# Why do you make wine at home?



## NorCal (Dec 2, 2018)

I’m curious to why people make wine at home. I know what motivates me, what drives you?


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 3, 2018)

B and C


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## cmason1957 (Dec 3, 2018)

The chemistry experiment part of it and the enjoyment of time with my Cellar rat (aka, my wife), she does all the tasting, blending, etc. I take care of the math and science part.


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 3, 2018)

cmason1957 said:


> ...she does all the tasting, blending, etc. ...



OMG, she talked you outta the best part!!!


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## cmason1957 (Dec 3, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> OMG, she talked you outta the best part!!!


Oh I try to help, but she gets final say. Or at least I tell her she does. Sometimes she is just wrong.


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## ceeaton (Dec 3, 2018)

B, C and E. Four kids and limited income lead to "B". Hobby and the science part (same as @cmason1957) for "C" (related to the cooking/beer brewing interests I have). "E" - other - don't have to drive the car inebriated if you finish the bottle, nearly limitless supply in the basement. Another "E" - other, when you make a wine that someone really enjoys, then you tell them you actually made it (I usually lie up front and say a "friend" made it) it's a pretty good feeling. When they tell you they don't like it, just never tell them you actually made it (I'm so vain, I'm thinking a song here).


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## Allie Geiger (Dec 3, 2018)

I just think it is so much fun. I love wine, and making it myself gives me so much pride. Also cheaper than buying and I love having a full wall of wine aging.


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## StevenD55 (Dec 3, 2018)

Because they won’t let me make wine at work!?

Honestly though, I like having a vineyard and growing grapes. Making wine from my own grapes is the next step in the challenge.


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## CDrew (Dec 3, 2018)

I am motivated by the hobby/DIY aspect. Years ago, during the first homebrew revolution, I was a brewer. I got really good at it, but life, family, and career overwhelmed it.

In the 25 years since, I've developed a taste for wine vs beer, and have harbored a secret desire to make wine. So when a couple of home winemakers at work asked me to join the fun, I was all in. 2016 was a disaster for a number of reason (including being in Hawaii during primary fermentation) , but 2017, and 2018 have been fun. I'm optimistic that going forward, the wine gets better every year. This was my experience in brewing.

I do like the science part, and I was a chemist in a former life. My goal between now and the next harvest 11 months from now, is to improve my testing procedures. I hope to be measuring SO2 and TA by next fall, as well as making decent, drinkable wine. I'll be leaning on everyone here.


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## balatonwine (Dec 4, 2018)

I voted "other", because I simply love wine. And am a DIYer. So when I love something, I like to go hands on.

Oh... And maybe making some money in the process.... The entrepreneur me there.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 4, 2018)

When I first started I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It just seemed like an interesting thing to try. Even before I bottled and had a chance to drink my first wine I was hooked. Joined the forum and did online resesarch. The fact that when beginning and reading sometimes opposite approaches just made me want to dig deeper into it. But my bottom line answer is "it's just plain ole fun". Plus, you get to refresh your biology, chemistry and math skills, have a reason to buy toys and if it's your thing tons of DIY projects. I've only made a couple wines I think turned out pretty well but have several in the pipeline I feel good about. If some of them turn out the way I hope the fun will increase 10 fold.


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## jgmann67 (Dec 4, 2018)

Is there a survey associated with this post? Can't see it.

I started making wine for two reasons - romanticized notions of being a winemaker; and, total distain for the state-run liquor monopoly in PA.


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## NorCal (Dec 4, 2018)

jgmann67 said:


> Is there a survey associated with this post? Can't see it.
> 
> I started making wine for two reasons - romanticized notions of being a winemaker; and, total distain for the state-run liquor monopoly in PA.


There is, I see it at the top of the thread. Hobby is in the lead.


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## jgmann67 (Dec 4, 2018)

NorCal said:


> There is, I see it at the top of the thread. Hobby is in the lead.



The survey doesn't show on my app for some reason (can't see it on the iPhone or ipad). But, it's there on the interweb site.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 4, 2018)

@NorCal, good thread, you said you know what motivates you but are you going to tell us or should we start guessing. LOL!


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## NorCal (Dec 4, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> @NorCal, good thread, you said you know what motivates you but are you going to tell us or should we start guessing. LOL!



