Creating your own wine can be a very rewarding hobby. After all, there are few things more satisfying than enjoying the fruits of your labour!

When starting out, it might be best to purchase a winemaking kit that includes everything that you would need to create your first batch. If you aren’t able to find one, here is a list of supplies and ingredients that you will need. Of course, you can always visit us at the Wine Place in Niagara Falls, Ontario to experiment and use our supplies!

Supplies: 23 liter plastic carboy (plastic container with a fermentation lock and rubber stopper) 30 liter plastic container without an airtight lid Airlock and seal for the carboy Thermometer Hydrometer Liquid dropper 5 feet of plastic tube Long spoon Large jar

Ingredients: Filtered water Grape or fruit juice Yeast Ascorbic acid Bottles Corks Sanitizer

The winemaking process begins after the grapes are harvested. When making a red wine, the grapes will need to be crushed and fermented with their skin and seeds. When making a white wine, the grapes are pressed and the juice is fermented. It’s during fermentation that the sugars are converted with the yeast into alcohol. For whites, a second fermentation is needed for the wine to become clear. After fermentation, some wines are aged in oak barrels while others are directly bottled.

Winemaking can be tricky at times, especially in the beginning. The equipment must always be sanitized; air exposure should be limited and temperature regulated around 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) to avoid tainting the wine.

Again, these mistakes can be easily avoided by using our facilities at the Wine Place. Here you will find all of the supplies, ingredients and information that you could need. Someone will always be available to answer any questions that you may have. There are also other wine enthusiasts to meet and bottle with!

Next issue
Be on the lookout for our next edition of the Wine Report!