People Problems

[Rocky]

Wow, that is quite a story, Paul. You and your group are well rid of him.

 

[joeswine]

john T

I can see the letters better,have a visual problem,my editor correct it in bound ..................

 

[deanrwp]

I originally started to make my own wine over 5 years ago....due to me being influenced when I was younger by my late great uncle who made wine out of everything and anything....with which I liked a lot....so I bought my 1st wine kit out of Wilkinson....it proved to be successful with my best friend and his family....so since then I have been experimenting with different fruits & even Potato....I have had such Great feedback from everyone that I continued to making more and more....if it was a failure I wouldn't have continued making more wine as there is cost of it all that you also have to take into consideration...apart from my wife who don't like my Potato wine....die Tibet fact it is very strong....but to me that is a good sign....as it tells me that it is good **** excuse the expression
But at the end of the day it is all down to your personal preference whether you enjoy making wine for your own enjoyment or is it to please others when in fact it is Not....as after all it is us who make the wine...it is us who perfect it to our own required taste....I just happen to have good friends who enjoy my creations....that in itself makes me feel really proud of what I can achieve in life as it is a strength Not a weakness....only people who don't appreciate your wines ate the ones who have the weakness & obviously miss out!

So sorry for the novel....but enjoy what you do and don't let others spoil your enjoyment!

 

[Wade E]

LOL, Im nit sure joeswine knows how to shut off the caps button. He's a great guy though and makes damn good wine! Im not big on group things myself, I hate the know it all thats above everyone else and also hate the one who thinks he knows it all and theres one of each it seems in every crowd.

 

[Runningwolf]

I'm lucky in the fact everyone that helps me likes my wine and just wants to help out because it's interesting. Several on them are now buying juice pails for me to make for them and want to be there to help. I always give them options and ask if there is something different they would like me to do. They always tell me to just make it the way I want. Oh Yeah...these same people will usually buy me a pail or two for making their wines.

I also have an old timer thats benn making wine for a long time and will call and ask me questions. When I give my opinion it's usually not right as he already has his mind made up it should be done how he's always done it. Keep in mine doing things the way you always did will always get the same results. If thats what you want then that's ok, or do you want to experiment and try to improve on what youve been doing?

 

[JohnT]

Wolf,

I think that your situation works because you are truly the only winemaker. If the results are good, they will not get "all up in yo bidness".

For me, my problem is training people to the point where they want to call all of the shots.

johnT

 

[JohnT]

I can see the letters better,have a visual problem,my editor correct it in bound ..................

No problem. I was only joking!

 

[Runningwolf]

Wolf,

I think that your situation works because you are truly the only winemaker. If the results are good, they will not get "all up in yo bidness".

For me, my problem is training people to the point where they want to call all of the shots.

johnT

I absolutely agree with you.

 

[tonyt]

PaulS, fantastic thread. Very interesting (frightful) posts from several folks. I am the only person that I know makes wine in my city. I have always yearned to know and work with other home winemakers. Maybe I should rethink that.

Actually you folks are my winemaking club. Thanks to all of you.

 

[Rocky]

The only helper I have and the only one I want is my Bride. She has a strong background in chemistry (BS & MS in Pharmacy) and helps me greatly with the technical stuff and testing. I provide (what is left of) the muscle and the unskilled labor and it is a great activity for us in retirement. We both enjoy wine making, drinking and sharing with friends.

As Tony points out, this forum is all the wine making help one could need. I guess I am like that Anacin commercial of long ago, "Mother, please, I'd rather do it myself!"

 

[dangerdave]

My Wine Lab is a one man operation. The rug reads, "Keep Out". Few are the folks (friend and family only) who get to see inside. No one has offered, and I need no one's help to produce the amount of wine I make. But I have always been a lone wolf. My lovely wife helps out with note-taking when she so desires. I've been trying to get her to make a kit of her own, but she says that's "my thing". Her thing is drinking my wine, and being my biggest fan.

Thanks for the stories, all. Dealing with other human beings is an art. Like an old preacher once told me, "This world would be a wonderful place if it wasn't covered with people."

Cheers!

 

[g8keeper]

well until the club got to be too big, and certain personality traits began to rear their ugly little faces, i loved my club experience....it was great....both fun and educational....we'd have a club meeting once a month, where we would conduct business affairs, see how we were doing financially and all, announce what we were making that month, as well as what local events of interest may be going on...we'd ask general membership if they had any issues they felt needed to be addressed...then there was fun time where we would socialize, nibble on snacks, and of course tip a few bottles....lol...people would bring some of their new production for everyone to sample and such....it was a great evening....then we would get together on a sunday, and we would brew....it would be an all day event as we did both beer and wine...beer making would start about 9 am...those that signed up to get in on that month's brew would show up about then to help finish getting everything set up as we normally would do all grain mash recipes....we would have a lunch and then around 1 pm those that were making wine, would gather up and mix their batches together....normally the wort was boiled, chilled, divided, and ready for everyone to pitch their yeasts by about 4-5....everything would get cleaned up and we would have a dinner that was provided by the member who volunteered to be the "host" for that month's brew....we also held 2 fundraiser events each year, the proceeds of which went to new equipment for the club, such as new burners and a chiller for beer, and crusher and other things for wine...we would organize and hold a wine tasting in the spring where members would donate bottles of their wine, appoved by the exec. committee, and there would be snacks and such during the tasting...the vintner would explain about each of the wines being served....afterwards a dinner and after party was held....then in the fall we would do the same thing with beer, holding it in late september/early october and called it our octoberfest....we'd also have get together partys for halloween, superbowl and other various occasions....we also had a club only competition and banquet at the end of the year...like i saiod, it was great UNTIL we got to be too big, and personalities clashed...i'd love to belong to something like that again...i really do miss the good times...

 

[Rocky]

Ken, that sounds like a great social and professional arrangement. I can understand why you miss it. In a way, it is not dissimilar from this forum. I note that the moderators and administrator are quick to take action when a problem is begins to show itself. Good lesson there.