To me, it is a hobby. I enjoy creating something that is both scientific and artistic, that can be shared with others. However, if I could buy a better wine than what it costs me to make (not including my time), I would move on to another hobby.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 5, 2018)

NorCal said:


> To me, it is a hobby. I enjoy creating something that is both scientific and artistic, that can be shared with others. However, if I could buy a better wine than what it costs me to make (not including my time), I would move on to another hobby.



For me putting a cost on it is a little difficult especially when starting due to the purchase of the equipment. Plus my palate is really not there in judging the quality of a wine so it's hard for me to compare costs. I'm glad you excluding time in your equation. I remember other threads discussing the cost of making wine where time was debated.


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## Johnd (Dec 5, 2018)

For me, there are numerous reasons. It’s the enjoyment of doing something well that is difficult, complex, and challenging to multiple parts of my being (like patience!!!). I love to learn about and improve at new things. It’s also awesome to have all of the tools and toys that go along with winemaking. I really like that something that I’ve guided through the natural process and nurtured for years, can be shared and enjoyed with others, and in a simple bottle, with a cork, and is captured and preserved for years or decades. There’s also a certain mystique with winemaking that others find interesting and intriguing and seem to like to ask questions and talk about, and those conversations are enjoyable.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 5, 2018)

There’s also a certain mystique with winemaking that others find interesting and intriguing and seem to like to ask questions and talk about, and those conversations are enjoyable.[/QUOTE]

I agree, the comradery even though rarely face to face is very enjoyable. This is the only forum I have ever been involved in and is mostly quite civil. No experience but I've heard horror stories about others.


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## Scooter68 (Dec 5, 2018)

I make my own wine because I want particular types of wine not blends - example good luck finding real blueberry, peach, apple, black currant.

The vast majority are blends of other juices with 'some' other juices and more often than not those other juices are the dominant item in those wines.
Personally I'll just go buy a Riesling, Zin other other grape wines but Fruit wines - good luck in that hunt.


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## Kenneth Tucker (Dec 6, 2018)

I personally love experimentation. I used to breed racehorses and fish (cichlids) and loved the process of combining certain traits of same or like pedigrees (yes, fish have pedigrees!) and seeing what was in my head or on paper come to fruition. I originally made my first batch of wine (cali connoisseurs white zin) as a surprise birthday gift for my father. He suddenly passed away a little over a month before his birthday, 2 weeks before bottling. But it sparked a passion that has taken me from kits to sourcing local grapes to planting 60 vines (cab sauv, pinot, shiraz, chardonnay and albariño). The funniest part in all of this is that up until 6 years ago, I was a teetotaler!


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 7, 2018)

Kenneth Tucker said:


> I used to breed racehorses and fish (cichlids) ...



What sort of creature did that produce??


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## Johnd (Dec 7, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> What sort of creature did that produce??



Amphibious


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## mainshipfred (Dec 7, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> What sort of creature did that produce??



Good one, it did take me a few seconds to get it though and it may have taken longer if not for John's relpy.


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## sour_grapes (Dec 7, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> What sort of creature did that produce??



Obviously:


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## Kenneth Tucker (Dec 7, 2018)

sour_grapes said:


> Obviously:


Exactly, the famed Hippocampus, otherwise known as the common seahorse! Lol


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## 4score (Dec 9, 2018)

NorCal said:


> To me, it is a hobby. I enjoy creating something that is both scientific and artistic, that can be shared with others. However, if I could buy a better wine than what it costs me to make (not including my time), I would move on to another hobby.


I'm with @NorCal in that if I could buy a better wine at the same or lower price it may make it hard to keep funding this hobby. Luckily, not all, but a lot of the wine we make is pretty darn good. Then, there's the intangibles.....like sharing process and wine with friends and family, not to mention the family that makes wine with me. Just our racking yesterday of 248 gallons was a big deal and it brought all three families together to get it done. Between all the the work, it's just a lot of fun doing something together.


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## 4score (Dec 9, 2018)

4score said:


> I'm with @NorCal in that if I could buy a better wine at the same or lower price it may make it hard to keep funding this hobby. Luckily, not all, but a lot of the wine we make is pretty darn good. Then, there's the intangibles.....like sharing process and wine with friends and family, not to mention the family that makes wine with me. Just our racking yesterday of 248 gallons was a big deal and it brought all three families together to get it done. Between all the the work, it's just a lot of fun doing something together.


