Hello

[Phyllis]

I've been enjoying reading the posts on this forum. I have a wine making shop in Stayner Ontario Canada. Stayner is about an hour north of Toronto. I've been making wine for almost 30 years and now my hobby ismy business.


My shop is1 of 3 in Ontario that is a Mosti Winemaking Center, which means I'm strictly Mosti. So it's obvious which kits I prefer. I believe there's around450 wine making shops in all of Ontario, and some carry Mosti but not exclusively like I do.

 

[PolishWineP]

Welcome, Phyllis! Always glad to have another member on board.

 

[JimCook]

Phyllis,
Welcome. Which of the Mosti kits is your favourite?


- Jim

 

[Phyllis]

Meglioli Rojo Intenso is my favorite, and Igot a silver at winemakermag 2006 with it.
But I like a lot of the others including Meglioli Barolo
Masters Ed. Amarone, Shiraz
Yakima fresh juicePinot Noir with the grapes in it.
Fresco Pinot Noir
Sonoma Merlot with grapes.
Renaissance Carmenere I just tasted the other day, and it's really nice.


So as you can see, I like a lot of different wines, too hard to pick one.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Must be fun to have a business doing something that is this much fun.


I use to live in Toronto, Sundridge and Birk's Falls....beautiful country up north.

 

[Wade E]

Is this a ferment on premise and is there that much business that there are that many? 450, WOW!!!!!!! Welcome to the forum and please hang around and share your vast experience as you can definitely answer a lot of questions regarding these products and wine making in general.

 

[Phyllis]

Most of the time it's fun. Sometimes it's not. But plenty more of the good than the bad. It can be stressful at times.


Yes, we're now called winemaking shops but it's the same thing. We have 450 in all of Ontario, pop. over 12,000,000. My own area I cover is about 50,000. When I opened 3 years ago there were 8 of us. Since then 3 have closed and 1 has opened. A little better ratio.

 

[grapeman]

Sounds like a really fun business to be in. Must be nice to be able to try so many of the different kits they offer. Enjoy the good times and good luck dealing with the bad.

 

[Wade E]

Thats sort of like my dry to own a place like that. Not to be to personal but how profitable is it, and dont worry, Im no where near you!

Edited by: wade

 

[Phyllis]

I think it's like any business. It can be profitable if it's done properly and you take good care of your customers. It's definitely the type of business where you have to enjoy interacting with people.


So far it's working well for me. I do have a good situation though because our house is zoned as a commercial property and I can run the business here as well.


Plus having Mosti product. I think eventually everyone will discover it andappreciateit as much as I do!

 

[s.arkvinomaker]

Welcome Phyllis,
Wow thirty years. Please hang around and don't be a stranger. it must be nice to be able to devote full time to a hobby I'm sure you love doing. Do you do any ice wines?

 

[Phyllis]

Mosti doesn't do an ice wine style kit yet, but I did some real Ice wine personally last January. It was my first attempt and I bought the juice fromthe Niagara region. I didn't do an awful lot because it's quite expensive. I think I paid $30. a liter,not totally sure, it was almost a year ago. It turned out o.k. but I wouldn't say great. It requiresmonitoring and around the time it was needing some treatment I got so busy because another business closed down and I had a huge influx of customers so it went a little beyond it's desired fermentation level so it's not sweet but quite high alcohol.It does though have promise of good things to comeso I've stashed it away and will let it just mellow out for some time. And I think that if need be I could always add some conditioner. I'm talking strictly for my own use here, nothing to do with my business.

 

[joeswine]

HI plillis ,this is joeswine from new jersey,welcome aboard the wine express////I've been doing this for only seven years now but love it,,

 

[uavwmn]

Welcome Phyllis!! Enjoy all that everyone brings to the table here.