KevinL
Senior Member
Hello!
I made my first batch of wine with another guy in my platoon while I was deployed to Ar Ramadi Iraq in 2005. Alcohol was forbidden, so of course everyone wanted to get some. We mashed up a bunch of fruit and sugar that we had managed to scrounge up, and tossed in some brewer's yeast that we had gotten in a care package. The platoon sergeant and the LT were happy to look the other way as long as they were cut in on the spoils. It was quite the success as far as being popular one night when the whole platoon went through the 5 gallon jug. We didn't stabilize or clear it, or let the yeast drop off proper at all. Next morning, half the platoon had the runs. If only I had known about a forum like this one back then. The next batch I did was apple, and I had a bit more success keeping people off the john.
I've been making wine from kits ever since, through college and now I've bought a house with a small (large for the suburbs, but small for agriculture) piece of land that I am currently developing into a vineyard. I currently have 75 petite pearl, 20 Frontenac vines, 15 Riesling, 15 Vidal Blanc, 15 Itasca, 3 Niagara, a concord, and a struggling Mars vine. I've got space for another 150 vines that I plan to put in over the next few years (as the budget allows).
The plan is is to go commercial and sell the wine. I have a lot of hurdles at this point that I've got to clear, but I've got a plan laid down and we're on target currently. I came upon this site while googling information on what the TTB will accept as far as licensing. The information that I've gleaned thus far has been fantastic.
The Vineyard:
https://www.facebook.com/laforgefamilyvineyard/
We'll get a website sooner or later. We're located in Warrenville, which is a western suburb of Chicago.
I made my first batch of wine with another guy in my platoon while I was deployed to Ar Ramadi Iraq in 2005. Alcohol was forbidden, so of course everyone wanted to get some. We mashed up a bunch of fruit and sugar that we had managed to scrounge up, and tossed in some brewer's yeast that we had gotten in a care package. The platoon sergeant and the LT were happy to look the other way as long as they were cut in on the spoils. It was quite the success as far as being popular one night when the whole platoon went through the 5 gallon jug. We didn't stabilize or clear it, or let the yeast drop off proper at all. Next morning, half the platoon had the runs. If only I had known about a forum like this one back then. The next batch I did was apple, and I had a bit more success keeping people off the john.
I've been making wine from kits ever since, through college and now I've bought a house with a small (large for the suburbs, but small for agriculture) piece of land that I am currently developing into a vineyard. I currently have 75 petite pearl, 20 Frontenac vines, 15 Riesling, 15 Vidal Blanc, 15 Itasca, 3 Niagara, a concord, and a struggling Mars vine. I've got space for another 150 vines that I plan to put in over the next few years (as the budget allows).
The plan is is to go commercial and sell the wine. I have a lot of hurdles at this point that I've got to clear, but I've got a plan laid down and we're on target currently. I came upon this site while googling information on what the TTB will accept as far as licensing. The information that I've gleaned thus far has been fantastic.
The Vineyard:
https://www.facebook.com/laforgefamilyvineyard/
We'll get a website sooner or later. We're located in Warrenville, which is a western suburb of Chicago.
