We just did the $100 drawing for
the winner of the
Share Your Wine Making Story contest.
The drawing was comprised of participants who submitted their
wine making
stories between January 18th and January 26th on the
E.C. Kraus Wine Making
Blog.
It was a random drawing, so if you didn't win, don't think we
didn't like your story. If fact, we saw a lot of stories that were
very interesting and enjoyable to read. Not only did we raise a
glass to many of them, but we received lots of comments from...
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Hi Kraus
I have tried oaking wine to my satisfaction with oak chips. Now I want to make my own
oaking strips. I purchased some white oak that I sawed into
yard stick width and thickness. I noticed in the wine
supplies different types of flavors for oaking. I was told it
was like flavored coffee. What should I do to the strips so
as I can oak wine?
Thanks,
Marvin F.
-----
Hello Marvin,
First, I want to commend you on your DIY spirit. It's
fun hearing about people tryin' to get it done on their...
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Make approx 500 bottles a year, make a blended wine with merlot
grapes and alligante grapes.
Name: richard landry
State: massachusetts
About a year ago I was making my first batch of wine using the E.C.
Kraus wine making kit. Following the steps in the instructions I
RACKED my wine after 10 days. The wine had reached it's max alcohol
content in just 10 days!!!! Thank you so much. I enjoyed the heck
out of that batch!!
Name: David R Sinclair Sr
State: South Carolina
Christmas is also my birthday, so for the holidays and my birthday,
in year 2000 I received a gift of some cash. I exchanged it for a
wine start up kit, and a great hobby was born. My first wines were
usually drinkable, but I had lots of questions and no one to share
them with, so in 2003 I put up some posters around my town, Sun
Prairie, WI. inviting interested parties to join a home wine making
club. That first meeting there were 2 people and myself. Now out
club, Prairie Home Vintners, has...
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My wife and I started making wine kits about 10 years ago. Since
then many others have wanted to try their hand at it, and things
have kind of mushroomed! There are now 10 different "wineries" in
production throughout the year in our basement. Of course the
sampling and comparing and sharing among friends is the greatest
part, but the wine is the thing that brings us all together. None
of us can drink commercial wine anymore so there is always
something new fermenting. You can get a feel for the...
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During my formative college years I ended up exploring many upstate
New York roads. Many of those roads bypassed vineyards that
magically seeped into my subconscious. Twenty years later I planted
150 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin vines. I
have 5 other varities and I consider myself an experimental farmer.
I thought I would sell the grapes until I realized I needed to be
much bigger to make that a reality. So for the past 8 years I've
had friends come over and we hand pick...
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I"ve been making wine for 2 yrs now. I'm very Health wise , That's
why I decided to make my own wine, as I like to know what's in
it. After lot's of reading I started, with a Grape wine, that
was perfect! Then I made another Grape Rose' again very good! Now
I've planted more grape vines, and since have made 11 batches so
far to date. I'm just loving every day of it. As well as my Family
and Frends that love to sample.
Name: Carol Kufahl
State: Michigan
We fell in love with wine making when we spent time visiting the
vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Valley when we lived in Oregon. This
lead to home wine-making for family and friends for several years.
After we moved to Texas we then decided to grow grapes on a few
acres at our home. After about 5 years of hard work, we are now a
bonded winery about ready to open to the public. We have about 5
acres planted and have built a small tasting room/winery, and will
be open on the weekends!!
Name: Rick &...
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My favorite wines to make are fruit wines. these include blueberry,
blackberry, blackraspberry, strawberry, sour cherry, apple,
dandelion, & mead. What makes mine setup unique is the
fermenter. It is made from a old commercial stripped refridgerator,
a 75 watt bulb and a thermostat. With the door closed it will keep
the wine fermenting at a constant temperature. I have mine set so
the fermentation is between 70 & 74 degrees. It uses very
little electricity and I don't have to worry about...
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Distanced from the days of fruit crushing with our feet, our wine
group processes 3000 lbs of grapes with our new destemming crusher.
Supporting our crusher are large food grade fermentation tubs,
variable volume stainless steel tanks and gravity fed bottle
fillers. The whole operation is housed in a prefab garage which has
been dedicated as our wine room.
www.sharkriverwines.com
Name: Anthony V. Palmiotto
State: New Jersey
I've been making wine for almost 10 years now, I was taught by my
friends father Chuck who has been making wine forever. Each year we
compare wines and argue which is the best and which year gave us
the best wines and blends, Most years weather permitting I crush
the grapes and do the first fermentation in my garage then its to
the basement for about 12 weeks before bottling. Our claim to fame
is we tell everyone we make wine the same way the Greeks and Romans
did, crush the grapes ferment the...
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We have been making wine in Macedonia, Ohio since 1980. The grapes
come from our yard. We have 21 vines which are over 30 years old,
concord, niagra, and cayuga grapes.
Quality of juice varies from year to year depending on the weather.
Northeast Ohio isn't the best area for producing quality grapes but
we have had some excellent years, late 1990's and 2008 were good
years.
It has been a family project going back 3 generations.
Enjoy your newsletter and the information it provides.
Name: Gordon...
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My winemaking operation is very simple. I buy the juice from a
local winery. Since my extra bedroom stays about 60 degrees a few
months out of the year (if i don't turn on the furnace), I'm able
to ferment my wine, and also cure my sopressata sausage.
Name: Tony Parise
State: californnia
My best friend Crystal just came back from working in the Middle
East for two years as a transporter for military bases. To
celebrate her homecoming I made the Cranberry Chianti that I
purchased from your website. I called it soul sisters Cranberry
Chianti and gave her half of the wine that I made. It is the best
smooth delicious wine. We have shared our wine with so many
friends. Sharing is what it is all about! I commemorated the best
wine for the best friend who is safely home.
Name: Mary Ann...
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My process is purely simple and all done by hand, I pick my grapes
from my backyard vines, wash in a colander and de-stem at the same
time then transfer grapes to a stainless steel bowl, mash the
grapes with a potato masher then strain through cheese cloth(which
cause hand cramps from wringing the juice through) from there to
the poly fermenter, then I add the rest of the ingredients to make
a fine wine that has all my friends in awe and in line for the next
6 gallons to be bottled..
Name: Bob...
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I started making wine from age 10 years unfortunately faced
many problems such as oxidation also in my country they leave the
pulp up to 50 days in the containers (cause strengthen taste)....
but now because of your valuable information of your
website I enhanced the ways.......
First I collect ripen fruits of both red and white grapes
clean them and destemming the mix the ratio that I want of
black grapes(30%)+70% white grapes to reach the desired color... I
can measure by refractometer the brix...
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West Sacramento Calif. 10 Members making 100 gallons red each year.
We buy our juice fresh from local wineries, barrel, ferment, rack
and bottle.
Name: Dennis Freitas
State: California
I have 7 riesling vines that are 6 years old and another 32 that
are 4 years old. From this I was only able to produce 3 gallons of
juice and wine. I have placed 3rd place each of the last 3 years in
the Puyallup, WA fair competition in dry whites. I know I am bias,
but I do have reasonable taste buds and I know what a good riesling
is supposed to taste like. Thus, I think my wine is very good and
my son who is a card carrying wine expert and educator says I am
doing very well and my wine is...
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Hi,
Not much to tell we get the juice or get fruit from local friends.
I get it cleaned up and get it in the bucket and let it ferment for
a couple of weeks and get it in a primary fermenter and let it go
for a month and rack it off and let it go again for another couple
of months and taste and bottle. I have got 4 awards for my wine. I
have entered 5 wines and got awards.
Thks
Jerry
Name: Jerry Renaud
State: Pennsalvania
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