# My First Bottling!



## montyfox (Feb 18, 2008)

I bottled my first wine today. It was a WE Vitner's Reserve White Zin. The color is good and it tastes fantastic. I'm anxious to taste it in a coule of months after it has some time to sit in the bottle. This wasfun and I think I'm hooked. Here are some pics of the finished bottles.


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## Bill B (Feb 18, 2008)

Very nice, always a good feeling to bottle your first wine. Good job
<DIV SuperAdBlocker_DIV_Elements="0" SuperAdBlocker_OnMove_Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker__Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker_DIV_FirstLook="0">Bill


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## Wade E (Feb 18, 2008)

Looks great! Good job Monty!


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 18, 2008)

Looks really nice...Pretty colored wine for in the flint bottles.


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## Poacher (Feb 18, 2008)

Very Nice.


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## mississippi mud (Feb 19, 2008)

Looks good and I remember the label from a few weeks ago they also turned out great.


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## K&GB (Feb 19, 2008)

Way to go, Monty! Great job.


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## smokegrub (Feb 19, 2008)

Nice work!


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## LeiniePrincess (Feb 19, 2008)

The fourth picture is beautiful and would look lovely enlarged and framed!


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## dcrnbrd (Feb 19, 2008)

That is a very nice bottle of wine.Color is great and the labels are perfect.


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## moose (Feb 19, 2008)

They look top notch. I'd buy a bottle of that.


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## PolishWineP (Feb 19, 2008)

I'd like to step right into the label...


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## geocorn (Feb 19, 2008)

Where has this year gone? It seems like just yesterday that I shipped your stuff.






Your wine looks beautiful. Very nice job for your first wine.



*Edited by: geocorn *


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## rgecaprock (Feb 20, 2008)

Monty,
My first batch was also a White Zin, very popular and a great one to give away. The color is beautiful and your labels look fantastic!!!


Ramona


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## JWMINNESOTA (Feb 20, 2008)

rgecaprock said:


> Monty,
> My first batch was also a White Zin, very popular and *a great one to give away*. The color is beautiful and your labels look fantastic!!!
> 
> 
> Ramona




Could you please make another one Ramona and send it up here???


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## montyfox (Feb 20, 2008)

Thanks all. I really had fun with this! Now comes the hard part... waiting to drink it. 

I do have one question. I used the Bottle Filler Fast Flow for filling the bottles. 



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This seemed to introduce alot of air agitation to each bottle when filling first starts (a lot of pressure in the hose). I know that air is bad so I'm a little worried. It also left toomuch head space when removed and I had to top off using the wand at the top of the neck.Sometimes I evenstarted like this to get some wine in the bottom of the bottle to reduce the air bubbles.


1. Is air introduced at filling ok if one tops off the bottle properly?
2. Do the other fillers such as the Ferrari Automatic Filler or the Buon Vino Gravity filler reduce the amount of air introduced at bottling.
3. Do the other fillers do a better job of leaving correct head space even after being removed from the bottle?


I'm really thinking of upgrading to a differnt filler for my next batch but would like to know which is the better filler.


I just started an Island Mist Mango Citrus Symphony (for my wife)yesterday and when that is in the carboy I'll start a Selection Estate Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Merlot (FOR ME).


Thanks again for all the support. This forum is TONS of help!


Monty*Edited by: montyfox *


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## PeterZ (Feb 20, 2008)

I use the 3/8" spring loaded bottle filler. I find that, filling the bottle to the top, the drop in level when I remove it leaves the perfect ullage. The wine is filled to abouut 1/2" below the bottom of a 1 3/4" cork. Looks just like a commercial bottle.


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## myway22 (Feb 21, 2008)

Good news/bad news


The bad news is that even though I wanted to bulk age, I caved in and bottled my MM Chianti and MM Pinot Grigio. (photos to come)


The good news is that even though I gave in, I haven't opened any yet.


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