How to Make Wine

Making wine is a science as well as an art. It takes a great deal of time, patience and effort to make wine but when you do it and do it well it can be one of the most rewarding hobbies/professions you can do.

Things to Expect:

  1. Expect failure. As an amateur wine maker I make mistakes all the time. Some of these mistakes can be reversed but some can’t. You need to be willing to accept failure – not defeat. Use every bad experience as a learning experience and make corrections to your methods along the way.
  2. Learn to adapt. Wine making is not always perfect and sometimes you need to expect to improvise.
  3. Ask for help - Most hobby and some professional wine makers are more then willing to offer suggestions, share recipes and trade secrets. One of the best ways to get better at anything is to learn from other’s mistakes. Visit discussion boards, talk to friends and read read read. You’re already ahead by visiting this website and reading what we have to offer.
  4. Have patience. Some wines can take years to develop. Do not skip steps or try to take short cuts. They will always end in failure.
  5. Practice makes perfect. You will get better in time. The more wine you make, the better you will get at making it.

Important Things to Remember:

Consistency – Be consistent in everything you do. Make sure you always have the same measurements, use the same equipment, get supplies from the same supplier and above all else never skip a step or slack off. If you stick to this rule you will very easily figure out where problems arise in the wine making process and easily work them out of your routine – therefore making better wine as you gain more experience. Once you have mastered this and can consistantly produce good/great wines it's now time to mix it up and try different methods or use a different supplier to get better grapes/fruit.

Cleanliness – This is absolutely one of the most important tips I can give you. Cleanliness constitutes about 50% of wine making. It is one of the easiest things to do wrong. If you are ever in doubt, clean something more then once. After use, store your equipment in the most sterile atmosphere as possible. Sterilize everything you will use to make your wine. (including yourself). Soap will not cut it here. A common chemical to use is Potassium Metabisulphate (K-meta), Diversol, or B-Brite.

Documentation – Document all of your steps and the date and time you do things. You will need to keep track of when things were started and all of the various processes along the way. Keep an excellent track record. This will help you manage your hobby better. For an example of a 'winemaking log' click here.

Start with the best to make the best – If you use poor quality grapes to make wine, you will end up making poor quality wine. Similarly, if you use rotten apples, you will end up with rotten apple wine. Always do your best to start with the best fruits. There is no point putting all your time into something that may turn out bad because of your supplies.

Steps to Making Wine

  1. Obtain fruit
  2. Primary fermention
  3. Basic Wine Acid Testing Procedure
  4. Secondary fermentation
  5. Stabilization, Degassing and Clearing/Fining
  6. Cold Stabilization
  7. Filtration
  8. Sweetening/Balancing
  9. Bulk Storage
  10. Bottling
  11. Bottle Storage

Required Supplies

  1. Primary fermentor
  2. Straining Pail
  3. Retaining Pail
  4. 2 glass carboys
  5. Airlock
  6. Bung
  7. Siphoning hose
  8. Bottling hose
  9. Sterilizer (k-meta)
  10. Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid
  11. Campden Tablets
  12. Potassium Sorbate/Potassium Benzoate
  13. Powdered tannin
  14. Pectic Enzyme
  15. Acid testing kit
  16. 1 gallon glass (plastic screw top) jug for sterilizer
  17. Carboy scrub brush
  18. Bottle scrub brush
  19. Wine thief
  20. Filter (optional)
  21. Measuring cup
  22. Measuring spoons
  23. Electric gram scale
  24. Pump action bottle sterilizer
  25. Bottle tree
  26. Corker
  27. Corks
  28. 26 750ml bottles (for 5 gallon carboy)
  29. Bottle rinser sink attachment
  30. Large food grade plastic carboy spoon
  31. Cheese cloth bags
  32. Small funnel
  33. Large funnel
  34. Paper towel
  35. Hydrometer
  36. Refractometer (optional)