When I was in High School in Oshkosh, NE, I used to make grape wine in my bedroom from Welch's Concord Grape Concentrate, water, some sugar and yeast. When you're 17 they don't ask for ID for those ingredients at the grocery store. Soon, I was bubbling away making wine and it tasted a lot like Mogan David, but cheaper and "safer" from being under age. Known as Vern "Jug-O-Wine" from my name of Jenewein. I kept making wine and wanting to get better and for my Birtday one time in the near future from 1971 graduation, I received a book of "Technoloty of Wine Making" by prof. Amerine, Berg and Creus (sp). I was growing some hybrid grapes and then moved out to Seattle to work for Boeing and joined the Boeing Employees Winemaker's Club and got to make wine with "real" wine grapes, like Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling and the like. I remember one year I was the grape purchaser and one guy complained about all the mold on his Riesling grapes, so I traded him my "green" bunches for his gold and botrytised bunches. I made a Riesling that took Best of white in a competion with that. Moving along... back in Nebraska I still made wine occassionally, and then started helping others plant vineayrds in Western Nebraska after I got laid off from my job as a machinist at The Egging Company. While looking for winery supplies for some folks, I came across a wine ad in one of the trade journals from Doug Welsch of Fenn Valley Vineyards looking for a winemaker that knew grapes and winemaking from the grape up. I told him of my experience, followed by Resume' and then an application, and finally a job interview here in SW Michigan. I started working at Fenn Valley Vineyards as a winemaker in 1999 and am still at it. Since I've been there in 1999, our production has doubled and we have a wonderful array of premium vintages and wines, garnering medals here and there, along with several specialty wines that I devloped. Right now, in the cooker (so to speak) is some Vidal Icewine of about 2400 gallons. One of the last Vidal Icewines we made was served at the White House with Baked Alaska when President Obama hosted the Governors Ball there a few years ago.
So now my hobby is my living, and I work in it every day.