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## GaDawg (Dec 9, 2018)

It’s a chemistry set for adults!


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## BernardSmith (Dec 10, 2018)

For me there is something magical about transforming honey or fruit into wine, grains into bread or beer, or milk into cheese. We live in a very engineered world, an incredibly materialist world, but being able to touch that mystery, that magic and bring it in your kitchen highlights how enchanted life on our planet really is. That's my motivation for fermenting at home


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## heatherd (Dec 10, 2018)

I also like being able to control what's in my wine, like using time rather than chemicals to clear. I have found that I can really streamline the process down to just yeast, MLB, and kmeta for most of my red batches. For the whites, it's yeast, kmeta, and sometimes tartaric acid. I can always do more, but am aiming to keep things simple. I was inspired by the winemaker at Harford Vineyard (Kevin), saying that he doesn't do any adjustments pre-fermentation, and few post-fermentation, to allow the wine to really express itself. That's been my thought process for about the last two years and the wine is turning out well.


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## joeswine (Dec 10, 2018)

The above statement I will ditto because that's what wine making is its crafting you need to take your time , use some intelligence and have fun.
If the hand on approach to self doing can I enjoy and the learning no matter what the outcome.


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## KevinL (Dec 26, 2018)

Hobby for me. I did my first batch when I was deployed to Iraq. I didn't even drink. I just thought it would be fun to do. Continued in college once I got back to the states and haven't stopped. Like Norcal said, I do love that this is an easy hobby where you can share the result with others, even if they're not into the hobby. Building models or hobby along that line is usually only appreciated by other hobbyists, whereas just about everyone I've met has an opinion on wine, one way or another.

I'm doing it wrong if it's supposed to be cheaper. It'll be a few years before the vineyard pays me back.


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## beano (Dec 30, 2018)

I do it for the cost. But also, it's fun and I can be creative. The big plus is I get to enjoy my efforts.

Beano Joe


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## kemikbey (Jan 1, 2019)

I live in Istanbul, Turkey. Making a bottle of homemade wine costs me around 3 USD. I need to pay at least 15 USD for a bottle of wine with the same level of quality. I drink around 10 bottles a month, so cost was quite a reasonable motive for a poor, 3rd world alcoholic to produce (at least half of) his wine at home.

But unintentionally, the greatest gain turned out to be the experience and the knowledge. I learned what happened if I macerated the must two days longer, what became if I had fermented the juice with wildies, what oaking and overoaking did to the wine. After all the forgeries, all the mistakes, once the stringent and bitter juice became a miracle for me, i learned to differantiate and understand better, and every bottle became a source of new excitement and happiness.


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## Obelix (Jan 11, 2019)

Hard to really pick one option. 
I's a good fun, you know what you put in it (less poison as you care), tastes good and saves money.


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## ThreeSheetsToTheWind (Jan 11, 2019)

I'm not sure I got into any of the options given lol.

I guess I'm just a DIYer and right now I'm interested in wine again. I'm a hands on, anything you can do, I can do better sort of guy. I enjoy the art and the science of it. I love sharing with friends and family. The looks on faces when they try their first skeeter pee is priceless lol


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## sour_grapes (Jan 11, 2019)

Why do I make wine at home? 

Because they frown on it when I make it at work.


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## NorCal (Jan 12, 2019)

sour_grapes said:


> Why do I make wine at home?
> 
> Because they frown on it when I make it at work.



Now that was funny.


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## mainshipfred (Jan 12, 2019)

sour_grapes said:


> Why do I make wine at home?
> 
> Because they frown on it when I make it at work.



I do make wine at work because my wife frowns when I make it at home.


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## Johnd (Jan 12, 2019)

I’ve also made wine at work, twice to be accurate, with a group of folks who were interested. From ordering the kit to bottling day.


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## skyfire322 (Jan 12, 2019)

I've always loved chemistry, and when I was a cellar assistant at a winery in VA, the winemaker talked at length about the science behind it. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to continue making it even if I couldn't have my own vineyard.


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## mainshipfred (Jan 12, 2019)

skyfire322 said:


> I've always loved chemistry, and when I was a cellar assistant at a winery in VA, the winemaker talked at length about the science behind it. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to continue making it even if I couldn't have my own vineyard.



I know you probably mentioned this before but what winery?


