# My wife is going to kill me!



## pittspur (May 26, 2010)

Did any of you have the realization that your significant other is going to want to kill you for starting this "hobcession"? I only started winemaking at Xmas. Last night, laying in bed, I realized that I am going to run out of space incredibly quickly and my wife is going to kill me for having to expand. I have bottled a riesling (quite happy with) and Ed Wort's applewine (can't say I am a fan). I have a 2 gals of pomegranate, 6 gals of Chilean Syrah juice, and 6 gals of Wildberry Shiraz fermenting. That's another 70 bottles in addition to the 55 or so already bottled. My wine area is a little 6x6 area. Not sure where I am going to put all these bottles (no, I'm not asking for anyone to offer to take them off my hands). Five months ago, I would never have thought I would be making more than 50 or so bottles a year. I can see this only getting "worse". I'm curious if others have gone through the "what I have gotten myself into" thoughts? Have you gotten grief from the significant other for money/space issues? Of course, I'm thinking about a skeeter pee from the wildberry shiraz slurry. Help me!


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## xanxer82 (May 26, 2010)

Head to Home Depot and build yourself a nice wine rack that would look good in your dining room.


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## wyntheef (May 26, 2010)

Significant other is quite ok with my winemaking hobby. Not as much with my winedrinking hobby. 
What was it we said??? For better or worse?  DOH!


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## pittspur (May 26, 2010)

xanxer82 said:


> Head to Home Depot and build yourself a nice wine rack that would look good in your dining room.



Wish it were that easy. I'm not talented enough to make a rack suitable for the dining room. I've made 2 - 24 bottle racks already, but certainly nothing that would go with the other furniture.


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## Runningwolf (May 26, 2010)

This rack will solve your problem. http://www.ivgstores.com/IVG2/Y/ProductID-78522-.htm It's under 100.00 and holds 152 bottles. It takes up very little room or go to Sam's online and search for wine rack and they have a different one for about 80.00 thats holds around 200 bottles. Buy en as you need them but they will work in your small room. You want to store them in a dark area.


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## xanxer82 (May 26, 2010)

wyntheef said:


> Significant other is quite ok with my winemaking hobby. Not as much with my winedrinking hobby.
> What was it we said??? For better or worse?  DOH!



Kat's been helping me with mixing the must and pitching yeast. And drinking the final product. She's super excited about the merlot I'm making. It's something we do together. Her words were "You tell me what to do and I'll do it". Such a good woman I have. 

If your building skills are lacking, check out Samsclub.com They have some nifty racks for about $85. They hold almost 200 bottles.


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## wyntheef (May 26, 2010)

pittspur said:


> certainly nothing that would go with the other furniture.



Time to trade in the nice stuff and furnish with wicker.


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## pittspur (May 26, 2010)

Thanks all for the ideas. I'm probably going to end up making something that works in our basement - maybe line the tops of the walls with bottles. I'm hoping to hear others stories about how winemaking has turned into much more than they expected.


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## TFC (May 26, 2010)

I just purchased a 400+ bottle wine cabinet to hold my wine. Already had a 110 bottle cabinet and two 100+ wine racks. My problem is my wife keeps looking at the wine lists thinking about other wines I can make for her. The latest is a strawberry Riesling we had to have for the summer I plan to bottle it this week in time for memorial weekend

My advice get her picking out wines then it is her fault


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## Maestro (May 26, 2010)

It was originally my wife's idea to get into winemaking, but since then I have pretty much taken over as the obsessed one in the house. We went from a simple starter kit to having 2 large primaries, 1 small primary, 3 six gallon carboys, a 1 gallon glass jug, and more chemicals and equipment than you can shake a stick at.

She loves it though. She's already coming up with ideas of where we can install wall racks to help us store some of the wine we're bottling in our little apartment. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive woman in my life.


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## TFC (May 26, 2010)

sounds like you have it made keep her and the wine


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## Julie (May 26, 2010)

pittspur said:


> Did any of you have the realization that your significant other is going to want to kill you for starting this "hobcession"? I only started winemaking at Xmas. Last night, laying in bed, I realized that I am going to run out of space incredibly quickly and my wife is going to kill me for having to expand. I have bottled a riesling (quite happy with) and Ed Wort's applewine (can't say I am a fan). I have a 2 gals of pomegranate, 6 gals of Chilean Syrah juice, and 6 gals of Wildberry Shiraz fermenting. That's another 70 bottles in addition to the 55 or so already bottled. My wine area is a little 6x6 area. Not sure where I am going to put all these bottles (no, I'm not asking for anyone to offer to take them off my hands). Five months ago, I would never have thought I would be making more than 50 or so bottles a year. I can see this only getting "worse". I'm curious if others have gone through the "what I have gotten myself into" thoughts? Have you gotten grief from the significant other for money/space issues? Of course, I'm thinking about a skeeter pee from the wildberry shiraz slurry. Help me!




My husband kept telling me that I should try making wine, we have concord growing in the back yard, so I did and he helps (that is what you have to do, get her invovled, lol) and now my son tells me I am out of control and Mike complains that he doesn't have time to make beer anymore because I keep him too busy with the wine stuff!


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## Larryh86GT (May 26, 2010)

Itsuko is very supportive with my winemaking. And good thing too because I've found there are times you need another pair of hands in this hobby.

