Fermenting Friends ~ wine clubs

[Rice_Guy]

The intent on this thread is to periodically brag a bit about the wine making clubs here. Prairie Home Vinters had a Chilean juice buy last wednesday, my role in club juice buys is to generate QA numbers and make suggestions on how to make the best wine. (and also familiarizes newbies with terms like TA or ppm YAN)

Curious, , , , what is your circle of fermenting friends doing?

 

[BigDaveK]

You are so lucky, @Rice_Guy !!
Every one of you with a nearby club is lucky!! I think the closest to me would be a 2 hour drive.

However, were I interested in moonshine I could throw a stick in any direction and probably hit an expert.

 

[Ohio Bob]

The nearest club to me is at least an hour away, and they charge dues!!

 

[sour_grapes]

Lucky me -- @Rice_Guy is a member of the above club near Madison, AND my club in Milwaukee. I am spoiled!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Wisconsin Vinters June meeting: An all day bus trip touring several wineries

 

[ChuckD]

The Milwaukee and Madison clubs are both more than three hours away .

 

[Rice_Guy]

The Milwaukee and Madison clubs are both more than three hours away .

How far are you from Jenny Craig Corkers? Wausau. ,,, I usually get to see a few of them on juice pick up days in spring and fall.
There are other choices for example,

This was a Saturday mash up of LaCrosse Fermenting Friends; Sun Prairie Vinters and a few Wisconsin Vinters (Milwaukee) at Wolersheim Winery last fall. After this event several of us Prairie Vinters decided to join our new best friends on a trip to Italy organized through Fermenting Friends. ,,, or,,, in two weeks There is a club mash-up at noon at a Bailey’s Harbor multi winery event on June 24th. with some club folks camping out over the weekend. ,,, and there is a fall Russian River PinotNoir grape buy/ crush in Milwaukee ,,, and there has been talk about making Wisconsin Vinters meetings zoom events.

 

[ChuckD]

How far are you from Jenny Craig Corkers? Wausau. ,,, I usually get to see a few of them on juice pick up days in spring and fall.
There are other choices for example,
View attachment 102252
This was a Saturday mash up of LaCrosse Fermenting Friends; Sun Prairie Vinters and a few Wisconsin Vinters (Milwaukee) at Wolersheim Winery last fall. After this event several of us Prairie Vinters decided to join in on a trip to Italy with Fermenting Friends. ,,, or,,, There is a club mash-up at noon at a Bailey’s Harbor multi winery event on June 24th. with some club folks camping out over the weekend. ,,, and there is a fall California grape buy/ crush in Milwaukee ,,, and there has been talk about making Wisconsin Vinters meetings zoom events.

Wausau is almost two hours. I’m surprised there’s not a group in the Fox Valley area.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Wausau is almost two hours. I’m surprised there’s not a group in the Fox Valley area.

I would be guessing that the Oshkosh shop that sells supplies could be convinced to host once a month events for wine makers. He sounds like a good guy when I talk to him. ,,,
example There is a northern branch of Wisconsin Vinters that meets once a month at Vines To Cellar in PortWashington. example the Wausau group meets at the wine supply shop a few blocks from the court house. ,,, example, the history of Prairie Vinters is that it is a daughter of Wisconsin Vinters ,,, three founding members wanted something local so they started meeting.

 

[winemaker81]

Wausau is almost two hours. I’m surprised there’s not a group in the Fox Valley area.

Start a club? If you have a LHBS within an hour, post a notice there and/or ask the owner to notify customers. If you're on Facebook, start a page for a club and ask friends to repost your notice.

Especially post a notice here -- I looked at the numbers last year -- the amount of lurkers during a period vastly outnumbered the registered members. Lurkers local to you may be interested.

If you try this, create a new email address for just club business. This will keep your normal email unclogged, and help you manage the traffic.

 

[wood1954]

Thanks to Riceguy I’ve joined the club in Wausau. They’re a good group of people, good wine makers too.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Start a club? …..Especially post a notice here -- I looked at the numbers last year -- the amount of lurkers during a period vastly outnumbered the registered members. Lurkers local to you may be interested.

