Hi there from Seattle!

[EngineJoe]

Been posting a little bit already, but thought it was time to formally say, "hey everyone!"

This really seems to be a great community, and I look forward to learning from and sharing with y'all!

As for myself: been brewing beer for about 8 years, all grain brewing for about 7 of those. Now that I've been living in WA for a few years, I've been itching to take advantage of the access to high quality grapes and do some winemaking... though I've opted to jump into kits while waiting for the next harvest season to come around.

While I haven't made wine before about 10 days ago, I have made a lot of cider and mead in addition to all the beer I've brewed over the years. And I make a lot of sourdough bread, too. What can I say, I love fermenting stuff! So much so that I've been working at a homebrew shop here in Seattle for a while (while the law degree gathers dust).

Anyway, see you on the boards! Anyone else in the PNW out there?

 

[Runningwolf]

Hey EngineJoe, we are certainly happy to have you here. We do have some folks out your way. Be sure to mark your location on our map and maybe you'll also see some of our members out there. Sour Dough bread huh? Nice and warm out on=f the oven with some meats, cheese and your home made beer. Sounds really good!

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

[djrockinsteve]

My mom used to make sour dough bread and pancakes. Good stuff.

As Dan said there are folks out your way. Welcome and thanks for into'ing yourself.

 

[Redtrk]

Welcome Sleepless in Seatt................ I mean EngineJoe.

 

[EngineJoe]

Be sure to mark your location on our map and maybe you'll also see some of our members out there.

Done! Cool to see where everyone is.

Sour Dough bread huh? Nice and warm out on=f the oven with some meats, cheese and your home made beer. Sounds really good!

Esp. since my wife makes cheese...

I guess we eat well!

 

[Wade E]

Welcome here Joe and also dont be afraid to go to "This is Me" thread and show us who you are. Glad to have you aboard!

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome to the forums Joe! You must have done some "time" in Texas.....

You live in a beautiful part of the country for sure. My SWMBO is from Seattle and we get back once a year in July or August. We always pick the dry season on purpose! Once you are comfortable with the whole (kit) wine process the next step up to fresh grapes will call to you.

You are blessed to be so close to (in what I believe anyway) the best grape growing region in the world (Columbia Valley AVA). You should be able to find a source of high quality fresh grapes without too much trouble or looking.

Once again welcome!

 

[mmadmikes1]

Welcome Joe, Glad to have another PNWesterner here. There are a lot of us

 

[Runningwolf]

Mike are you able to buy the juice from the wineries up there and forego the pressing process?

 

[EngineJoe]

Mike are you able to buy the juice from the wineries up there and forego the pressing process?

Can you do this for reds? My understanding was that generally speaking whites were crushed/stemmed, pressed, then the juice is fermented, but that you ferment crushed/stemmed but unpressed grapes for reds and only press after primary fermentation (or when desired tannin and color points have been reached). If a winery provides juice, how do they handle this part? Much the same way as with kits, i.e. provide them separately?

See, I'm already learning all kinds of things here!

At our shop, we provide lists of a number of WA (and OR) wineries and other grape providers at harvest time; a number of them bring the grapes to Seattle or thereabouts from the eastern part of the state. None of them (to my knowledge) do juice, though. One of them provides a crusher/stemmer for a nominal fee on-site (I dunno about a press in that case). We rent out crusher/stemmers and presses to customers, though.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Mike are you able to buy the juice from the wineries up there and forego the pressing process?

I just buy the grapes. I love the trip to Yakima and Chelan every year. Most crush and de-stem fro me(at no charge). The reds I ferment before pressing In Mabton where my son is buried they allow me to pick my own.He is buried next to Vineyard. It is a heart thing and they honor that

 

[Joedaddy]

What shop do you work at?

I also buy the grapes from Eastern WA. Our club (Boeing employees and retirees) coordinate group buys and we crush together.

 

[EngineJoe]

Hi Joe - I help out at Bob's. I know a few of the guys from the Boeing club who come into the shop... though I imagine you shop at Larry's down in Kent seeing as you're in Auburn!

 

[ibglowin]

I have shopped at Larry's before. Wife has lots of family in Kent. Nice place. Made the mistake a few years back of going in their during a July heat wave. Holy Cow it was like 95 degrees in that concrete bunker!