Ever Dreamed of Your Own Winery? Start in Your Kitchen!

February 4, 2014  |   Posted in Blog Articles, Wine Accessories   |   0 Comments  

So you enjoy tasting and learning about different wines. Have you ever considered taking your hobby one step further and making your own wine? Don’t laugh, it’s easier than you think and you just might be surprised by the results.

 Personalized Mini Oak Wine Barrels

Think about it: the first wine wasn’t made in a commercial winery. It was made accidentally in someone’s home when some grapes meant to be eaten, were damaged or left sitting too long. With help from some natural yeast in the air, the process of fermentation began and the sugars in the grapes were converted to alcohol. Some adventuresome soul was brave enough to taste the fermented juice, liked it, and the rest is history.

 

 

Now, after thousands of years of refinements to the process, it’s easier than ever to make wine at home. Thanks to chemists and molecular biologists, yeast strains have been improved and better methods of sanitation help ensure you don’t end up with a bottle of something funky.

 

Better equipment is also readily available to the amateur vintner. This equipment is designed specifically for home use, so no need to purchase giant stainless steel tanks or full-sized oak barrels. You can, however, purchase personalized mini oak wine barrels that do the job just as well (not to mention look great on your counter!).

 

Heck, you don’t even have to stomp your own grapes if you don’t want to; many beginners achieve excellent results just using juice. Want to try your hand at chardonnay or merlot? Just purchase the juice of those or numerous other varietals and you’re on your way. Even things like port can be made at home with kits.  Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at mead.

 

A big renaissance in the industry has taken place over the past 30 or so years. In the United States, home winemaking and beer brewing really took off after 1978, when Congress passed a bill repealing Federal restrictions on the hobby. So no longer do you need to worry about a raid on your kitchen by the revenuers…

 

Maybe you’re a do-it-yourselfer who likes a challenge or maybe you’re fascinated by the chemistry of the process, but whatever the reason, we say give home winemaking a try. Next time you have friends over for a tasting, maybe you can show-off your own creation. And just think, wouldn’t it be fun to show up at a party bearing a bottle of wine that is your own creation?