Is Winemaking my Therapy?

[Ajmassa]

Does anyone else ever view their winemaking hobby/passion/whatever as therapeutic?
I know for a stonecold fact that it is for me. When working on wine-or anything winemaking related - it centers me sorta, or decompresses the rest of life’s BS.
Can’t speak for anyone else- but winemaking definitely is something I NEED in my life! Going without it for a long while......it just plain sucks! I haven’t been able to do anything lately. About 100gal worth of 7 diff wines from fall ‘17 and spring/fall 18’. Just sitting. Begging for some TLC.
And then my old man asked me to hit up the local spot together for him to grab some juice- which was a family tradition since forever. I went but wasn’t planning grabbing anything for myself.
And you know damn well I walked outta there with at least something! Lol. How could I not? Got home. Cleaned up some gear and was logging down info and just in the zone. During it I just had a sense of...calm. I didn’t realize how much I felt ‘wrong’ until I felt ‘right’ again. I missed it. And I missed all of you!

 

[CDrew]

Welcome back. I hope all is well.

The wine thing in general is interesting, and by being interesting and different from your work life, it's therapeutic.

Bottle some of that wine, drink some of what you bottle. Relax, calm down, and enjoy your therapy.

What are you making 2019?

 

[Ajmassa]

Welcome back. I hope all is well.

The wine thing in general is interesting, and by being interesting and different from your work life, it's therapeutic.

Bottle some of that wine, drink some of what you bottle. Relax, calm down, and enjoy your therapy.

What are you making 2019?

I know man. Way overdo. Different batches at different status. Some tlc needed. I think got my 2nd dumper too. A sauv blanc juicepail. Maybe. Lol. TBD still

I’m not making much. Hoping to get back on it by spring. Just doing a couple buckets of juice on a whim. Impulse purchase and Underprepared-...as usual
A cab and barbera. . Might mess around a dump in malo at some weird *** timing as a little experiment. Pretty sure workhorse malo don’t care when. Might even get a successful mlf inoculating the damn press basket! (Reading other threads got me all mlf‘d up!)

 

[CDrew]

I hear you.

The pain, worry and concern some associate with MLF seems overstated. Co-inoculate and done in 2 weeks. Nothing to it.

And, Barbera is on my short list too. I have to see what's available to pick October 5/6. I'm off those days, and want to do a 3rd wine, but really want to pick and make a Barbera this year as a "will go with all foods" food wine.

Last year I did a Petite Sirah as my #3 wine. It's good and tannic, but needs some highly flavored food to balance it out. This year would do the same but will be opportunistic with regards to what's available.

For you, it seems like it's time to bottle the 2017. Hope you do. Good luck!

 

[Ajmassa]

I hear you.

The pain, worry and concern some associate with MLF seems overstated. Co-inoculate and done in 2 weeks. Nothing to it.

And, Barbera is on my short list too. I have to see what's available to pick October 5/6. I'm off those days, and want to do a 3rd wine, but really want to pick and make a Barbera this year as a "will go with all foods" food wine.

Last year I did a Petite Sirah as my #3 wine. It's good and tannic, but needs some highly flavored food to balance it out. This year would do the same but will be opportunistic with regards to what's available.

For you, it seems like it's time to bottle the 2017. Hope you do. Good luck!

Yep. And the 18’ spring wine. Which is what I’m really looking forward to. It’s a Chilean Malbec 1/2 oaked in new barrel. Gotta blend back with rest and good 2 go.

How those intellitanks been workin out btw?

 

[CDrew]

How those intellitanks been workin out btw?

They are good. I have 4, which works well for me. THat's 60 gallons worth. Converting to the sanitary fittings is huge. So easy to move from one to the other for racking and a final time racking uphill to bottle. I may get 2 more. It's a compact and sturdy way to store and move wine. Not to mention how easy it is to sanitize the sanitary fittings.

