![](\"http:\/\/www.americanwinegrape.com\/prodimages\/bucket.jpg\")
While out getting the firewood, we got a little bit lost and happened to drive past a warehouse lot with banners hung up advertising “wine grapes.” I decided to wander over there today and check it out.<\/p>\nWhile out getting the firewood, we got a little bit lost and happened to drive past a warehouse lot with banners hung up advertising “wine grapes.” I decided to wander over there today and check it out.<\/p>\n
It’s clearly a seasonal business. Here when the grapes are available, gone when they’re not. There were two old dudes sitting on a loading dock, surrounded by stacks of crated grapes. I wandered up, said ‘hi’, and basically said “I don’t know anything. I want to make wine. What do I want to do?” I was immediately back in the country. These were good ‘ole Italian boys … relaxing … chatting … and selling the occasional hundred pounds of grapes. <\/p>\n
The older of the two said “you don’t want grapes the first time, you want juice,” and led me into a walk in freezer containing 6 gallon plastic pails. He explained that they’re sealed with a tight lid which includes a fermentation lock. All I have to do is leave the bucket someplace where it’ll stay about 70 degrees. In about 10 days the fermentation lock will pop up “like a turkey timer.” At that point, I siphon the wine into a clean carboy, put an airlock on the top, and “wait until Christmas.” I asked about bottling … and the less old dude laughed and pointed to his friend: “This guy here doesn’t even rack his wine. He just siphons out of the bucket into a carafe!” There was no more talk of bottling.<\/p>\n
They asked what style I like. I said “Cabernet.” Dude laughed again and said “I won’t sell you Cabernet. You gotta age cabernet at least a year … and this is your first batch! You’re gonna drink it all before Easter. You get Barbera<\/a>. It’ll be great in 3 months.” $38 later, I had 6 gallons of juice in my truck and was headed home.<\/p>\n If this works out, maybe I’ll expand into the wild world of crushing whole fruit later on … but there’s no shame in having 5 gallons of house red on tap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While out getting the firewood, we got a little bit lost and happened to drive past a warehouse lot with banners hung up advertising “wine grapes.” I decided to wander over there today and check it out.<\/p>\n