This morning I’ll be hard at work as I complete the final stage of processing my first attempt at wine making. The six gallon carboy of golden nectar translates into approximately 30 bottles of wine (750 ml). While I have been making a fine blackberry desert wine for quite a number of years with my homegrown blackberries–I don’t use sprays, pesticides or chemical fertilizers–which is especially delightful when accompanied by a bit of good, dark chocolate, this latest endeavor is my first foray into producing a dry wine.
I began the process with much trepidation on March 9th. There were anxious moments as I moved through each stage of the wine making process detailed in the instructions that came with the kit. Yes, this is wine from a kit and I’ve been told a number of times that making wine this way is as simple as mixing up a batch of KoolAid for the kids; however, the cost of success and/or failure breaks the analogy. And, to be honest, whipping up a frosty container of KoolAid didn’t depend on a series of specific gravity tests and meticulous sterilization procedures, although, to be sure, one wouldn’t want to ignore proper hygiene and poison the kiddies! Primary fermentation was a snap although the directions concerning this stage could have been a bit more explicit. Secondary fermentation caused me some anxious moments, well, make that weeks. Ingenuity ruled the day at the fining and stabilizing stage. I was challenged to find something around the house that could be used to stir 6 gallons of wine in a carboy with a one inch opening vigorously for several minutes.
Now that the wine has rested two weeks since being fined and stabilized all that remains is to bottle and cork. Once the corking is completed the bottles must be stored upright for three days before laying them on their sides to age and to allow the corks to seal. While the wine is quite palatable now, it is supposed to improve considerably after aging for three months. Uncertainty remained regarding the success of my adventure into this new process of making wine until just a few days ago when I was testing the wine for clarity and drank the sample instead of returning it to the carboy. I was relieved that I could look forward to enjoying and sharing good wine with friends and family rather than finding a way to distribute a lifetime supply of fancy vinegar. Next on the wine agenda is either a cabernet sauvignon or perhaps, a chianti–or at least an American version of a chianti–, however, my brewing forte seems to lie in beer making, and a tasty nut brown ale is calling me!
