1:33 PM

Making Wine...

Posted by CivilWar Fangirl

A couple months ago, the Kinsmen Club in Goderich held their annual TV auction. I was the sucessful binder on a $50.00 gift certificate to make wine at a local wine making shop called The New Grapevine. I LOVE wine (okay, that makes me sound just slightly like an alcoholic ;) ) but never actually made it before. Given the prices at the LCBO, it probably is cheaper to make wine in the long run. Now, if I could actually bring wine back across the border on my day trips to Port Huron, MI, it would be a different story. Anyway, where was I? Talking about making wine.

So, today was my day off from the museum and apparently, I can't sit still so I've been busying myself by taking labels off wine bottles (and finishing my RM assignment, baking brownies, etc). This has become step #1 in the wine making process. My mum told me I could just buy bottles from the place but I'm being cheap about it ;). If you or anyone you know has any wine bottles that they would be willing to donate to me, please let me know (and you of course get a bottle of wine! :) ). So far, I have 5 bottles of wine that I've removed (or in the process of removing) the labels from. It's a lengthy process to remove the labels: soak them in hot water, scrape the labels, use "Goo-Gone", soak in soap and hot water, scrape some more, more "Goo-Gone"...you get the idea! All so I don't have to buy wine bottles ;). Oh well, I don't mind.

I'm thinking of going next weekend to pick out the wine with my mum, or at least talk to the people at the New Grapevine. Once I pick out the wine, it takes 30 days to make the wine. Next, I go into bottle the wine. I have to stand it up for six days and next, lay the wine on its side so the cork does not dry out. It's recommended not to drink the wine for 6-8 weeks. Again, a long process but I am looking forward to it!

The next step: picking out the wine! I know it will definitely be red. But what type? Shiraz? Merlot? All I know is it has to be dry and with a zero sugar code for my mum (she gets migraines is she drinks red wine that is anything above a zero sugar code) so it will probably be a Merlot! Gamay is an option as well (if they have that; geez, you'd think with over 50 types of wine to choose from, they would!).

Anyway, back to removing the labels. Bored much? ;)

2 comments:

JackiYo said...

So, how much are you spending on all the "Goo-Gone"? Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy the bottles? ;)

CivilWar Fangirl said...

The "Goo-Gone" was already here so I took it as an added bonus ;) Otherwise, it would have just been hot water and soap.