label your wine

[winemaker81]

Last November when I was prepping to bulk age wines, I had leftovers that I poured into a several containers and labeled as "Frank" AKA Frankenwine. Instead of messing with a bunch of tiny bottles, I saved hassle. This wine gets used first when I need a generic red.

I've had a screwcap bottle on the counter since then. At the time I knew what was in it.



It's got amazing color and tastes very fresh and fruity. I'm sad I only have 1 bottle, whatever it is.

But I have NO idea whutinthuheck it is. I think it's a mixture of residue from the FWK Tavola Merlot/Grenache pomace and Tavola Merlot/Tempranillo pomace that is currently ageing.

Tasting does not help. Oh, well.

The takeaways from this? 1) Label everything well, as your memory is not as good as you believe it is. 2) Every wine you make is a unique entity that you will never reproduce. Find joy in every wine and celebrate it.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

I’ve got one bottle that isn’t labeled. It looks beautiful. Usually I put a mark on the bottle with a sharpie to help identify but we all miss one now and then. Kind of like a wine mystery bottle

at least we have an advantage over wild mushroom picker hobbyists. Wine probably not deadly if we aren’t sure what it is

 

[vinny]

I have used really technical tricks like putting my top up next to what is bulk aging. Things get moved.

I even lost track of what was in primary after a shuffle, but I did number them. Now I put a sticker on my primary bucket, peel it off to put on secondary vessels, and my sloppiest current technique is a coloured capsule noted in my recipe book, but even that is pretty sloppy and I could see it failing in time.

So yes, I will second that. Label everything!

 

[winemaker81]

I have 5 wines in production: Grenache, Tempranillo, Mourvedre/Petite Sirah/Syrah, Merlot/Grenache, and Merlot/Tempranillo. The Grenache is unmistakably different. The other 4 are identical in appearance. Smell and taste are different, but it's best label clearly.

 

[Sage]

Masking tape label on every carboy (date and variety) and every bottle is foiled, date on top so I can see it and what's in it on the side. Each variety has the same color foil as it's bottled. All of a variety is stored together and even if I lose a foil top I'm pretty sure what it is.

I also put a hang tag on at least one bottle of each variety with all information on it. Makes looking in the rack easier to find something.

 

[BigDaveK]

Yikes. I write down everything and/or label immediately. I know that a "why did I come in here?" moment can happen at any second.

 

[QuiQuog]

+1 on the colored foil. I do the same thing to make it easier to identify when they're all in the rack with only the necks sticking out.

As far as labeling during production, It was never an issue before, because I only ever did one batch at a time. It didn't even occur to me that I wouldn't remember what was what when I did the last three batches at once. I knew what they all were, until I didn't. I'm 90% sure I figured it all out in the end.

 

[Shurt1073]

After reading these posts, tonight I went into my little wine room and made sticky notes on each of my carboys. I also listed the date for the next step in production .... June 8th rack into clean carboy. Good advice! All bottles get colored foil so I can tell by looking at the neck / top what is in the bottle.

 

[Jovimaple]

I created, printed, and laminated some labels, then cut them out, made a hole in the corner, and tied some string around it. I put them on every carboy and I used the extra small blank pieces for small tags that don't have all the info that the main tags have. I use wet-erase (overhead projector) pens to write on them. You can see the tag on the carboy to the right. The tag on the carboy to the left is turned over on the counter.

 

[Raptor99]

I use painters tape on my carboys. Easy to pull off and transfer to another carboy when racking.

 

[winemaker81]

When prepping to start a batch, I print up a sheet of paper labels, cut 'em, and use scotch tape to connect them to pre-made strings. [When a batch is bottled, I tear the label off the string, so I have a supply of pre-cut and tied strings.]

The advantage of this over painter's tape is I have a bunch all ready to go, so less hassle at that moment. YMMV.

For the barrels I use painter's tape, and will use it on the odd occasion I don't have a pre-made label handy.


Above I said the Grenache is easy to determine? That's in the bottle or glass. In the carboy, not so much. There are 5 different wines (5th is barely visible in the lower right corner):



The Grenache is front left.

To be fair, I can identify them by taste, but labels save a lot of delays.

I like Joni's idea of printing out record sheets, but as you can see from the condition of my labels, I'm messy, so I'd mess up the sheets. I now keep a small notebook (got it at a conference) and make notes in it. I keep all my records on my website, so I can easily carry the notebook upstairs for updates. [Yes, I will forget it's upstairs and have to go get it!]


