Top 10 Reasons to Make Your Own Wine February 18th, 2016 // By Bryan // Wine Making // View Comments It’s no secret that we’re major beer aficionados here at Great Fermentations. But what you might not realize is that we also love wine and the art of home winemaking. If you enjoyed our post on the top 10 reasons you should brew your own beer, we think you’ll find our argument (this is a friendly argument, of course) on why you should make your own wine just as convincing. Take a look at these top 10 reasons to make your own wine and let us know how we can help you get started. Leave a comment at the end of this post with your questions about making wine and share your own reasons why home winemaking is the best hobby ever invented! Making your own wine is much cheaper than buying bottles from the grocery or liquor store. Once you cover the upfront costs of all the supplies and equipment you’ll need to get started, making additional batches can cost as low as $3.00 per bottle.

Making your own wine is easier than you think. In fact, many find it easier than brewing your own beer. Most wine-making kits come with step-by-step instructions to follow. The basics won’t take you long to master, and once you have them down, you can start experimenting and playing with more complicated winemaking recipes and formulas. There’s nothing more soothing after a long day at the office than to come home and get lost in your home winemaking practice. Okay, maybe that’s just us, but winemaking itself can be a very relaxing activity. It requires enough focus that you’ll forget about your other stresses and to-do’s, but is simple enough that you won’t get frustrated with the process. One batch from a home winemaking kit yields at least five bottles of wine. If you start making your own wine, you’ll always have bottles of your own creation to enjoy with family and to share with friends. Now, you’ll always have a unique gift to give to the host when you attend parties and other social gatherings.

When you buy wine from the store, you probably go for the varieties you know and trust. But honestly, how many more bottles of your favorite California Red Blend can you buy until you’re sick and tired of it? When you make your own wine, you can start experimenting with different flavors and blends to come up with your own unique creations. Winemaking is a lot like cooking. dry red wine goes withOnce you know the basics, you can spice things up and improvise as you go.wine business for sale usa Instead of throwing away or recycling your store-bought wine bottles, you can reuse them to bottle your new homemade wine! best pink wine 2013Once you get rolling with your own home winemaking process, you’ll find yourself reusing the same bottles over and over again. best wine lunch nyc

All it takes is a little soap and water and your bottle will be as good as new. Making wine is a great way to make some new friends. Whether in person or online, you won’t be able to help yourself from connecting with others who also love the craft of winemaking. One of the best parts about getting into winemaking is sharing your batches with others once they’re complete. We almost forgot … making wine is fun! where to buy beer and wine for weddingWho doesn’t love learning something new and working on a new craft? best novels about winePlus, the feeling you have when you finish your first successful batch and pour the first glass of your very own wine is a feeling that can’t be rivaled.best wine served with chicken

Now, you finally have an answer to that annoying, frequently-asked-question. Instead of replying with a boring “nothing” or, “oh, you know, same old,” you’ll have an exciting new topic to talk about. Come on, you didn’t think we’d forget about the best reason, did you? One of the main reasons making your own wine is so great is because when you’re done making it, you get to drink it! best wine for teachersInvite the neighborhood over, it’s time for a wine-tasting party. port wine best with If so, we’re ready to help! Take a look at our affordable, all-inclusive winemaking kit, perfect for jumpstarting your new hobby as a winemaker. And as always, you can give us a call or stop by one of our stores to learn more and get advice on making your own wine. Enter the 2017 WineMaker Competition - WineMaker Magazine

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite brewer or winemaker?Check out our Gift Guide We carry a full line of winemaking ingredient kits, complete winemaking equipment kits and winemaking accessories. We stock and sell wine and champagne bottles, corks, corkers, and champagne stoppers and wires. Grape crushers and grape presses are available year round. Wine, cider and mead additives and chemicals are also in stock. Winemaking books are available on the BOOKS page Our selection of winemaking and wine bottling equipment and supplies is pretty extensive. We are just now getting it ready for the web site. We hope to have it all here soon. In the meantime please call (631-261-1235) or email us if you're looking for winemaking supplies or equipment not listed here. Instructions for Making Six Gallons of Wine from a Kit (Abridged) All these wine kits are ready to drink in four weeks after bottling. Patience will be rewarded, if you wait a little longer, your homemade wine will improve with age.

These six-gallon kits make thirty 750ml bottles. Spangols Vino Del Vida Kits 7 liters of varietal juice to make 6 gallons. Acid and sugar balanced. Complete day-by-day instructions for producing wine good enough to serve your guests (though you might want to keep it all for yourself). Chateauneuf du Pape $62.00 (Vieux Chateau du Roi) Red Burgundy $62.00 (Bourgeron) 15-litre kits, makes 6 gallons. Also made by Spagnols, the industry's premium producer, these kits make 6 gallons of finished wine from 15-liters of juice. While you pay more for these kits, the cost per bottle of finished wine is still less than $3.50 per bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon $95.59 (intense, hints of cherry and currant) Sangiovese/Merlot $94.59 (Chianti-style, better than Grampa used to make) Merlot $94.59 (America's favorite red wine) Pinot Noir $98.95 (delicate, but complex, oak and fruit) Rosso Grande $98.59 (exceptionally aromatic, fruit and berry) Shiraz $98.59 (dark, peppery, a manly wine!)

