# Good morning and hello!



## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

I've been reading and learning and wanted to introduce myself. I live just north of the Finger Lakes in NY in the "land of lake effect"!

I have been making kit wines (6) for a year and had great success. I think it's good! I do wonder how good it is tho. Has anyone ever had friends *not* rave about a free bottle of wine?






I've seen some wonderful labels posted here!



I have some I've made. Is there a best place to post them?

I went to a day-long winemaking seminar last Saturday and it was wonderful. I learned so much! I think I am now brave enough to start my next wine from fresh juice. (There's nothing like having ALL the directions you need packed with your juice!) I will surely be outside my winemaking comfort zone this time around!



I hope you pros will come to my rescue with answers to my questions!

Thanks


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## pkcook (Aug 16, 2006)

Welcome Joan,


You are among friends here! Great people with a wealth of knowledge. 


As to a place to post labels, here is the area on this forum: http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=9


With the exception of some black table grapes from Wally World, I've not made any grape wine from scratch, but my brother-in-law has a vineyard and makes a few gallons every year. The one piece of advice that I got from him is this, "Make sure the grapes/juice is at the optimum ripeness/brix. This will make a difference in alcohol, body, and flavor.


Where do you plan on getting your grapes/juice from?


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

There are vinyards in the area that sell juice. I plan on trying some Vignoles. I'd never even heard of it until last Saturday! It's delish! 

Thanks for the link! I will post a couple of labels.


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## masta (Aug 16, 2006)

Welcome Joan,


I have shared many of my kit wines with others and most of the responses are very good to excellent but the bottom line is that I enjoy making and drinking it. If you went to 25 wineries in your area each onesay they make the best wine but everyone has their own tastes and what they like.


Good luck with making some wine from fresh juice.


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

masta said:


> Good luck with making some wine from fresh juice.



Thanks, masta! Hehe Should I be worried about starting with fresh juice?


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## paubin (Aug 16, 2006)

Welcome and good luck Joan! Consider yourself lucky that you have growers so close. The best I have is a freind that has some concords. I use the to make pyment and it has come out great in the past. 


Pete


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

Thank you Pete! Yes, I am fortunate to have juice nearby! The hardest part will be finding containers that will fit upright in my car!


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## masta (Aug 16, 2006)

Do the vineyards provide instructions and adjust the juice at all?


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## kutya (Aug 16, 2006)

Welcome Joan.... I am also an new member after finding this great site. I was also nervous about getting away from the kits, but it was the best thing I have ever done. My advice is that you start out making one gallon batches.. Good luck to you. jh


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

Masta, you will get the Brix and the acidity info on some varieties and some of the hybrids will be balanced for you. I guess it depends on how brave you are! =)

Kutya, 1 gallon batches? Is it worth it?

Edited for not answering all the questions!





Yes, the place I plan on going to gives instructions on the website. www.fallgright.com ...I heard the owner speak and he knows his stuff!



*Edited by: Joan *


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## masta (Aug 16, 2006)

Sounds like you are all set then....go for it!!!! 


I was interested in reading their instructions but www.fallgright.com doesn't seem to be a valid site.


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## kutya (Aug 16, 2006)

Joan:


In my opinion better to pour one gallon down the drain than 5.... Hate to admit it, but I have poured some down the drain.


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

DUH!!!! Typo... Sorry! ....my humblest appologies! Try this!

www.fallbright.com

Kutya...I hear you. It just seems like a lot of work for _just_ a gallon! =)


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## jobe05 (Aug 16, 2006)

Joan:


Welcome to the board. You must live around my old neck of the woods, from Minoa to Marcellus, and once in Rochester....... We won't talk about that. There are a lot of great vineyards in your area. We use to visit many of them for the tastings before I got into wine making recently. We still visit the area (family) a couple of time a year and will look at the web site you posted to see if it's closer than Walkers. I'd love to do a fresh New York Grown grape batch.


Welcome and keep us posted (posted really means pictures, we love pictures)


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## masta (Aug 16, 2006)

Cool....I thought I tried that but got some fall protection site.


