in Chattanooga. Collectively, we purchase about 9,000 lbs of grapes a year from the west coast. Then as a group, we do the crushing, pressing, fermenting and storing most of it in barrels for a year before members take it home. This club started in the 70s making champagne and now we are almost exclusively red wines. For 2022 we ordered Zin and Merlot from CA and Barbera and Cab Sav from WA state. Interested to learn about others experience with their wine making and also working on setting up a forum for our members.

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to WMT! Sounds like a good club you have there.

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to WMT

the local Vinters club is a great place for grapes/ country fruit/ buckets. You are luck to have one, lots of WMT doesn’t

 

[BigDaveK]

Welcome to WMT!
You're lucky to have a group!

 

[GSMChris]

welcome to wmt!!!

 

[Crewmember]

Thank you all for the welcomes! Yes we are VERY lucky and I am on a mission this year to raise awareness with our approximately 300 members (50 active orderers) of how lucky they are. We not only have this club to be able to order a sizeable quantity of grapes, but as a group, but to have access to all of the equipment and finished product too. So far, with the exception of CA, have not found another club which does that. Many of them crush the grapes as a group and then members take that home and do all their own chemistry and racking. If you know about another club that does this, one that's not $10k a year, LOL, let me know!

 

[winemaker81]

I'm a member of a group centered in Durham NC, that makes a 5+ US ton bulk purchase each year. We crush at the coordinator's site, and take the grapes home to do our own thing.

As already noted, a large percentage of our members don't have access to grapes, although to be honest, many are quite satisfied with kits and country wines. For those that want it, it's great to have access!

 

[Crewmember]

Aha, just realized I can add the website for our group! New to posting on forums. Chattanooga Wine Club website

 

[TechAdmin]

Glad you joined in. Welcome to WMT!
Your winemaking club does have a nice history.
I think having a group needs chemistry too.