How much wine do you make? (2022)

[oppyland]

I answered 26-50, but after further review that might be light. Also, I never intended to make this much wine.

 

[cmason1957]

I answered 26-50, but after further review that might be light. Also, I never intended to make this much wine.

I never intended to make as much as I do, but then I drink some more and want to make some more. Or someone has a buy one get one free sale and I have no choice, but to order two more kits.

 

[Jusatele]

my traditional habit has been to make more wines during the fall, I will keep 3 brews going. I now find 3 gallon batches are what I like to make, 5 gallon equipment is a bit heavy. But I kind of average a brew a month over all with a few batches of ciders or SP going into the summer so I guess 48 gallons is about perfect.
I do not need to make any more as with 48 gallons I still give more than half of it away and would have to find more friends if I brewed any more.

 

[tmcfadden932]

I live just outside of the Lodi, Ca AVA and swap my wine for grapes when ever I can. I make Gold Medal wines so getting invited back is not a problem. This year I'll make 80 gallons of a Cab Rose' sweetened with Grenache juice since that went the fastest with everyone that tastes it. I also take care of a Cab vineyard that will produce 4500lbs of fruit that we try and sell but end up making a red with what we don't sell. Last year we made 240 gallons. I tried something different this year, a lemon wine, 15 gallons. Made with both Meyer and Lisbon lemons, I'll see which one tastes best. Down loaded a Skeeter Pee recipe and It turned out to be a nice summer wine.

 

[JustinTG]

My numbers from other threads would appear to be an outlier but I partner with 4 other people. Last year we did a total of about 100 gallons. We're going to do a little more than double this year, but we have a couple other people joining in the fun so the "per capita" production is actually in the meat of the distribution.

 

[NorCal]

I typically land in the 150-200 range. Grapes just seem to find me.

 

[winemaker81]

My numbers from other threads would appear to be an outlier but I partner with 4 other people.

That's something I didn't consider when formulating the survey. My son & niece each take a carboy from the fall's red wine, and in recent years I've made kits for my niece (although that's done now that she's making wine). In addition to the barrel aged reds, my son & I have collaborated on wines, each taking half.

I was thinking "how much do you make for personal use?" but the survey is worded "how much do you make?".

This is ok, as it's just idle curiosity on my part, and it doesn't change my answer (51-76 gallons).

 

[distancerunner]

My numbers from other threads would appear to be an outlier but I partner with 4 other people. Last year we did a total of about 100 gallons. We're going to do a little more than double this year, but we have a couple other people joining in the fun so the "per capita" production is actually in the meat of the distribution.

That's something I didn't consider when formulating the survey. My son & niece each take a carboy from the fall's red wine, and in recent years I've made kits for my niece (although that's done now that she's making wine). In addition to the barrel aged reds, my son & I have collaborated on wines, each taking half.

I was thinking "how much do you make for personal use?" but the survey is worded "how much do you make?".

This is ok, as it's just idle curiosity on my part, and it doesn't change my answer (51-76 gallons).

Making is the key term.

For those of us who make wine with others, most of the cellar tasks are done by one person. The others will be there for the crush, pressing, and bottling, the "glamorous" parts of the process. But testing, racking, adjusting SO2, etc, are usually up to the person who lives in the house. That person is the winemaker.

Unless others take a very active role in cellar tasks, it's fair and accurate to claim the entire amount.

 

[winemaker81]

Unless others take a very active role in cellar tasks, it's fair and accurate to claim the entire amount.

That's a fair point.

In my case, my son is present and helping 98% of the time for all collaborative wines, and we discuss options with my niece, but mine is the guiding hand due to my much greater experience.

 

[distancerunner]

There are three of us.

One is an old friend. We started to make wine together in 2017, after a layoff of more than a decade on my part. We talk, taste, and do a lot of the work together.

Lab work is my task. Which means most of the decisions fall on me, too.

The third guy is in his first year. His schedule is a nightmare. He helps when he can.

 

[bstnh1]

No help here - just me, myself and I. I give away only a few bottles each year and my wife and I drink most of what I make, usually somewhere between 30 and 50 gallons.

 

[heatherd]

I started making wine in 2012 with a lower-end kit my hubby gave me, and it was okay but not the greatest. At the beginning, I made way more because I was making it more quickly and not really aging the wine more than the kit instructions stated. Also needed to build up stock.

Over time I starting taking longer to make each batch, especially the all-grape and juice bucket batches. I've been aging the kits longer and letting them clear and degas naturally. So those batches are bulk-aging 2+ years and then in a bottle for several before drinking.

Most recently, though, I've started making the Finer Wine Kits and am sort of split between adding the chemicals or letting them clear on their own; using them for my whites and roses but haven't for the reds.

 

[winemaker81]

I've been keeping a mental summary, and so far, ~75% of the respondents make between 11 and 75 gallons per year. That figure is +/- 3% and has been consistent since the first 10 respondents.

I pondered if this meant anything, but I can't see that it does, as there are other unconsidered factors, such as how many people split the proceeds of a respondent's efforts. It just satisfies my curiosity, although the discussion has gone in interesting directions.

 

[distancerunner]

Some other limitations include the willingness to commit more discretionary income to a project, the size and location of the cellar, and the willingness of others to perform cellar tasks. In other words, time and money.

Add to that is the fear of ending up with too much wine.

 

[winemaker81]

Add to that is the fear of ending up with too much wine.

We somewhat often get reports that folks completely underestimated their ability to store wine.

 

[Jusatele]

OK then
Personal use would be about 12 gallons a year,

that means I give 75% away, wow, good thing I have them bring over used wine bottles

 

[vinny]

Add to that is the fear of ending up with too much wine.

I have not experienced this problem yet. Hopefully it starts soon!

 

[MHSKIBUM]

As a relative newbie winemaker, I make twice as much wine as we consume in our household (including entertaining) and lay down half to reach a respectable age. That usually means at least 40 litres a month plus the odd top end kit that we won't touch for two years. I'm guess my production will slow once we have sufficient aged wine so that I'm never drinking any red less than 18 months old.

 

[Old Corker]

My wife and I started doing kits at a ’Make it at our facility’ business. She bought a Groupon is how we started. You would go there, do a tasting and decide what you want. They offered by the glass, bottle or batch. The word kit was never used. Low end batches were $150-$200. High end were $350-$450 Including bottles, corks and labels. We started making batches every 2-3 months and stuck with it for about 3 years. Go there, taste, choose, mix the must and come back 6 to 8 weeks later and bottle. I really had no idea how much work they were doing in the time between mixing and bottling. We stuck with it longer than we might have because we got to know the staff and it was a fun outing. Bottling became social events and we would bring friends and family. Bring food, drink wine, bottle a batch and come home with 28-30 bottles. Eventually I did some research into what the products were and in 2018 I bought some equipment and started making it myself. Shortly thereafter I found this forum and the rest is history as they say.
My wife helps with the bottling but not much else. Well the tasting choosing and drinking Sure but no cellar work. We still like to make the bottling a social event sometimes but it is all at home now.

 

[winemaker81]

My wife and I started doing kits at a ’Make it at our facility’ business

That's an interesting business. I'm curious how many concurrent customers are required to make a go of it? Granted, the local cost of rent and utilities will affect it greatly.