Wine Tasting Class last night

[GrandpasFootsteps]

My wife and I attended a wine tasting class last night at an establishment that has several branches here in central Texas. The class was very informative. We got to try 6 different wines and rated various aspects of each. Nose, legs and arches, taste, tannins, and so on. We had a little plate with some walnuts, extra sharp cheese, and dark chocolate. These were for experimenting with good pairing and bad pairing.

Now the interesting part is that this establishment allows you to make your own wine. You choose what wine you like, then you get to mix it all together in their primaries. 6 weeks later you get to have a bottling party at their establishment and take home your 28-30 bottles of wine. I asked for a tour of the "back room". Full of primaries and secondaries, mostly VR, WE, Mist, Estate, etc kits. I felt like yelling at everyone there at the class, "Hey, you can do this at home for MUCH cheaper!" They had the wine kit instructions and f-pacs stored with each kit. There were probably 30 active primaries bubbling, 60 secondaries, and 100 finished carboys aging. Those were not for parties, but for what they serve at the bar out front. All their wines are made in house from standard kits we get from LHBS.

To me it seems sort of like a rip-off since I've been doing this at home. But I guess it is a perfectly valid business model and I'm glad they are introducing more people to homemade wines. Even from kits these wines are great, low sulfites, local economy, etc.

 

[docanddeb]

Some people don't want to make the investment in supplies and carboys. Might be good to "try before you buy". Called Ferment on Premesis or FOP in Canada, I believe.

Debbie

 

[Airplanedoc]

To me it seems sort of like a rip-off

Did you happen to find out what the cost was to make a bottle of wine at this place?

There is no FOP anywhere near me that I am aware of, so I have always been curious what it costs

 

[Banjoe]

Sounds like a good idea to me

If I didn't have this group to fall back on I would appreciate the opportunity to learn this dark science from a knowledgeable establishment. If they offered wine tasting with chocolate & other taste confusers, so much the better.

Probably pricey but a proper education is expensive as I have learned with all the mistakes I've made on my own. Thank goodness for this group and the education I'm receiving from all of you who have gone before me into this learning experience.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

When I lived in Canada, there were 3 FOP's in the town I lived in. You could buy the kits and take them home to make, or they could be made there at the store as stated above. They basically just doubled the price of the kit if you made it there, so a $60 kit would cost $120 if you fermented it using their space and equipment.

 

[Wade E]

Arches?? Never heard of this before. Please explain, it might be called something different out yonder!!