How did you get started in wine making?

[JoeT]

Would love to read about all the different stories about what peaked your interest in wine making, even if you aren't making it yet and just reading ..

What sparked your interest in wine making?

For those who have made their own wine, how did you first get started?

Hi newt
I got started because my girl told me a story about buying her dad a wine making kit.He told her why would I want that,she was so disappointed.That night I got online and ordered all the supplies to make wine,that was 6 years ago.We have made some really great wines.

 

[SugarVee]

My Husband's family immigrated from Italy. His Nana would give his Grandfather 50 cents a month to buy his grapes and he would have barrels and barrels to share with all of his family and friends. My husband has fond memories of the cellar where he would watch his Grandfather and Father with the wine and decided that he wanted to pick up the tradition.

 

[William_Stout]

I started brewing my own beer earlier this year and have done 10 gallons so far, needless to say I got hooked. My wife and I also enjoy drinking wine, and since the equipment is basically the same we picked up a new primary and a kit and just pitched the yeast last sunday, I believe the kit was called "Winery Series", it is a super tuscan. We have another Italian kit ready to go as soon as this one is done in the Primary.

My Stepfather made wine for years when I was younger and I enjoyed it very much. Now that my Wife and I are doing it he is thinking about getting back into the hobby

 

[Poni]

I moved into a place that had concord grapes growing. My uncle-n-law made wine and he taught me. Since then i have planted berries, grapes and fruit trees, and spent a butt-ton on equipment, and i haven't looked back since! I love it!

 

[WineCat]

We brewed some beer from a kit, and it turned out really good, so...why not try wine? First was from a kit, a Shiraz that was really tasty. But, I had a freezer full of wild blackberries calling for attention. I took a winemaking class from a local winery, and now have it fermenting away. Also Mezza Luna (kit has been sitting around for a year). The whole process is fascinating, even for a newbie like me. This fall I'll be picking grapes from the winery (a priviledge given to students). Hoist your glasses and smile!

 

[Chip]

Got my start after growing up with Aunts and Uncles making wine. Also after living in Germany with the Air Force and falling for wine then and their I got "bit" by the bug. After my last Uncle passed away I didn't want the family tradition to pass away as well. So I started making wine in 2004. First batch fermented under my dinning room table in Florida. Since then made allot of great stuff and some duds as well. Now have partnered up with another wine maker in the area and will be opening a small commercial winery next spring. So, I guess I can say, it was in the blood and I can thank Germany and the Air Force for turning the switch!

 

[grapes]

My wife and I are both wine lovers and we love to go through wine country. We decided to start as a hobby and now it is a passion. We are lucky to have the imput of very good wine makers, and we get better and better, experimenting with different yeasts, using the same grapes, and we have been using barrels for the last few years. It is a family activity at our home and when it is time for destemming and crushing, we make it a community activity and we have a BBQ and invite friends.

 

[KxG]

It was pretty simple for me; I like wine and live in Kansas - the land of strange liquor laws, especially when it comes to wine. It is better now than it was thirty years ago when I started making wine but decent wine is still too expensive and the varieties are limited in my end of the state.

So, I visited a supply shop, read a book, and took the plunge. I found, like all of you, that you can make great wine for a very reasonable cost and have some fun in the process.

I hope to get back to wine production in the not too distant future.

 

[ladydyver]

I am a big wine drinker and was intrigued at the process after doing a barrel tasting on my anniversary....that pretty much sums it up.

 

[koolaide187]

I drank a little wine when I turned 21 and wasn't a big wine-o but had a guy tell me how easy it is to make it and it intrigued me so I started. After actually making my own it got me into wanting to explore more varieties of wines and learned a lot about them. After drinker wine the company you keep tend to be more of the people you want to be around and are fascinated by the whole process and knowledge you have of making it. After all said and done I won't lie and say I like all wines. I am not a big fan of too many reds or really dry wines. But that is the satisfaction I have of having a bigger variety now. My style I like best is Mascato style which is sweet but not overly sweet. And every lady I have ever introduced to it loves it and wants to come over and part-take in the wine drinking experience. My mom told me that my dad had made it once or twice when he was younger too. So I make it and give them some when I make it. My dad doesn't really drink wine but my mom loves it and they are happy that I have a hobby that isn't dangerous and has a positive output on things they like as well. Mom gets drunk... dad gets some... everybody's a winner.

 

[NoSnob]

Why is almost everyone who replied to this post shown as having only 1 post?
NS

 

[Greek]

Basically, I grew up with it. My Italian ancestors have made wine for many hundreds of years. I started helping my father make wine when I was around 12 years old, first with a grape press, then buying fresh pressed juice. Wine was served at most dinner meals and was used for cooking in many meals. Oh... almost forgot, I like it ! Good luck with your thesis.

 

[bowieoggs]

Would love to read about all the different stories about what peaked your interest in wine making, even if you aren't making it yet and just reading ..

What sparked your interest in wine making?

For those who have made their own wine, how did you first get started?

I have a blackberry orchard at my house. I had made cobblers, jams, jellies and just about anything you could make with blackberries. For five years I kept telling my wife and friends I was going to make some blackberry wine. I bottled over 30 bottles and after giving to family and friends, only have about 5 bottles left. Tried one a year after it was bottled. Not to brag, that is some of the best wine I have ever had, and the best thing I've done with my blackberries.

 

[copperhead46]

A friend of mine was an "older" Amish man and he introduced me to clover wine ! We were working late at the local sale barn and it was freezing cold, but he was doing fine, when I ask how he was holding up so well, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a pint bottle and offered me a drink, I was hooked! I made wine off and on for several years and my fiance got me all the stuff I hadn't had before and now I make all kinds of wine, usually a lot of kits, but I still have the recipe for Johns clover wine

 

[walter]

Why is almost everyone who replied to this post shown as having only 1 post?
NS

well i was asked a question and i answered

 

[Wade E]

The more the merrier! Glad you all found us here and hope y'all stay and share your experiences!

 

[Arne]

Was going to ask the same thing as no snob. Anyway all you first timers welcome to the forum, we are glad to see ya. I started out a few summers ago with too many pie cherries. kept on from there. Not as interesting as some of your stories. I am envious of some of you with your family histories. Keep the stories coming. Arne.

 

[Willow]

Had been making beer for years and thought "why not" try wine since beer brewing was fun, educational and the beer was good! Have made over 30 batches of wine (over a 10 year period), have enjoyed it immensely and have learned a lot about wine just as the beer brewing did about beer.

 

[Noontime]

My wife bought me a "make your own wine" experience at a local winemaking shop for our anniversary. We made it from a kit in their store, and afterwards I thought "hey...I could do that by myself" if I could somehow get my hands on one of those kits. The internet and 30 seconds later...I was on my way.

 

[RickeyHerb]

I started making home brew beer when I was uni because I was broke. Natural progression to make some fruit wine - peach and plum and had a go at making rum. Not a success. I've been making home brew beer on and off for 30 years and then 3 years ago we bought a 2.5 acre vineyard and with the assistance of the vendor, we have been making around 2,000 bottles of wine a year since. I have continued with the beer and also have done around 120 litres of plum wine this season. Really enjoy the whole process and look forward to doing more of it myself when we re-locate to the vineyard (about 1.5 hours away in the high country of Victoria).