These are all great ideas, and it doesn't matter what method is used for labeling, as long as we do it!


It does help to ensure we can read our own notes. A while back I noticed a 4 liter jug had a HUGE headspace and freaked. What is it???

I looked at the label, and it didn't help:



I held the jug up to the light ... and realized it was vanilla extract I started on 12/19/2022 with 5.6 oz vanilla beans in 3.5 liters vodka.



I gave that roll of tape to my wife (she does most of the painting, I just bless the colors she wants), and have purchased a roll with no writing on it. Plus I use a black Sharpie and write more legibly ....

 

[Raptor99]

There are various methods, so use whichever one works for you. One thing I like about using a sharpie on painters tape is that it is waterproof. No chance of the label coming apart or the ink smearing. I can even wash the carboy with the label on it and it comes out fine.

 

[vinny]

View attachment 101905

I held the jug up to the light ... and realized it was vanilla extract I started on 12/19/2022 with 5.6 oz vanilla beans in 3.5 liters vodka.

All this time... and now we find out you are left handed.

So much makes sense now..

 

[winemaker81]

All this time... and now we find out you are left handed.

No, I just have crappy handwriting. My parents were VERY excited when I was a child. They were positive I was going to be a doctor! I already had the handwriting for it!

This explains why I print or type everything .....

 

[vinny]

No, I just have crappy handwriting. My parents were VERY excited when I was a child. They were positive I was going to be a doctor! I already had the handwriting for it!

This explains why I print or type everything .....

Good thing I am not a betting man. I woulda put money on it.

Not because it is messy, it was actually the slope of it and I didn't account for writing on a round surface!

 

[Billdean]

When prepping to start a batch, I print up a sheet of paper labels, cut 'em, and use scotch tape to connect them to pre-made strings. [When a batch is bottled, I tear the label off the string, so I have a supply of pre-cut and tied strings.]

The advantage of this over painter's tape is I have a bunch all ready to go, so less hassle at that moment. YMMV.

For the barrels I use painter's tape, and will use it on the odd occasion I don't have a pre-made label handy.


Above I said the Grenache is easy to determine? That's in the bottle or glass. In the carboy, not so much. There are 5 different wines (5th is barely visible in the lower right corner):

View attachment 101906

The Grenache is front left.

To be fair, I can identify them by taste, but labels save a lot of delays.

I like Joni's idea of printing out record sheets, but as you can see from the condition of my labels, I'm messy, so I'd mess up the sheets. I now keep a small notebook (got it at a conference) and make notes in it. I keep all my records on my website, so I can easily carry the notebook upstairs for updates. [Yes, I will forget it's upstairs and have to go get it!]


These are all great ideas, and it doesn't matter what method is used for labeling, as long as we do it!


It does help to ensure we can read our own notes. A while back I noticed a 4 liter jug had a HUGE headspace and freaked. What is it???

I looked at the label, and it didn't help:

View attachment 101905

I held the jug up to the light ... and realized it was vanilla extract I started on 12/19/2022 with 5.6 oz vanilla beans in 3.5 liters vodka.



I gave that roll of tape to my wife (she does most of the painting, I just bless the colors she wants), and have purchased a roll with no writing on it. Plus I use a black Sharpie and write more legibly ....

@winemaker81 What kind of airlocks or bungs are you using in the pictures with the carboys. Don't mean to highjack the thread!

 

[winemaker81]

@winemaker81 What kind of airlocks or bungs are you using in the pictures with the carboys. Don't mean to highjack the thread!

Hijack away!!!

I use mostly vented bungs for carboys. Once past active fermentation and degassing, the bungs eliminate needing to watch airlocks. I use airlocks for smaller containers (like 750ml and 1.5 liter bottles) and when I'm expecting airlock activity.

I use a lot of 4 liter jugs (Carlo Rossi Burgundy and Chablis make good cooking wine, and the jug is $17 USD compared to $10 for an new empty jug), and the vented bungs fit those as well, with a bit of finessing.

 

[vinny]

I am a big fan of breathable bungs. They let out CO2 and allow for expansion, but don't let air back in.

I don't have enough room under my desk for airlocks. I have the carboys on a dolly I can wheel in and out and the bungs allow for enough space above.

 

[cmason1957]

I wish I could find more breathable bungs. Maybe I need to look around again. I do like them.

 

[vinny]

I wish I could find more breathable bungs. Maybe I need to look around again. I do like them.

It was luxury purchase. I really don't have any other space to bulk age, though.

I bit the bullet and placed an online order.