Voila...I'll probably tighten it up in a few places tomorrow morning. Thanks, all for your help!
Winemaking for Fun<O></O>
By Nathan Byrne<O></O>
Put a cork in it, wine snobs. <O
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Cellar-dwelling hobbyists all over the country have found fun in releasing their bottled-up energy. And some of them are so down-to-earth, they’re converting their backyards into vineyards.<O
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Information Supergrapevine<O></O>
The Internet provides a wealth of information you can research before you decide whether winemaking is for you. However, you can spend day after day picking grapes of information, or you can get your answers straight from the racks known as online discussion forums or message boards.<O
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Fine Vine Wines was born in February 2003 when George Cornelius started selling home winemaking kits after discovering the ease of making retail-quality wines in the comfort of his <ST1:CITY><ST1
LACE>Carrollton</ST1
LACE></ST1:CITY>, Tx. home. Within a few months, Cornelius went online with finevinewines.com, thus giving both established and would-be winemakers a place to share tips, stories and recipes at the speed of an Internet connection.<O
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Sweet Science<O></O>
Scott Johnson makes chocolate for a living, but he makes wine for fun.<O
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<O
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>The chocolatier, now crafting his second batch of homemade wine, credits the participants in online forums like the one at finevinewines.com for their willingness to help a complete stranger.<O
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<O
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“I mean, how many people really make wine?” asks Johnson, who likens the mystique surrounding wine to that which surrounds chocolate, love, programming a VCR and other rites of do-it-yourself passage. “They should give us a certificate, or a wallet card or something.”<O
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Just like Grandma<O></O>
Her friends on the Fine Vine Wines forum call her MedPretzel, but her grandmother called her Martina. Martina’s grandmother passed the winemaking bug to her through a 30-year-old bottle of homemade wine opened 27 years after her passing.<O
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“Was it balanced? Did it have a fruity nose? Was it crystal clear?” remarked Martina. “No, no and no again.”<O
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But this particular bottle contained more than just wine.<O
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“It was the best wine I ever had,” Martina recalls. “That is what got me into winemaking.”<O
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Martina says her parents are amazed at how similar she is to a grandmother she barely remembers, but what’s more amazing is how this winemaker who also enjoys genealogy, ballet, photography, computer programming and gardening found time to squeeze in one more hobby.<O
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Don’t fear fermentation failure<O></O>
<O
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>If you don’t hit a home run your first time up, keep swinging. Martina says the only thing a rookie winemaker should stress is patience.<O
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<O
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>“There is a lot to learn, and it seems overwhelming at first,” Martina says. “But once you've started and gone through the motions once, it doesn't seem that bad.”<O
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>Johnson recommends a wine kit for first-timers or those who have failed out of the gates.<O
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<O
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>“Either I got incredibly lucky, or it’s created to be easy enough that anyone can do it,” says Johnson, who admits the likelihood of the latter. “Give it another go, follow the instructions, and ask questions.”<O
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What’s so fun about winemaking?<O></O>
Johnson thinks giving out bottles to family and friends will be fun once he reaches that stage, but in the meantime, he’ll rely on his consumer expertise.<O
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<O
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Martina, who enjoys sharing her homemade wine with those who aren’t intimidated by unusual varieties, says people love wine as a gift—especially when the gift-giver made it.<O
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“You make something that lasts the ages,” she says. “30 years from now, my kids or other relatives will say, ‘Hey, Ma made this,’ or ‘Auntie Martina made this’.” <O
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In the mix<O></O>
Martina adds that winemaking is all about chemistry.<O
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“So, you learn more about that,” says Martina.“Before you know it, you realize that high school chemistry could have been so much more beneficial to you, had you only known.”<O
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>So, get started on your own learning process, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. But don’t worry, you won’t have to stomp grapes with your feet (unless, of course, you want to).
Edited by: masta