# Why do you make wine?



## REDRUM (Apr 7, 2014)

Hi all, I thought I would ask the simple question: what is it that draws you to making wine? Just seems like there's such a diverse group of people on this forum, everyone's probably got different reasons for making their own wine! Is it because your grandfather did it and you want to keep up the family tradition? Is it because you don't want to pay for what you can make yourself? Etc.... 

I've added a poll, vote for as many options as you feel are relevant to your own situation!

(PS I put this here because it's not about the technical aspects of winemaking, but please move if it would be better off elsewhere)


----------



## bkisel (Apr 7, 2014)

Along with 3 of the defined choices I also voted in "Other". My "Other" vote includes both the ability to gift/share with family and friends something I've made and also, in part, to fill extra time in my retirement.


----------



## Rocky (Apr 7, 2014)

It was difficult for me to pick just one reason, so I chose "family or cultural tradition." More clearly stated, "It is a _family or cultural tradition_ for many, if not all, of the other reasons."


----------



## DoctorCAD (Apr 7, 2014)

Can't narrow it down to one reason...


----------



## dralarms (Apr 7, 2014)

You can pick more than one. I did.


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 7, 2014)

I was able to select multiple options. 

Saving $$ is always good.
It's a fun hobby
I enjoy DIY projects
I want to make the best wine I can
I enjoy giving wine to others who enjoy wine

And one nobody has mentioned yet (though it is assumed): I like to DRINK wine, and making it enables that.


----------



## JohnT (Apr 7, 2014)

Glad that I was not limited to just one response. 

I voted, Family tradition, great social activity, and making the best wine I can. All of these are true... 

I come from along line of winemakers. I still have family operating the same very small winery in Hungary that dates back to the late 18th century. 

My father lost ownership during the war, and it is a long story, but it was left to some cousins and we are still in touch. I have been to the winery several times and always had a ball. The grape harvest was always a time for friends and family to get together in much the same way one might do for Christmas or Thanksgiving. To the joy of my family, I continue this tradition. 

Making the best wine I can is simply a matter of pride.


----------



## Enologo (Apr 7, 2014)

I also voted other because being of Italian decent I feel as though it's part of my heritage, in the genes so to speak. My wife also accuses me of being borderline OCD having to do every thing myself whether it's working on the house, the cars, the yard etc.. I guess I'm more addicted to the sense of accomplishment than anything else. It's just so great when someone admires your work or what you've done or been able to produce. I'm also intrigued now that I've started this as to the different things wine can be made from. When I started, I set out to make an every day table wine similar the the homemade Italian wines I remember when I was younger, now I'm experimenting with all different types of things and looking to make better quality wines. This is just a very rewarding pastime in so many ways.


----------



## bakervinyard (Apr 7, 2014)

I voted for a fun hobby, I like diy aspect and other. For other I like the personal feeling of having the holidays with all home made wines. It was a great feling this past holiday feeling. Also my wife gave a few bottles to co-workers this past Christmas. One of the them texted her Christmas nite telling her how nice it was. bakervinyard


----------



## vernsgal (Apr 7, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> I was able to select multiple options.
> 
> Saving $$ is always good.
> It's a fun hobby
> ...


All of the above for me too!


----------



## Wuggs (Apr 7, 2014)

Made my first wine because we had a tremendous wild blackberry crop and we were looking to make something other than pies and jam so we did brandy and homemade wine. I have 4 different fruit wines totaling 21 gal fermenting right now. I like wine but mostly doing it as a hobby/science project. Looking forward to sharing bottles with family and friends.


----------



## blumentopferde (Apr 7, 2014)

First of all I like to drink wine.
Second my grandfather made wine, and we still have that small property where once wine was made, so I wanted to revive that tradition.
Third I figured out that I enjoy working in the garden. So why not produce something I enjoy (see Point 1 ).


----------



## LoneStarLori (Apr 7, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> I was able to select multiple options.
> 
> Saving $$ is always good.
> It's a fun hobby
> ...



