Inherited Grandfathers Wine Equipment.

[aidanparry]

Hi folks, I'm Aidan from Dundrum, Northern Ireland. My Grandfather made wine for as long as I can remember and it was well known for being some of the best wine around. He had the whole family out at least once a month picking fruit and flowers for his next batch! I can remember visiting and him taking me into the garage where he made wine and he would explain what was going on and how everything worked. I was way too young to take a lot of it in but I remember the smells like it was yesterday and yes, he always let me take a sip, said it was educational lol!

Last month sadly my Grandfather passed away and he had always said that he would like it if I carried on with the wine. He had a serious amount of equipment and to be honest I've had to do a lot of reading and research on the subject and it has completely rekindled something in me and gave me the want to do this.

Im going to start with a few kits so I can fully understand the process then I'll move onto my Grandfathers diary where he kept a lot of his recipes and methods.

So here goes nothing! Time for my first batch! This forum seems like a great community and I'm looking forward to being involved.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Sorry to hear about your Grandfather but it is great that you will be carrying on his winemaking. Good luck and have fun!


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[vacuumpumpman]

Welcome !
Sorry to hear about your grandfather - but it is also nice to carry on his legacy !

If you need any assistance this is a great forum to ask questions

 

[aidanparry]

Thanks Derek / Steve, much appreciated. Really looking forward to it.

 

[GreginND]

What a legacy. I'm sure you'll carry it proudly. You can do it. Winemaking is not hard once you get the basics own. And you can count on the wisdom here to help.

 

[aidanparry]

Thanks GreginND. Yeah when I started moving all the equipment into my garage and read through all his notes it hit me that it was a bit of a legacy. Massive pressure though to perform as the rest of the family are waiting on a batch lol!

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[grapeman]

Welcome to the forum Aidan. Hope your adventure is fun and rewarding. You will soon be making your Grandfather proud if you haven't already.

 

[Julie]

Hi Aidan, welcome to winemakingtalk.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Aiden,
Welcome aboard! Your Grandfather is watching you proudly, I can't think of a better to honor him. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard! Stick around, ask questions, tell us stories and join in on the fun!

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

My guess is that your Grandfather saw something positive in you and it is why he said he would like you to carry on with the wine making.

Was this a business for your Grandfather or home wine making for family and friends?

 

[heatherd]

Sorry about your Grandfather. Continuing on his path of winemaking will be a wonderful way of maintaining your connection and keeping him close to your heart. He's given you a head start with the equipment and wine journal!

When I started a little over a year ago, I found that there were very few problems that I encountered that had not already been posted by someone else, and provided with lots of advice from the members.

Good luck!
Heather

 

[Rocky]

Hello Aidan and welcome to the forum. You have my sympathy for the loss of your Grandfather and it is great that you are carrying on the tradition. A lot of us started making wine with our Grandfathers (I did in the late 1940's) and it keeps me close to him to continue. Although he passed in 1951, some of the things he used to say come back to me in the form of a lesson when I make a mistake, as in, "Ah, that is what Poppy was talking about!"

 

[sour_grapes]

Aidan, that sounds like a wonderful way to honor the memory of your grandfather, and to carry his traditions forward to the next generations. Best of luck and ask away!

 

[Geronimo]

Hi Aiden, Welcome aboard! Sorry to hear about your Grandfather. I hope your wine making experiences are rewarding and help to keep your Grandfather close to your heart.

 

[seth8530]

Welcome to the forums, lots of good stuff to learn from here!

One nugget of advice, you might find that some of the advice on this forum is different than what your grandfather might have done, and that is ok. Just be knowledgeable about the pros and cons of the different techniques before you set out making wine.

I am sure you will do great!

 

[RegionRat]

Welcome to the forum, Sorry to hear about your Grandfather.

I also got into this hobby because of memories of my youth. Even though I grew up in a city there was always a garden. Things were canned, dried, pickled, smoked or fermented to last the year. We have tried to get back to a simple, garden to table approach.

The people on here are a great inspiration. Dont be afraid to ask or share anything in regards to food and drink.

RR

 

[CowboyRam]

Sorry about your Grandfather. My Grandfather also made wine, but that the time I was not interested in making wine; just drinking it. That is great that you have his equipment and notes. I wish I had my grandfathers notes, if he had any; I think they were all in his head. All I remember from his wine is that it tasted great, but it would really knock your socks off.

 

[aidanparry]

Thanks everyone, the encouragement, kind words and sense of community here is very promising.

Welcome to the forum!
Was this a business for your Grandfather or home wine making for family and friends?

He was a very generous man and always gave his wine to people, from what I have heard and been told his wine would have made a fortune but he would never venture down that road. He got his reward through watching people enjoy his wine and talking people through the process of what went into it, this is something that I will endeavor to carry on.

One nugget of advice, you might find that some of the advice on this forum is different than what your grandfather might have done, and that is ok. Just be knowledgeable about the pros and cons of the different techniques before you set out making wine.

I am sure you will do great!

Thanks, I was fully expecting to enter this world of wine with very little knowledge. I have his diaries and my memories along with everyone else telling me what their favourite batch was that he created and where he sourced his wild fruit and flowers. Apart from that I am at the "sponge stage" ready to soak up all the information and advice from everyone on here and blend the old with the new and the weird with the wonderful! Watch this space!

 

[seth8530]

Wow, you are very fortunate to have a diary with recipies in it. That is great news! Honestly,what I would be tempted to do if I was you would be to find some of his favorites and remake them with modern wine making techniques (if he did not use them already). That way you could keep the spirit of his wine alive while at the same time enjoying all the advantages of modern wine making.