I picked up the book, Home Winemaking Step-by-Step by Jon Iverson at a winery back in ‘08 while on vacation. I eager read it, suffered sticker shock, and the book has since been quietly occupying space on my book shelf. Well over the holidays the topic of wine making came up and a couple relatives said that they make wine, and it’s not really that difficult. The idea has been rolling around in the back of my mind ever since. I couple weeks back, I saw an on PBS Create for a complete wine kit for $65. That pushed me over the edge. I knew that for $65, the kit couldn’t be worth having, but I’d decided to give wine making a go.
A friend, who’s embarking on his own wine making journey, told me about a home brewing store in a nearby town that also does wine making. Based on their website, I was skeptical (a blueberry-pinot noir concentrate…BLASPHEMY!). I went down on a Saturday afternoon and quickly changed my mind though. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful, although one of the guys had trouble giving me directions when I called. I looked around and went home to mull it over.
The next day I’d made my decision and was going back Monday after work. Sunday night, the weather man was calling for 6-10″ of snow and I wasn’t sure I was going to make the trip. Fortunately, the weather man was mistaken and the snowfall did not result in any accumulation. I picked up one of their wine starter kits. The kit was really just a collection of off the shelf items for a package price. With my first purchase, I got a 20% discount on a boxed wine concentrate kit, so I picked up a Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir.
I have started re-reading Home Winemaking Step-by-Step and picked up a couple of books from the library. I hope to start the process this weekend.
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