Top 10 reasons to make your own wine

[Waldo]

My winemaking began with a statement from a friend who had just given me some hybridblackberries his Dad grows. "Boy, I bet those would make some good wine"


From there it has grown into a love and passion. A never ending quest for perfection and the joy of sharing fuels the flames that now consume me.

 

[Bill B]

Many of my family made wine, especially my Grandfather, Allare gone now so I think of him and others whenI make it. Also because I like challenges.

 

[jobe05]

I started making wine to show my wife how fun it is to have a hobby. She has none. I have my garden, my workshop, golfing and camping with my youngest son (only one left at home).


She's not interested

.


So I still make wine............


But now I make it for the alcohol to get drunk so I don't have to listen to the Mrs on how board she is!

Just kidding....... I did want my wife involved, but she isn't interested in making it, just drinking it! If that puts a smile on her face then it was all worth it! And I'm having fun.

 

[jcnoren]

With Wine Kits and forums such as this,even a "Newbie" can make a "drinkable" wine the very first time.


JC

 

[Cove Cottage]

Ø Making wine gives me a wonderful feeling of accomplishment<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />
Ø There is nothing like having your very own “Private Label” wine. When you take someone a bottle of your very own wine and they read the label and realize that you actually made the wine, their face just lights up!

 

[masta]

Amen...

 

[summersolstice]

I began by making mead because it's difficult to find, commercially, in my area. I branched out into wine because, a) it's far cheaper to make than mead, b)I enjoy producing something so tasty and sharing it, and c) alright, I enjoy the recognition as well! But then, I also roast my own coffee beans.

 

[Big Port]

Becasue there is nothing better then a glass of your own wine....... at least that's what I am hoping when I finally get it in the bottle and aged.

 

[geocorn]

You are absolutely correct.

There is nothing like sitting down and drinking a glass of wine you made.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We are long time gardeners and grow most of our own food and make drinking juices, because we want to. We have always had apple and fruit trees, berries etc. Then when we moved a few years ago we replanted even more berries and more and different fruit trees, and then planted grapes for drinking juice....hummm.....wine was next of course...took us awhile to jump in and get started, but will never quit now....love this hobby.

 

[peterCooper]

I thought I was making wine to save money. How wrong I was. Of course,
I am saving money, so that bit is OK, but I was wrong about how MY
motives would work out.

I am making wine really because it is fun, it is satisfying. It gives me
great pleasure to beat the Peter Vella's of this world in both quality and
price.

I am making wine because I have found a bunch of good friends who I
have never met but provide me with help, support, advice and a shoulder
to cry on when things go wrong.

I am making wine because it is a creative process that I can share with my
friends. Tomorrow I am giving a dozen bottles away to friends and
colleagues. Friday, at my Christmas open house I'll give a couple of
dozen more away. What can express the value of a gift more than " I was
thinking about you six months ago when I started this batch and I have
lavished care and attention on your gift since then"?How much better
than a gift token from Walmart is that?

Wine making is an all-consuming passion. (what a pun!!!

)



I drink, Therefore I am</font></font>

 

[MedPretzel]

Well-said, Peter!

 

[OldWino1]

hey We got a 1 gallon kit for x mas in the late 60's. made it. found wine making shop in town. bday in march got 2.5 gal made batch.


while babing sittin for the next door neighbors They had 2 5 gal carboys on their hearth for decorations plumbs adn stuff sticking out.


we we made bargon with them if we used them for making wine they could have some bottles. this was 1969. The bottles have black current in one and concord grape from consentrate in the other yes they are almost 40 years old and still making very fine wine. Oh it was me and my dad making then now its me and my daughter. I love it.

 

[peterCooper]

and a follow up to my input.
Yesterday my wife (who has had one glass of my wine in six months) turned
around and said "Where are those bottles of wine you said I could have for
Amy and Jan" There went another four bottles. After showing no interest,
although she is very tolerant, all of sudden she recognises that they make
GREAT presents.

 

[geocorn]

I would cry if I ever counted the number of bottles my wife has given away for Christmas, birthday, going away, etc. It is cheaper than candles!

 

[Greengrocer]

I started because my wife got me started on it 3 christmas ago.


She had been watching me do an old apple cider recipe for a bout 5 years(Hard Cider) She knew I enjoyed that and so she surprised me with a 1gl starter kit. I dont think she realized at the time what a monster she had created

 

[JerryNTA]

Well I started because my grandfather has made wine for as long as I can remember. He would always bring 3 or 4 gallons to the family reunion. It seemed that everyone would just pass the bottles on and a;; the wine was gone before you knew it.. Since we have such a small family it goes pretty fast(335 family members showed up last year) I kinda got the hint that he wanted to pass it on so I took over.. He passed on something that he loves to do and I am loving every moment of it also. Last year I took 3 gallons of apple and 3 gallons of black rasberry and 2 gallons of peach.. and you know I came home empty handed

 

[MedPretzel]

Great Story! My gramma made wine -- particularly rose-hip and black currant. My dad said, "She made wine out of anything in the garden." Supposedly, I'm like a reincarnation of her - not because of the winemaking only, but in general. I freak my dad out sometimes because I even act like his mom (same gestures, same way of saying things), and I didn't really even know her. She died when I was 3 and a half. I had met her maybe twice (she in Germany, us in the States).





I spent the last day of 2005 doing this: I'm still not done, but I think it's the beginnings of my new rose-hip wine label.

My dad had tears in his eyes when he saw this (bad) photoediting.

 

[Greengrocer]

So Cool Martina!

 

[pkcook]

I guess I started this hobby because my brother-in-law has a 35 acre vineyard and was always bringing his wine to familyget-togethers where everyone praised his efforts, even when the wine wasn't always that good. I simply wanted toprove to myself that I could do it better, and I believe I have satisfied this (especially after the praise I received from my Red Raspberry andPeach this Christmas, even from my brother-in-law

). But from there this hobby has taken on a life of its own. I have found more enjoyment in the process, research,the miricle of time, label design,and especiallysharing it with friends and family,than in proving the point!