 

[mainshipfred]

For me it gets more therapeutic the more I learn and become comfortable. In the beginning, although it was fun, it was stressful because there was so much to learn and I didn't know what I didn't know. With all that being said and in an attempt to get a full cellar I do put undo stress on myself. This year in the spring I made Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv, Chenin Blanc and Riesling, interim was a peach and so far this fall Viognier, Petit Manseng, Aliconte and Tannat. Going to pick up Nebbiola and/or Sangiovese tomorrow and next week my Merlot, Touriga and Grenache is coming in. Going to make a red and a rose out of the Grenache. Lastly I have Norton, Cab Franc and Petite Verdot coming as soon as they are ready to harvest. Not at all complaining just have to be diligent with my time management.

 

[sour_grapes]

Wow, Fred, that is quite the list! Your efforts are impressive.

 

[Ajmassa]

Wow, Fred, that is quite the list! Your efforts are impressive.

I’ll say! 18 different batches from spring and fall 19’ And you know Fred gets wild with his yeast splitting batches into multiple ferments- quick math looks like about 1,000 ferments! lol. Probably get a decent buzz just standing out front of Château de Black! [emoji1305]

 

[Boatboy24]

It is most definitely therapeutic. What's great about it is that it is art AND science. And your methods can lean in one direction or the other, or just go down the middle. In my case, I work with numbers a lot. For me, the creative side of winemaking is my outlet. It's a nice escape.

 

[motherofgallons]

I definitely think it's therapeutic. I love to cook and I have always been artistic so the most fun for me is writing and experimenting with recipes. I also really enjoy tending to living things and the idea that you're cooperating as a team with the yeast, I like both fussing over them and letting them do their thing on their own time. Math has never been my strength, but it is easier if I have a clear practical goal (unlike in grade school), such as sewing or recipe building, so although it's difficult I appreciate the science and the need for attention to detail. I also like that I'm learning practical science through organized experimentation and basic chemistry.

 

[sour_grapes]

Well, I must admit that I find winedrinking more therapeutic than winemaking!

 

[Ajmassa]

It is most definitely therapeutic. What's great about it is that it is art AND science. And your methods can lean in one direction or the other, or just go down the middle. In my case, I work with numbers a lot. For me, the creative side of winemaking is my outlet. It's a nice escape.

YES! 100%. Especially when I’m in my comfort zone.—-And not having to sweat the small stuff and trusting my gut. Making confident decisions that make my wine ‘mine’.
@motherofgallons nailed the cooking analogy. The kitchen is Heathers lab - no different than my wine area.

And @sour_grapes— all doctors would agree- it’s a combination of therapy & meds!
Making the wine is the therapy
The wine is the Lexapro [emoji6]

 

[sour_grapes]

I had to google "Lexapro." Interestingly, however, I already knew what "serantonin reuptake inhibitors" were, and why they were important. (We took in a troubled niece many years ago. She is now doing great! )

 

[pgentile]

Therapy on every level for me.

 

[porkchopmessiah]

Yes....that being said, it never fails that as soon as I start the filter or out one drop of titrant in beaker, my wife tells downstairs that I have to do something..

 

[Ajmassa]

Yes....that being said, it never fails that as soon as I start the filter or out one drop of titrant in beaker, my wife tells downstairs that I have to do something..

Ppffsh. Wives got some nerve don’t they?

 

[peterseng]

It definitely is like therapy for me as well. It appeals to both my analytical side and my creative side. In ways it reminds me of my early-life passions. I studied music in school, and chose engineering as my initial college major (first college level trig course and I changed that major to accounting, lol!) and those passions also both include creativity/problem solving and analysis/attention to detail. I get to use both sides of my brain at once, and when I'm done thinking I can drink my wine to help shut my brain off! Best of both worlds!

 

[Ajmassa]

It definitely is like therapy for me as well. It appeals to both my analytical side and my creative side. In ways it reminds me of my early-life passions. I studied music in school, and chose engineering as my initial college major (first college level trig course and I changed that major to accounting, lol!) and those passions also both include creativity/problem solving and analysis/attention to detail. I get to use both sides of my brain at once, and when I'm done thinking I can drink my wine to help shut my brain off! Best of both worlds!

Well said. Nice post.

 

[peterseng]

Well said. Nice post.

Thanks!