My exact responses.


----------



## jojabri (Apr 8, 2014)

Raging alcoholic stay-at-homer on a tight budget who needs a hobby and DIYs anything she can.

That's a hella sentence.


----------



## Putterrr (Apr 8, 2014)

Its very satisfying making wine that i can share with family and friends. My significant other and I love a glass in the evening. It's also priceless to see the look on faces when you tell people its not store bought. I'm basically cheap so if I couldn't make it we would most likely not consume it. So many things to try and so little time.

cheers


----------



## JohnT (Apr 8, 2014)

jojabri said:


> Raging alcoholic stay-at-homer on a tight budget who needs a hobby and DIYs anything she can.
> 
> That's a hella sentence.


 
I am worried about you jojabri. Please tell me you were kidding about being a raging alcoholic.


----------



## Elmer (Apr 8, 2014)

I like to be my own enabler!


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 8, 2014)

Putterrr said:


> It's also priceless to see the look on faces when you tell people its not store bought.



I do enjoy that as well. People are catching on though and are starting to ask BEFORE they try wine I serve.


----------



## knockabout (Apr 8, 2014)

My hubby and I make all our wine together its a great togetherness project that doesnt ever talk back or forget its homework. Also, We like better wine more often than we can afford, and its so fun to do it together. Plus it's super cool to be doing something essentially the same way people have Been doing this over millennia. It makes me feel like I'm part of the fabric of humanity in that way.


----------



## jojabri (Apr 8, 2014)

JohnT said:


> I am worried about you jojabri. Please tell me you were kidding about being a raging alcoholic.



Of course I was. My mom thought originally that that was the only reason I was starting this hobby, now she enjoys the fruits of my fermenter. Granted, I drink more than I should but not "Raging"ly so.


----------



## ou8amaus (Apr 8, 2014)

jojabri said:


> Raging alcoholic stay-at-homer on a tight budget who needs a hobby and DIYs anything she can.
> 
> That's a hella sentence.



Wow, right on the money!


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 8, 2014)

jojabri said:


> Of course I was. My mom thought originally that that was the only reason I was starting this hobby, now she enjoys the fruits of my fermenter. Granted, I drink more than I should but not "Raging"ly so.



I would venture to guess that the overwhelming majority of members here drink more than your average (insert country of domicile here). I would also venture to guess that the overwhelming majority of members here do NOT have a "problem" with drinking.


----------



## Wuggs (Apr 8, 2014)

Boatboy, I agree. I know I don't have a drinking problem because I haven't spilled any or drooled down my chin in a long time.


----------



## Elmer (Apr 8, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> I would venture to guess that the overwhelming majority of members here drink more than your average (insert country of domicile here). I would also venture to guess that the overwhelming majority of members here do NOT have a "problem" with drinking.



I tend to drink more wine, now that I make it.
I tend to finish a bottle once it is opened, since it does not seems to be as good the next day.
Not to mention SP & DB chilled and by the pool what summer was invented for!

before all this, it was just a few beers and a whiskey.
I am not a drunk, but I am a classier drinker now a days!


----------



## NoSnob (Apr 8, 2014)

I agree it's a fun hobby and I like the science involved. But the reason I began making wine and one that remains a major reason I continue is the chance to learn a lot more about wine. The latter is my "Other".

I have learned a lot and continue to do so.

NS


----------



## REDRUM (Apr 8, 2014)

Great to hear people's views... for me, it's mostly about wanting to learn by doing.. I love drinking wine so the next step for me is getting to know it better! I would have liked to put more options in the poll (like, making it to give it away, making it with the plan to sell commercially, being a raging alcoholic) but was limited to 10.


----------



## Winenoob66 (Apr 9, 2014)

I didn't know we could choose more than one thing so I just voted "other". Actually I don't drink, I just started to make wine because a close friend told me I needed to learn more patience and if you don't have patience you can't make wine. Don't get me wrong I do taste my wine you have to do that when making it. but 99.5% of my wine will be given away.