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## skyfire322 (Jan 12, 2019)

mainshipfred said:


> I know you probably mentioned this before but what winery?


Philip Carter, in Hume VA.


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## knockabout (Jan 13, 2019)

We started making wine as part of our 'do one new thing a week philosophy' and fell in love. We (hubby and I are all in together) love the idea of handcrafted and made by us that elevates something to 'Special'. We love the actual making of it, we love a hobby that will in most cases, wait until we have time to take the next step. But it's also super cool to be doing the same thing that people have done for thousands of years, essentially the same way. -how that ties into history is very exciting for me.


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## PhilDarby (Jan 14, 2019)

Many factors, firstly I can produce a drink to my own taste, I can add what I want, when I want, I can spend as much or as little as I want to invest, I can make drinks I know I cannot get any other way, I enjoy making something I have created and crafted myself. There is no rush and time is a contributing factor, I enjoy the challenge of waiting I also, enjoy the anticipation, I also, love to experiment a Lot, thats how I learned. Then I enjoy drinking it and sharing the experience, with people of good company, people you know aren`t going to cause you a problem, so, the people you drink with, can become limited, I love to try out new ideas and check out exotic or new flavours, or, new additions and new tweaks, I do enjoy some old favourate drinks, but, I also, enjoy trying something new as well, it is an evolving process and has been for a while. I dont make purely grape wines I love English style or similar country wines, in fact, not so, much my wine making consists of whatever I can get in the way of fruit locally at a reasonable price, so it depends on what is available at the time, which isn`t always Uk fruit, you might say I am a fruit grabber ;-) but thats how it is, I will ferment most fruits and will blend it with common household ingredients as well as vintage oak to tweak it, a hobby of mine was collecting vintage barrels at one time I have a few older small barrels, that I use very small ones compared to other people, mainly around five litres I have also experimented with oak cubes etc, as well as adding tannins from every day home supplies aka coffee and tea and other sources as well as flavours, I also keep an eye out for unusual additives, for example I recently came accross unprocessed coconut sugar at a reasonable price, 50 p for half a kilo it is brown in colour so has a lot of husk in, it only needs a few teaspoons per gallon to add a coconut hint, of flavour, I am not a grape snob, well, there is none available and even if there was I couldnt afford it, I am a big fan of raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, peach (the hairy skin type) mango, black berry, elder berry, damson, rhubarb, mostly I blend with apple or grape if I can find grape that is, its very scarce locally. when I find it it tends to be seedless grapes in trays, not decent ones, aka primary or high end wine grapes, hence i consider myself a country wine maker. I have also experimented with oats and other grains by adding some, oaks it seems gives a bit of a nutty flavour, increases mouth feel is very cheap, aids yeast reproduction, during ferment and is locally available in most parts of the world, at a rate of one to three teaspoons per gallon, for future referance, it imparts a bit of a nutty citrus kind of flavour, when young, the citrus flavour predominating as it ages, a bit akin to tangerines, but, the thicker mouthfeel is retained, I intend to experiment with hops, as an experiment, purely from a country wine kind of stance, the bitter after taste appeals to my experimenting philosophy, I have no idea how it will age though. Mango is a wild card because when it is young the mango predominates, although it drops a lot of sediment, as it ages it tastes more like a sweet white wine kind of flavour, hairy peaches, the kind with very prominent hairy skins, usually yellow and red make a superb peach wine the flavour is retained as it ages unlike other peaches, the history of the fruit source is retained and i cannot find enough of a supply of them locally, it ages very well and retains its flavour, I prefer red or mostly red apples to green, it seems to age better, better end this here lol.


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## Slappy (Jan 14, 2019)

Really interesting read this thread. Great to know a bit about what drives people in their hobbies and passions.
For me there’s multiple reasons. I started off brewing over 15 years ago and had a lengthy break. Returned to brewing with a vengeance and found myself bored during the warmer months when I can’t brew so turned to wine. I’m lucky enough to be within 1-2 hours drive of some of the best wine regions in Australia so it just makes sense for me to make wine. I enjoy the little bit of science, little bit of art way of doing things and the amount of things to do and learn really engages and challenges me. I want to be able to make truly great wine eventually and am even considering a bit of a future career change if I can make it work. Wine making is one of the few things I do for me and I push myself to make it fit around my career and young family. Often racking, blending and bottling in the middle of the night.


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