I have been amazed to be a wine judge at Iowa county fair, one county over, and see the wines from a whole new set of makers. …. You could get on the list to become a local wine judge for Brown etc counties.
My bet is the Door county event at Bailey’s Harbour has some home wine makers and each of the established wineries started in someone’s basement. Going the other direction have you talked with the owner of Forgotten Fire or the one in Mountain? …. There are a lot of us out there.
Offer to lead a wine making class in Oshkosh. Doing five or six demos at state fair lets folks know the club is here. ,,, Maple Valley Orchard is in the cider apple business, can you have a fall event there when apples come in?

By the way you could ask me up for help.

 

[ChuckD]

I have been amazed to be a wine judge at Iowa county fair, one county over, and see the wines from a whole new set of makers. …. You could get on the list to become a local wine judge for Brown etc counties.
My bet is the Door county event at Bailey’s Harbour has some home wine makers and each of the established wineries started in someone’s basement. Going the other direction have you talked with the owner of Forgotten Fire or the one in Mountain? …. There are a lot of us out there.
Offer to lead a wine making class in Oshkosh. Doing five or six demos at state fair lets folks know the club is here. ,,, Maple Valley Orchard is in the cider apple business, can you have a fall event there when apples come in?

By the way you could ask me up for help.

Start a club? If you have a LHBS within an hour, post a notice there and/or ask the owner to notify customers. If you're on Facebook, start a page for a club and ask friends to repost your notice.

Especially post a notice here -- I looked at the numbers last year -- the amount of lurkers during a period vastly outnumbered the registered members. Lurkers local to you may be interested.

If you try this, create a new email address for just club business. This will keep your normal email unclogged, and help you manage the traffic.

I may have to do that… unfortunately, right now I’m slammed at work and with projects around the homestead.

I think I’ll ask around at a few LHBS’s to see if I’m missing a group or if there might be interest. Perhaps this fall I could help start one.

And thanks for the offer David. I will take you up on that.

 

[winemaker81]

I may have to do that… unfortunately, right now I’m slammed at work and with projects around the homestead.

Running a group is hard work. I took over as president of an AWS chapter in Rome NY years ago, and started one when I moved to Raleigh. The latter fizzled as I just ran out of steam and didn't have any help.

For anyone starting a club, look for people who can take turns in the leadership role. Unfortunately, they're often difficult to find.

 

[ChuckD]

Running a group is hard work. I took over as president of an AWS chapter in Rome NY years ago, and started one when I moved to Raleigh. The latter fizzled as I just ran out of steam and didn't have any help.

For anyone starting a club, look for people who can take turns in the leadership role. Unfortunately, they're often difficult to find.

I am familiar! I’m currently an officer in a woodworking group. I’ll be bowing out of that role before I commit to a new group.

 

[Rice_Guy]

It seems to be picnic season;
Prairie Vinters did their third summer picnic tonight.

and Wisconsin Vinters had a picnic in Waukesha on the 19th

and Fermenting Friends (LaCrosse, Wi) had theirs on the 17th.


My take away; I should plant some Verona next spring, it is an early grape, picking over the weekend / good flavor.
CrimsonPearl also got good reviews.
Folks have been picking Itasca , Adonea sp and Briana.
Grapes are looking good in 2023.
I collected a test sample of vidalia onion/ morel mushroom wine (nice onion, what should morels taste like)
Lastly my black currant with chocolate could use more cocoa flavor, the sample passed around wasn’t identified correctly.

 

[ChuckD]

My take away; I should plant some Verona next spring, it is an early grape, picking over the weekend / good flavor.

Did you hear about any problems with berry splitting or dropping? I believe @Vern had issues with Verona last year. I’m considering planting a row myself as I really like his blends.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Did you hear about any problems with berry splitting or dropping? I believe @Vern had issues with Verona last year. I’m considering planting a row myself as I really like his blends.

From my past I would call berry dropping trait “shattering”. Edelweiss is bad for this.
No, nothing about farming traits. Verona is new and folks like the wine.

 

[Shurt1073]

It seems to be picnic season;
Prairie Vinters did their third summer picnic tonight.

First, let me thank you for posting these pictures and story ..... I love this! What a great opportunity for vintners on all levels to get together and share stories plus drink some wine. Second, for the past few months I've wondered if anyone in my area was making wine or let me rephrase "serious about making wine like I am"? My goal by the end of this year is to start a local club of wine makers and lets see where it takes off from there. I might offer to help get someone started who has been on the edge.

 

[wood1954]

Looks like a good time. The Jenny Falls club also had a nice meeting on the 20th at a members home on the Embarass river. We need to find some younger members, everyone at the meeting was retired.