----------



## REDRUM (Apr 9, 2014)

Winenoob66 said:


> I didn't know we could choose more than one thing so I just voted "other". Actually I don't drink, I just started to make wine because a close friend told me I needed to learn more patience and if you don't have patience you can't make wine. Don't get me wrong I do taste my wine you have to do that when making it. but 99.5% of my wine will be given away.



A winemaker who doesn't drink ... such noble selflessness is to be applauded! 

I got a beer home brew kit for my 18th birthday. I made one batch then gave up because I wasn't really interested ... I only wanted beer to get drunk on & making it myself seemed more trouble than it was worth. Nowadays I actually (a) appreciate the quality of booze, and (b) see the virtues in making something myself (even if I could just go out and buy it instead)..

Now I just wish I hadn't wasted all those years NOT brewing or fermenting!


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 9, 2014)

One of the benefits that I did not forsee in this hobby is that it has opened my eyes (and mouth) to the enjoyment of varietals I'd never even heard of or thought to try before. Torrontes? Who knew? Monastrell? Not a clue! I've read wine descriptions with great interest that I previously wouldn't have paid any attention to. And they have piqued my interest enough that I'd go out and buy a bottle. Next thing I know, I'm making it. I think the hobby has also greatly enhanced my pallete. In just two short years, I think I have a much greater sense of what is good and bad about a wine, in addition to knowing what certain varietals _should_ taste like. And as a result of having so many different options in the cellar, my pairing abilities have increased dramatically. 

So many benefits. How could you not want to make wine!!??


----------



## bchilders (Apr 9, 2014)

I have childhood memories of my father making wine and by maternal grandfather making wine so it has become a family tradition for me. My wife and I both love wine and visit as many wineries and vineyards as possible and our dream is to have a very small winery. So, add up family tradition, a desire to have a winery, a need to have a real hobby and a DIY spirit and you get an aspiring wine maker.


----------



## JohnT (Apr 9, 2014)

jojabri said:


> Of course I was. My mom thought originally that that was the only reason I was starting this hobby, now she enjoys the fruits of my fermenter. Granted, I drink more than I should but not "Raging"ly so.


 
Ok, Great to hear. 

This is a fun hobby and (for me) is a family tradition dating back 10 generations or so. 

I hate to think that this forum helps to destroy rather then enhance the lives of the members here. There have been cases where we had new member sign on and explain how they have a problem (openly admitting to it) and wanted a cheap way to feed their addiction. I remember a post asking about "sugar wine". I worry about these people and, thankfully, the moderators usually step in.


----------



## ffemt128 (Apr 9, 2014)

I started making wine because it was something I always wanted to try ever since tasting a friend's Elderberry years ago. I strive to make the best wine I can and always looking for improvement. It's a great hobby to have and look at all the friends I've met on WMT>..


----------



## wildvines (Apr 9, 2014)

I love the hobby and the process. To early to see the faces of other people when you tell them it's home made. My father was big into wine making in South America. I am on several lists for colt wineries in California and it gets very very expensive. So this is also better in order to have a huge stock for a lower price 


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## GaDawg (Apr 9, 2014)

Making wine is like having a chemistry set for adults


----------



## REDRUM (Apr 11, 2014)




----------



## jswordy (Apr 11, 2014)

Why do I make wine?

Well…





and





and then





Questions?


----------



## jojabri (Apr 11, 2014)

jswordy said:


> Why do I make wine?
> 
> Well…
> 
> ...



LOLZ Jim! Way to remind people not to visit you!


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 11, 2014)

jojabri said:


> LOLZ Jim! Way to remind people not to visit you!



At least she doesn't have writing on her face, or her eyebrows shaved off!


----------



## Runningwolf (Apr 11, 2014)

Jim, not sure what you're putting in your wine but will you share? 