Valpolicella $94.59 (rich, fragrant, for big meals) Chardonnay $92.95 (clean and crisp, easy drinking wine) Sauvignon Blanc $92.95 (dry, herbal aroma) White Zinfandel $92.95 (light, soft with a strawberry hint) Selection International Wine Kits 15-liters of varietal juice and juice concentrate to make 6 gallons of excellent homemade wine. Australian Cabernet/Shiraz $105.00Cabernet Sauvignon's intensity compliments the fruity and chocolate Shiraz flavors for a rich, complex and hearty wine. Australian Cabernet Sauvigion $105.00Big and approachable in true Aussie style, this Cabernet from Down Under is a long lasting, robust wine that will reward those with the patience to age it. Chilean Merlot $99.59Powerful fruit and spice flavor with mellow tannins for a supple finish. French Merlot $105.00Dry, full-bodied and deeply colored with a complex, velvety taste. Italian Montepulciano $105.00Smooth and mellow; rich, red wine with blackberry fruit flavors and spicy, peppery notes.

Italian Amarone with Skins $109.00Includes 1.6 liters of skins for enhanced body and mouth-feel. Fine Wine Equipment Kit. Includes all the equipment needed to make your own wine at home. Pair with one of our 6-gallon wine juice kits, and you're making wine! Or, make your wine from homegrown fruits and vegetables. Either way, this is the kit for you.. 7.8 gallon primary fermenter with drilled lid and airlock. 6-gallon glass carboy with rubber stopper Auto Siphon racking tube Twin lever corker to cork your bottles 8 Packets of C-Brite Cleanser This is the most complete kit available. Even the corks are included! Karp�s Basic Wine Making Equipment Kit. Includes all the equipment needed to make wine from concentrates. Pair with one of our wine ingredient kits, and you�re making wine! [Primary fermenter doubles as bottling bucket] 6-gallon glass carboy with rubber stopper [see note below] Racking tube plus bottle filler and valve kit [faster rack & fill than the beer makers kit]

With this kit you can jug your wine, or, add a wine corker and corks and you can bottle like the pros. Karp's Basic Wine Making Equipment Kit is also available with a plastic carboy as a substitute for the glass carboy. While we are talking about wine, let's look at some of the wine related accessories we stock. Plastic primary fermenter for wine - 7.9 Gallons. With lid and grommet for airlock. easily handles a six gallon batch of wine or beer. 12-gallon Fermenter - Includes Lid. White food grade plastic bucket suitable for primary fermenting of fruits or grapes. 20-gallon Fermenter - Includes Lid. Five Gallon Carboy - In winemaking used as a secondary fermenter . Or as a primary for smaller batches. Wine can be stored or fined in glass. Six Gallon Carboy - In winemaking, used as a secondary for six gallon batches or as a primary for 5 gallon batches. Please note: UPS does not insure Glass Carboys against breakage. In most cases, we will not ship glass carboys to addresses more than 50 miles away from us.

Wine Bottles and Jugs Some winemakers jug their wines and some bottle. We think variety is a good thing, so we offer jugs and bottles.Screw caps, not corked. Also good for beer or cider. Same high quality as the one gallon size. Also made for screw caps. Bordeaux bottles 750 ml green $13.99 per twelve Burgundy bottles 750 ml clear $13.99 per twelve Cobalt Blue Hock bottles. Great for special wines or homemade distillates. These spectacular cobalt blue bottles show off your finished wine! Wine Pressesclick the small images to see the full size picture Tabletop Wine and Fruit Press -- OUT OF STOCK FOR THE SEASONStainless Steel Basket with 3 gallon capacity. The basket measures 9" tall by 8" diameter. The press is about 23" overall height. Wood and Metal Basket Press -- OUT OF STOCK FOR THE SEASONGood for grapes and soft fruits. Not suitable for apples. Strong and functional, cast iron stand and steel drive screw. Traditional Hardwood and Steel Grape Press

#25 ratchet style grape and fruit press 21.5" x 36"; 50 lb capacity - $289.00 #30 - 6 to 7 gallon capacity - about 60-70 pounds of grapes - $399.00 #45 - 25 gallon capacity - about 240-250 pounds of grapes - $599.00 *Please note - These are NOT UPS shippable, common carrier delivery or pick up only. Please call or email for more details. Roller Type Grape Crusher - $289.00 (Special shipping requirements for this item. Please contact us directly for shipping quote.)Stainless Steel Crusher, 20" x 25" Hopper All barrels are brand new white oak. Almost every size is available, from one to thirty gallons. Here are the most common. Please call (631-261-1235) or email for availability and pricing. Pore-filled, excellent quality straight sided corks for wine bottles.#9 x 1 1/2" long -- $15.95.#9 x 1 3/4" long -- $16.95. Better quality corks for wines that will be stored a long time, or when you just have to have the very best. 100 pack, #9 x 1 �" -- $28.95