Larry


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## TFC (May 26, 2010)

sounds like you need to get the son involved


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## pittspur (May 26, 2010)

My wife is very supportive of this. I am making the Chilean Syrah because it is my wife's favorite wine. It was her idea to do the wine cooler type Wildberry Shiraz as well. My previous "hobbies" have always revolved around playing sports. Just not enough time to do this with a stay at home wife and 4 yr old - need to give both of them a break from each other. This is a great hobby to have where I can be home - the 4 yr old helps out too! It's just funny how quickly it has grown into something more than I ever thought it would.


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## TheTooth (May 26, 2010)

*No problems with the wife...*

We both love drinking wine (and beer and single malt scotches and fine sipping tequila and sake and some others). My wife loves to cook and is looking forward to growing her own vegetables again once I get her garden area set up in the back yard. So she's thrilled that I can make wine/mead/beer to pair with her meals.

I started by making beer. We saw a TV show that showed me how to do it (mostly correctly) and the geek in me wanted to try it. She bought my first beer equipment kit as a birthday gift and it's all been downhill from there.


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## Green Mountains (May 26, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> This rack will solve your problem. http://www.ivgstores.com/IVG2/Y/ProductID-78522-.htm It's under 100.00 and holds 152 bottles. It takes up very little room or go to Sam's online and search for wine rack and they have a different one for about 80.00 thats holds around 200 bottles. Buy en as you need them but they will work in your small room. You want to store them in a dark area.





The rack that Dan pointed to is awesome. I have one and would have another. They're inexpensive and hold a lot of weight.

it's this one. http://www.ivgstores.com/IVG2/Y/ProductID-78522-.htm


Here's mine.....


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## djrockinsteve (May 26, 2010)

No problem here, my wife does most of the drinking. She's always getting new samples when I rack. She will ask me what can I drink, well what are you in the mood for??? I try to keep a variety upstairs for her to choose from.

I do have a wine cellar/work room that's about a 10' by 12' with one huge rack and another being built soon. I have a lot waiting to bottle this Sept.

Who wants some. I'm getting squeezed!!!!!


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## Runningwolf (May 26, 2010)

Green Mountains said:


> The rack that Dan pointed to is awesome. I have one and would have another. They're inexpensive and hold a lot of weight.
> 
> it's this one. http://www.ivgstores.com/IVG2/Y/ProductID-78522-.htm
> 
> ...



I was just at tractor Supply and you can buy one fence panel for less than $50 and make this exact same rack and it would hold even a bunch more. Its a pretty simle design.


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## Tom (May 26, 2010)

LOL!
My wife and Daughter drink MORE wine then I do.
The better say nothing as I have 25+ carboys all over the house. Oh yea I also make my own beer and place in kegs. So, something is always fermenting here.


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## TFC (May 27, 2010)

25 + carboys wow!!!


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## St Allie (May 27, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> I was just at tractor Supply .



how many tractors do you have?


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## ffemt128 (May 27, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> I was just at tractor Supply and you can buy one fence panel for less than $50 and make this exact same rack and it would hold even a bunch more. Its a pretty simle design.



It looks pretty simple. Looks to be 2 panels of 4" mesh and wood blocks to hold distance. I'm sure there is more to it than that though. Does look like a sturdy rack.


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## ffemt128 (May 27, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> I have a lot waiting to bottle this Sept.
> 
> Who wants some. I'm getting squeezed!!!!!




Based on our conversation when we had lunch, you do have quite a bit to bottle in the fall. 

Did you ever get a hold of Consumers? Ron called me 2 days ago and apologized for not getting back to me. He moved his desk and they didn't forward his voice mail to his new extension.


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## Runningwolf (May 27, 2010)

Allie...just one. A kubolta yard tractor. Wish it was more of a garden tractor with a front end loader. Yard doesn't justfy it though. I was there looking for something to put on ant hill's to kill em. any idea's. 

Doug the panels I got are 3.25 inches but the ones at tractor Suplly are nore like 4" which should be ok. You're right they are just using wood blocks with two saw cuts in them for the spacing of the racks and to hold them in place, then a small angle bracket on each one to anchor to the wall. I did put up 3/4" strips on the wall so the bottles slid back a little futher.


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## Midwest Vintner (May 28, 2010)

my dad started the hobby and i picked it up. went from ~125 bottles in the first year to now, 6 years later, 600/yr or so. by next year, we'll be over 6,000, easy and probably over 8,000.  from closet space to 30x30 metal building. my mother was never fond of our idea to start a winery, but she has changed her mind.


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## jdammer (May 28, 2010)

I'm in the same boat. I started in February and now have 3 - 6 gallon carboys, 1 -5 gallon, and a bunch of 1 gallon jugs to hold the skeeter I'm making.

I didn't think it would become hobcession seeing as I've been so busy in the military for so many years that I never really had a hobby. Now on shore duty I kind of went in crazy. I like drinking my own wine (the one kit I have bottled) I'm sure it will just get better as some other kits age and I start making beer at some point.


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## pittspur (May 28, 2010)

Midwest Vintner said:


> my dad started the hobby and i picked it up. went from ~125 bottles in the first year to now, 6 years later, 600/yr or so. by next year, we'll be over 6,000, easy and probably over 8,000.  from closet space to 30x30 metal building. my mother was never fond of our idea to start a winery, but she has changed her mind.



That's exactly what I am concerned (or is that excited) about? This is such a great hobby. Never did I imagine bottling probably 150 bottles in the first year. It's crazy how quickly this thing multiplies.


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## Tom (May 28, 2010)

Wait just wait!
Sooner then you think you can be like ME bottling 1,000 bottles a year.


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