_Why do you make wine?
It's a fun hobby 
I love the scientific process	
It's a good social activity	
I'm interested in making the best quality wine I can
_

Well I didn't have any ancestors that made wine and I didn't drink it before I started making it. I still don't drink much. I love the hobby and process. I enjoy learning more and more about wine itself. Now I'm very interested in what's happening in the vineyards around the world in regards to harvest. Above all, is all the new friends I have first on this forum and now out in the world as I go to Trade Shows, competitions, workshops and conferences.


----------



## JohnT (Apr 14, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> At least she doesn't have writing on her face, or her eyebrows shaved off!


 
That's right BB, Jim has a perfectly passed out (daughter or niece), and did not mess with her at all???? 

Come on Jimbo, you could of at least decorated her before you snapped the picture.


----------



## soccer0ww (Apr 14, 2014)

I enjoy making wine. I like turning grapes or other fruit into an adult beverage, and some times it actually tastes rather good. I would say that I enjoy the process of making wine a little bit more than drinking the wine, but that is slowly changing.


----------



## JohnT (Apr 15, 2014)

soccer0ww said:


> I enjoy making wine. I like turning grapes or other fruit into an adult beverage, and some times it actually tastes rather good. I would say that I enjoy the process of making wine a little bit more than drinking the wine, but that is slowly changing.


 
There are batches of wine that you can make that, after tasting it, will make you go weak in the knees. The wine will make you wonder "what went so right?". This event happens to every seasoned winemaker and usually precedes a major purchase at the winemaker's shop. 

My guess is that this has not happened to you yet, but that day will come if you keep at it. It is at that point in time where you will laugh at your above post. 


p.s. I worked hard to keep the topic of Welch's out of the above. I should get extra membership points!


----------



## JohnT (Apr 15, 2014)

A suggestion was made that I republish / repost some of my older writings on this subject. I though it was a good idea and hope you folks feel the same way.. 

These are some articles I posted a ways back. I know they may be rather long, but I guess that they best describe why I make wine and what it means to me. I hope that you find it worth the read.




Article about wine traditions in my family
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/Get-The-Most-Out-Of-It.html

Article on wine tasting at my family's winery 
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/Wine-Tasting-on-roids.html
Article on a wine experience between me and my brother: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/hungarian-museum-wine.html
Thread describing last year's crush: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f19/2013-crush-report-long-one-40799/


----------



## REDRUM (Apr 16, 2014)

Fantastic, thanks JohnT!


----------



## jpike01 (Apr 17, 2014)

In every aspect imaginable, copper is too expensive.

Wine is more fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## sour_grapes (Apr 17, 2014)

jpike01 said:


> In every aspect imaginable, copper is too expensive.



Did I miss something? I love copper, but how does it relate to this question? (It's an honest question -- I really do want to know.)


----------



## JohnT (Apr 18, 2014)

Me too. I am not sure if he was talking about a hobby he has involving copper or perhaps copper additives in wine? 

We are not trying to jab at you jpike, we are just confused. Care to elaborate?


----------



## jpike01 (Apr 18, 2014)

Around here you can walk through the woods and find copper and other metal containers destroyed by dynamite. 

Wine is more fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## blumentopferde (Apr 18, 2014)

Funny that 40% of the respondents claim to make wine to save money. I always found it quite a costly hobby... Don't know how many hundrets of litres of wine I could have bought with the money that went into my wineyard...


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 18, 2014)

blumentopferde said:


> Funny that 40% of the respondents claim to make wine to save money. I always found it quite a costly hobby... Don't know how many hundrets of litres of wine I could have bought with the money that went into my wineyard...



Saving money is just the reason I gave my wife when asked why I wanted to make wine.


----------



## dralarms (Apr 18, 2014)

Well the biggest plus for me is I don't like most wines I found in the store but I really like mine.


