home-made wine
 

Has anyone tried making their own wine? We seem to be going through a lot and its costing a fortune (without giving away exactly how much I can tell you we're talking thousands not hundreds!). I find wine quite expensive in Canada comparred to the UK (or perhaps its just Nova Scotia) so was thinking about trying to make my own. Someone told me Costco has a good kit that tastes reasonable.

Anyone tried this or any other kits?

Re: home-made wine
 

A number of friends here use the local U-Brew outlets to make wine and beer. I've yet to taste any that would persuade me to give up on the local liquor store. We pay c$8.50 for acceptable table wine (Californian), which doesn't seem a whole lot different to the UK.

We brewed our own wine in the UK for a while and had mixed results - the crisp dry whites were fine, whereas most of the reds never seemed as successful. I guess a well chilled white can disguise either a lack of, or poor flavour. We stopped brewing once we had a few hundred bottles stored - got bored with all the parafinalia, sterilising etc etc.

Re: home-made wine
 

I used to brew my own wine/beer/spirits in the UK, both "kit" types and "country" wines (ie, pick your own fruit etc).
The best wine kits in my opinion are Canadian. In England I used to buy Selection/Beaverdale kits . Over here, I have purchased nothing buy Selection. In England, Selection were virtually top of the tree, over here, they are upper mid range to upper range (if you know what I mean). A Selection Chardonnay will be indistinguishable from a $30.00 bottle to the unwise and they cost around $100.00 for 30 bottles in Calgary. With such kits you can get virtually any type of grape varietal.

They are pretty idiot proof but, as with most things, you must follow the instructions. I have seen the kits in Superstore and Costco and, whilst I haven't tried them, I dobut they would be a patch on Selection. From memory, they cost about $70 in Calgary so, for any extra $30, I would go with a Selection one. Each to their own though.

Here is a link to a messageboard linked to the supplier I used to use in England. http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk/cgi/yabb/YaBB.cgi

They have shipped some stuff to me here so that is always an option. On the messageboard "FermentingTom" is a renowned wine judge in England and he publishes materials all over the world. He is a really nice guy and what he doesn't know about brewing isn't worth knowing.

I can assist you as far as I am able but Tom is the man for virtually any query. Feel free to PM me if you think I can assist.

HTH

Re: home-made wine
 

We are doing this for the first time. :thumbsup:

Just walked into the shop yesterday told them what kind of wine and liked and voila, my wine is being made as we speak. All I had to do was add the yeast give it a mix and on October 26th at 2:45 EST I will go in and bottle it. How excited am I.

The one I choose was $114 this makes 30 bottles, :thumbsup::beer::beer: plus there is a cost of $50 for them to brew it for you as it were, $0.99 per bottle if you choose to use theirs, all labels and corks are included in the price.

Re: home-made wine
 

Just out of interest, how long does this take ? On a kit that costs that much, they should leave it to mature in bulk at least 3 months, preferably 6. The longer it is left in bulk, the better the end result

Re: home-made wine
 

I know there's a nice feeling of 'I've made this' when the end result is produced (though personally this seems to be largely diminished when a store is doing all the work bar a stirring), but if the intent is to save money, it's hardly justifiable - you're paying thick end of $200 for 30 bottles of wine (if they supply the bottles), that's approaching $7 a bottle. If the wine's not darn close to commercially available products in terms of quality and taste, I can't really see the point.

Hope you end up with a great vintage :thumbsup:

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oh god, im going back in time and remembering how drunk i got on my dads home made wine, it was just lethal. i hope yours isnt quite as potent.:o

Re: home-made wine
 

Really:confused:

This is taking 4 weeks.

Re: home-made wine
 

I was told it will be. :unsure:

The kit I bought was the 'ultimate Piesporter' of course there were cheaper ones but I decided on this one, next time I'll try one of the cheaper ones just to see if there is any real difference.

hits submit button feeling like she's been ripped off

Re: home-made wine
 

We've done a red kit from Costco and found it really good value. It was a double kit that made 30 bottles of Merlot (which was ok, but I'm not really a merlot fan anyway) and 30 bottles of Cab. Sauv. (which was v.nice!) I don't know the exact cost but IIRC it was around $70 for 60 bottles worth!!! :lol:

Re: home-made wine
 

4 weeks is how long most of them take to "finish", ie, ferment out, de-gas, and clear (particuarly if finings are used) At that stage, it will be ready to bottle and will "mature" in the bottle. The longer you can bear to leave it before driinking it, the better it will taste. But...... the top quality ones will mature massively, if left in bulk for at least 3 months before they are bottled.

At the cost of your kit, you are getting a very good one so the maturity issue is more important than the other types of kits mentioned above. Your kit will still tasts very good if bottled straight away (and will probably taste as good as most commercial wines available at average liquor stores, but if you can bear to leave it (very difficult I know) it will be superb.

When we first came over here, to build up our collection we brewed 2 lots of each wine. Bottled one kit straight away and left the others in bulk. By the time the bulk ones were ready, we have virtually made it through the quaffable stuff. Now it doesn't matter if each batch takes 6 months to be ready as we have a large supply. We usually bottle 60 bottles a month. It is an expensive exercise initially but, in my opinion, well worth it.

Best of luck

Re: home-made wine
 

Thanks for that I feel much better now. Leaving it like you say (although it will be hard) :blink: was not explained at the time, however I will mention this next time I go in.

Glad I was able to pick a half decent one though. :thumbsup:

Re: home-made wine
 

Does anyone know of anywhere in Calgary that does this?? Sounds like a lot of fun!!! :D

Nicky

Re: home-made wine
 

I don't think it is allowed in Alberta.:curse::curse:

I've heard of people going into B.C. to have it done.