Thanks


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## Bill B (Aug 16, 2006)

Hi Joan and Welcome. I visited Fallbright winery last year on my trip to the Finger lakes. They are really nice people. They are one of the few wineries who will sell you juice, however they will not ship. Too bad. You might also check out Walkers Fruit Farms in Forestville, NY just south of Buffalo. They sell many fruit juices in5 gal l pails plus mamy other Reds and White juices. .They are closed now but will reopen in Mid Sept. (716)679 9113.
<DIV SuperAdBlocker_DIV_Elements="0" SuperAdBlocker_OnMove_Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker__Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker_DIV_FirstLook="0">Bill


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

Arrrgggh!!! I really hate when I hit some key and lose an entire post! &lt;sigh&gt;

Jobe and Bill, I recently discovered Walker's. It's at least three hours from me but their 5 gallon strawberry pails just might get me there! =)

http://www.fulkersonwinery.com/home.htm sells juice I guess but as with Walker's, prices aren't posted yet.

http://www.mayerscidermill.com/MayersWeb/index.html is another possibility. I was mailed a list of grapes and juice varieties offered last fall. I sure hope I'm still on their mail list!





Thanks for the welcomes! It's much appreciated!


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## Joanie (Aug 16, 2006)

Masta, I forgot...http://www.nys-homewine.info were the folks who put on a great day long home winemaking seminar last weekend. Their website has some of the info handed out at the seminar including both red and white how-tos that might be of interest!

One of the things I've figured out...there are as many ways to make wine as there are people who make it! I think I need to make that my signature! =)


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## PolishWineP (Aug 17, 2006)

Joan,
Welcome to the forum! (I missa day or two and all sorts of new people show up! Isn't it great?!)
Sounds like you have a nice background in making wine. Just remember, scratch wines really aren't that hard. Go for it. If you think you messed something up, do not dump it till you've been to the forum with the issue. Good chance it can be fixed. You should really have no problems at all. It's like cooking. Just follow the recipe. (I have trouble following a cooking recipe, so this often poses a challenge to me in making wines.)
Welcome!


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## Joanie (Aug 18, 2006)

Thanks, PWP! 

I talked myself into making some peach wine, went and bought all the fixin's from a place about 30 miles away and realized halfway home I'd forgotten to get a straining bag! Arrrgh! I came home and ordered that and a bunch of stuff from George!



Hi George! There's always _some_thing you need in the winemaking biz!





The peach is on hold!


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## MedPretzel (Aug 18, 2006)

Hi Joan, 


Sorry for responding only now. My cat had to have emergency ($$$) surgery, and I've been very preoccupied with it. Welcome to the forum though!


THis forum is great for learning, and meeting new people. It sounds like you're an old pro at winemaking.


I skimmed over the post, and I noticed you asked if it was worth making a batch of 1-gallon wine. Yes and no is my answer. You are mad if it turns out well, and are mad if it turns out bad.


However, 1-gallon batches are great for wines you've never even tasted before. I make a lot of weird wines out of various things, and I have to say, 1-gallon batches are usually what I start off with. I do, however, make sure I can make at least 4 batches at a time (i.e. 4 different 1-gallon batches). I start a yeast starter, let the yeast multiply and so then I don't have to worry about "extra work". The 1-gallon batches are quick to rack, quick to filter (if you do that), and quick to bottle. I bottle 1-gallon batches mainly in beer bottles and 189 (Sutter Home baby size) ml bottles. I have more, and I can taste-test more often.


So, in general, I would say, most definitely that 1-gallon batches are worth it. 


Again, welcome to the forum, and btw, I'm a kindred spirit of yours. Cleveland is also in the land of lake-effect!


Martina


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## Joanie (Aug 18, 2006)

MedPretzel said:


> My cat had to have emergency ($$$) surgery, and I've been very preoccupied with it. Welcome to the forum though!
> 
> 
> THis forum is great for learning, and meeting new people. It sounds like you're an old pro at winemaking.
> ...



Hi Martina! Thanks for the welcome! Everyone here is great! I'm so glad I stumbled on the place! As for me being an old pro...I know just enough to get me into trouble!






I'm sorry to hear about your kitty.



I hope things are better now that you helped put the vet's kids thru college!





You bottle one gallon's worth? Wouldn't it be easier (and more fun) to use a racking tube as a really long straw? hehe

Go Cleveland!!!! Around here we say...if you see the Weather Channel live feed truck parked in front of your house, you know you're having bad weather!



I was so happy last winter... I never had to shovel! That's my kind of winter!


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## MedPretzel (Aug 19, 2006)

Hahah, well, we had a bear of a December last year, but Jan, Feb, and even March were bearable. One could actually say "nice!" ha ha ha!


I've been tempted to use straws on my 1-gallon batches, but....... That would be a little out-there, wouldn't it?



(But I have tasted with straws before!



)


Oh, my Tobi is fine and at home again. He slept off the initial excitement, and is slowly returning to normal again. He's still freaked out about going potty, but he's doing better. Yeah, my husband doesn't know about the bill - but let's just say, the Vet's mortgage is ensured this month. Now, mine on the other hand..................


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