----------



## JohnT (Apr 19, 2014)

Boatboy24 said:


> Saving money is just the reason I gave my wife when asked why I wanted to make wine.



And she bought that??????


----------



## Boatboy24 (Apr 19, 2014)

JohnT said:


> And she bought that??????



H3ll no. But it was shortly after that when she gave in to my constant whining.


----------



## TinyPirate (Apr 21, 2014)

In New Zealand we can get excellent grape wines at very cheap prices (it isn't uncommon for $10us to get you a great wine from a supermarket) so my wife and I enjoy grape wines regularly (won't even bother trying to make grape wines when we have such excellent choice available here). 

However, for anything more unusual (eg, fruit wines) you will pay substantially more ($20-25us a bottle) and I enjoy variety in my booze! Hence, I thought I would try to make some myself. We have good local markets with cheap surplus/ripe fruit that supermarkets won't take, so raw resources are available. I have a pear, plum and blackcurrant on the go (my first attempts) and a feijoa planned. I enjoy trying to be seasonal and local with my production. 

Also, I have friends who are into beer making, and although I enjoy beer, I figured they had that niche covered (they make good beer) and some wine would mean something to trade!

Finally, I read "The Art of Fermentation" and the idea of bottles of bubbling stuff sounded good fun.


----------



## blumentopferde (Apr 21, 2014)

TinyPirate said:


> In New Zealand we can get excellent grape wines at very cheap prices (it isn't uncommon for $10us to get you a great wine from a supermarket) so my wife and I enjoy grape wines regularly (won't even bother trying to make grape wines when we have such excellent choice available here).
> 
> However, for anything more unusual (eg, fruit wines) you will pay substantially more ($20-25us a bottle) and I enjoy variety in my booze! Hence, I thought I would try to make some myself. We have good local markets with cheap surplus/ripe fruit that supermarkets won't take, so raw resources are available. I have a pear, plum and blackcurrant on the go (my first attempts) and a feijoa planned. I enjoy trying to be seasonal and local with my production.



Over here in Austria wine is also quite cheap. It starts at 2$ per litre in the supermarket and the good stuff starts at about 8$ per bottle.

Still I couldn't resist making my own wine. It's a bit of a traditional thing, as my grandfather already made wine, and it is also a challenge! I want to become as good as the professional winemakers around!:>


----------



## TinyPirate (Apr 21, 2014)

Yeah! That is a good reason to try! 

I know a guy who used to live near vineyards and knew the community. He and others were allowed to go around after mechanical harvesting was done to pick up loose grapes - that would be so cool and would definitely drive me to making grape wines!


----------



## jangel (Apr 21, 2014)

Started out because i am a celiac and was spending a lot on cider and GF beer. Now i am hooked. Its the science/biology aspect that really appeals to me. It also tastes really good, well i think so, after a few years experimentation.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## REDRUM (Apr 21, 2014)

Yeah there's plenty of good, affordable wine around, but I want to challenge and educate myself.
I also love the idea of drinking something that I've made myself. Just like eating stuff that you grow from your garden. It's good to have a personal connection with processes of food production.


----------



## cimbaliw (Apr 21, 2014)

I've had very few hobbies or interests that I've felt as comfortable with as wine making. I think it needs to be said that participating in this forum; the advice, patience and general acceptance, has made the hobby that much more enjoyable.

BC


----------



## Kayts (Mar 6, 2017)

I enjoy making wine and trying different kinds...after you have the basic wine making supplies it becomes reasonable and my family and friends love trying what I make...glad you let us make lots of choices because I need lots of choices...and just tried a kit for the first time and am impressed..but still like making my own from fresh fruits.


----------



## pdq250 (Mar 6, 2017)

Why do I make Wine? I planted over 500 vines so I have to do something with the fruit. Just kidding. I enjoy Wine and most of the work that goes into being a Wine grower. I make about two barrels a year.


----------



## Enologo (Mar 10, 2017)

I make wine, therefor I am.


----------

