When you like to make wine, more than you can consume

[NorCal]

My hobby has caught up with me. I’m looking at 180 gallons (900 bottles) of wine in my wine box that will be bottled next year. I have friends and family that will be taking 300 or so bottles, but that still leaves too much wine. Fortunately I can store this much wine, but still too much.

I have no choice but to downshift next year, but I have so much wine making I’d like to do! I’m going to scale my winemaking, maybe I’ll buy a few 15 gallon Spiedels instead of using 60 gallon barrels. Do project carboys vs buying a macro bins of grapes.

 

[Boatboy24]

A good problem to have, but I hear you. I've actually scaled back production, but with family getting in on it now, supplies are 'dwindling' (I think I'm down to 25 cases, LOL!). I'm thinking of doing larger batches.

 

[Johnd]

I’ve been planning a scale down, this is year 1 of that plan, and it was rough. I love winemaking and only made one batch, though 60 gallons a year will suffice for storage, then consumption needs.

 

[mainshipfred]

Being new I had to scale up before I could thnk of scaling down. Between spring and fall I'll have made around 100 gallons and have 11 gallons from 2017 still bulk aging. I'll probably scale back in the spring but depending on my luck with local fall grapes It's possible I may be hitting the 100 gallon mark again. I don't drink that much but give it away to friends, family, employees and clients. As of right now I probably only have 4 or so cases bottled.

 

[ibglowin]

It happens to the best of us. LOL Its a hard habit to break for sure!

 

[Stressbaby]

Interesting. You're scaling down to a Spiedel and I'm scaling up to a Spiedel.

 

[KevinL]

I just went commercial to solve that problem.

 

[Bubba1]

Its nice to have problems like this I made 60 gallons this year in the past have made 100 plus most seasons until the pipeline was full

 

[tjgaul]

I have proper storage for about 400 bottles, but I'm currently sitting on closer to 500. And the carboys are mostly full (about 60 gal), at varying ages. I'm just now to the point where I feel like I can age a year or more in the carboy before going to bottle. My plan is to keep the pipeline full, while stretching out the bulk aging time. My daughter and son-in-law (aka winemaking asst) moved into a new house with a large, dry basement so the next task is to build some off-site storage so I can continue production. I have 2 of the RQ/LE kits on order for December & January so I better get to work soon. I'll be shifting to local grapes next fall so I have to plan around that starting in the spring. I think 50-60 gal per year total (grapes/kits) is about right for consumption and gift giving, with a few bottles going to the "reserve" shelf each year.

 

[pgentile]

I've been scaling up myself. But taking a slightly different approach, to keep ahead of my consumption, I'm going with a carboy per week plan. 52 carboys, 1300 gallons. I'm at 22 carboys now. Several years from now when I hit the apogee of this plan, with medical advances I should be able to print a 3-d replacement liver.

 

[tjgaul]

I've been scaling up myself. But taking a slightly different approach, to keep ahead of my consumption, I'm going with a carboy per week plan. 52 carboys, 1300 gallons. I'm at 22 carboys now. Several years from now when I hit the apogee of this plan, with medical advances I should be able to print a 3-d replacement liver.

Paul . . . that plan is brilliant. At that pace you won't even need to bottle! If you empty a carboy in a week I don't think oxidation will be an issue. You may be on to something here. However, you may want to wait for the 3D liver printing option to become viable before going ahead with full implementation. Cheers!

 

[pgentile]

Paul . . . that plan is brilliant. At that pace you won't even need to bottle! If you empty a carboy in a week I don't think oxidation will be an issue. You may be on to something here. However, you may want to wait for the 3D liver printing option to become viable before going ahead with full implementation. Cheers!

It's definitely a speculative plan.

 

[mainshipfred]

Its nice to have problems like this I made 60 gallons this year in the past have made 100 plus most seasons until the pipeline was fullView attachment 52158

Next fall mine will looks like yours, all red except for one bin with a white.

 

[Tom Martin]

Its nice to have problems like this I made 60 gallons this year in the past have made 100 plus most seasons until the pipeline was fullView attachment 52158

I really like your Cellar sign that is awesome. Where did you find those wire shelf wine racks, I did not know that something like that was available?

 

[cmason1957]

I have scaled way, way, way back. In the past I would have about 20 carboys full at any one time, doing about 120-150 gallons per year. This year I did no fall grapes, have "only" about 10 carboys with anything in them. My local fruit market called me yesterday and offered me strawberries at the best price ever - free!! just come get them and I turned them down. No starting anything new, except for a kit that is sitting in the basement, until springtime juice and then only 2 or 3 carboys for that. Of course we have about 1000 bottles sitting in the wine cellar bottled up.

 

[mainshipfred]

I have scaled way, way, way back. In the past I would have about 20 carboys full at any one time, doing about 120-150 gallons per year. This year I did no fall grapes, have "only" about 10 carboys with anything in them. My local fruit market called me yesterday and offered me strawberries at the best price ever - free!! just come get them and I turned them down. No starting anything new, except for a kit that is sitting in the basement, until springtime juice and then only 2 or 3 carboys for that. Of course we have about 1000 bottles sitting in the wine cellar bottled up.

you braggin !!LOL!!

 

[Bubba1]

Thanks Tom

I really like your Cellar sign that is awesome. Where did you find those wire shelf wine racks, I did not know that something like that was available?

I got the wine racks off amazon I think there called seville racks about 100.00 or so

 

[FTC Wines]

Tom, We got our Seville wine racks directly from Seville a few years ago. At that time it was cheaper to buy direct even with shipping from I believe Calif. I also bought extra shelving and cut them down and added them to the top for a total of 8 shelves high. Going to add oak pieces to front of posts and sides and top for a Oak Wine Rack look with metal shelves. Roy

 

[sdelli]

My only recomendation with this is be carefull how much you make at once until you are fully satisfied yours skills have peaked. In this hobby we all get better and better each year so making too much at the front end leaves you years later wanting better. Make enough to get the pipeline going though.

 

[Boatboy24]

My only recomendation with this is be carefull how much you make at once until you are fully satisfied yours skills have peaked. In this hobby we all get better and better each year so making too much at the front end leaves you years later wanting better. Make enough to get the pipeline going though.

Agree wholeheartedly. I made a lot my first few years, trying to build a backlog. I just about had the backlog that I want but 1) my consumption/sharing increased and 2) even though I have older wines to drink, my younger ones are MUCH better. I have to fight with myself to go through the older stuff because I know the younger ones are still on the 'upslope' WRT quality.