Re: home-made wine
 

Damn...and I thought that's what basements were for....:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: home-made wine
 

The company I used is called Wine Kitz they have two locations in Calgary, don't know exactly where but here are the phone nos. from the back of their brochure:

(403) 288 1889
(403) 225 1083

Re: home-made wine
 

That is what basements are for, among other things...;):p:rofl::rofl:

If you can find a friend who's knowledgeable and willing to do it for you then no-one will know.;) :p

But as far as commercial operations of UBrew type establishments as far as I know only B.C. and Ontario allow it.

Re: home-made wine
 

Time for a change in career then me'thinks ;)

Re: home-made wine
 

Grapes for Glass will do it. They have a store in Shawnessy and one somewhere in the NW - no prizes for guessing which one I shop at :eek:

Re: home-made wine
 

Sorry Steve, but I can't agree with you here.

Are you saying an individual cannot brew their own or one cannot allow a commercial store to brew a wine kit for you.

I can assure you that both are permissible in Alberta - had they not been I would not have relocated here. Having said that, I have never asked a store to brew anything for me - takes all the fun away :thumbsup:

Re: home-made wine
 

I understood that it was not permissible for a commercial establishment to brew a wine kit for you.

I know there many operations in B.C. where you put in the yeast and it is considered "your wine" that you brewed, but I was under the impression that this was not allowed in Alberta. :confused:

Re: home-made wine
 

Ah I see

Grapes for Glass will definately do it. I don't know how much "work" one has to perform (placing the airlock in the top may be sufficient) but they certainly will perform the vast majority of the brewing.

As I have said, I have never done this and I was very surprised when they offered this service to me when I first went in. I'm sure other stores will do likewise.

Cheers :thumbsup:

Re: home-made wine
 

oooh tell me more....We live close to there!!!

Have you ever tried it??

And do they sell other tastys too??

Nicky

Re: home-made wine
 

See my earlier posts.

Grapes to Glass is next to (or next to but one) the Subway that is next to Canadian Tire in Shawnessy.

If you wish, I have loads of winemaking kit that I would be happy to lend to you to get you started (as this is the most expensive part of starting to make your own - although it isn't that expensive).

We live about 5 mins drive from Grapes to Glass so sound like we live near you.

Feel free to PM me

Re: home-made wine
 

How long does homemade wine keep for? My neighbour just gave me a few bottles of wine she made about 5 years ago. :unsure:

Re: home-made wine
 

Oh I dunno, my wine is lucky if it lasts 5 minutes. :lol:

Re: home-made wine
 

I think its the same criteria as "real" wine. If its red grape then hold it up to the light and if it looks brown then its past it.

why not open it and try it???:eek:

Re: home-made wine
 

It depends on how it was made and what "preservatives" are placed in it.

Generally, unless I am laying down bottles deliberately to mature, I try and drink it within a year of it finishing. The problem is, if it is there I drink it so it very rarely lasts a year anyway :eek::thumbsup:

Re: home-made wine
 

Loads of really usefull info on here - thanks everyone!

Re: home-made wine
 

I went in and ordered my wine stock today, same as Raine66, after all she is my significant other :eek:, and the person said that if you cannot wait for it to mature or say, want it matured quicker, you can place it on a 'coaster' which has a magnet in it and this will draw down (something or other, forgot its name :confused:) and voila....in 20 mins you can drink it. :unsure:

After picking me off the floor, dont think she was impressed with my scoffing :thumbdown: I told her that wouldnt be necessary I will let nature take its course.

I went for a Medium Bodied Chilean Cab Sauv (cant spell me) and cant wait to taste it!! She said that 30 bottles at an equivalent of $4.65 dollars was what I was getting.....will see how it tastes :thumbup:

Re: home-made wine
 

Never heard of the magnet thing !!

At that price you have a premium kit so the wine should taste superb. If you can leave a couple of bottles aside, it would be interesting to see how they taste in comparison to the ones you drink straight away - the difference should be very noticeable.

Here's to happy drinking

Re: home-made wine
 

How long do you reckon they should be left?

Re: home-made wine
 

Why ask Raine.....because they wont last long :rofl:

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I know, I thought it was a gimmick at first but she was deadly serious :ohmy:

But good idea about leaving a couple aside :thumbup:

Re: home-made wine
 

Hi all,
I have been reading your thread and found it very interesting. I have just started making my own wine here in UK. Mainly elderberry, that I have picked myself. I have also been making Sloegin.
Just wondering if you can get Elderberries or Sloes over there in Canada? We are going to the Calgary area.

Doe's anybody make there own wine and pick their own ( and maybe grow it) fruit or is it mainly tinned stuff?

many thanks,
regards,
Carl:thumbup:

Re: home-made wine
 

Can you make raspberry wine? We grow a lot of them in our yard. Mrs_P makes raspberry jam and syrup and freezes what she doesn't use.

We also have a ton of crab apples this year if anyone in Calgary wants to pick their own and make crab apple jelly. ;)

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I have made all of these in the past - but none yet in Calgary. Basically, if the fruit is available, it will be possible to make it :thumbsup:

Re: home-made wine
 

At least 3 months, preferably 6, if you can take the pain, after a year it would taste very different (usually for the better) to how it tasted when first bottled.:eek:

Re: home-made wine
 

Steve

Yes you can.

You can make wine from virtually anything although, unless the basis for the wine has a high sugar content, it will need lots of sugar added to it to ensure it is alcoholic enough. Grape have an almost perfect balance of sugar to other "essential" constituents which is why they are so universally used to make wine.

Let me know if you wish me to send you a recipe so you can have a go :thumbup:

Re: home-made wine
 

I have just checked my receipt for my wine and discovered that it will not actually be ready until Nov 26th, that will be roughtly eight weeks until it will be ready, does this now make it an even nicer wine than first anticipated. :thumbsup: