Winter is for Winemaking

Summertime is only a few short months away and you should be brewing up a storm right now. If not you’ll be caught this summer in short supply.

Personally I prefer making my wine in the winter. In the summer I should be on the golf course, tending to my garden or enjoying a nice summer evening with some food off the barbecue. I guess I would rather be emptying bottles of wine than filling them : ) 

A little math will help you do your cellar planning. If you and your spouse enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and another glass watching television every night , well that amounts to about a bottle a night or 1 kit per month. That means to keep up that pace you should be thinking 6 months down the road to be able to enjoy some aged wine. The common mistake that I always hear is “I’m down to 3 bottles and I need to get another batch going.” Really you should be getting about 4 going! 

One of the benefits of making your own wine is that you can create a collection of wines in your own cellar or rack. You have a selection of wines that allow you to offer choice to your guests and proper pairings for your meals. Think about how much wine you’ll need, what styles you enjoy and what entertaining you’ll be doing over the summer- I’ve noticed that family really seems to enjoy my wine… when it’s free!

So a little planning and fermenting while the weather is cold and you’ll be all set to toast the warm weather of a Manitoba summer.

Well- I need to start making my summer inventory, good luck with yours!

(Don’t forget about Island Mist and Niagara Mist patio wines as they are great summertime treats. Also, there’s nothing like a cold homemade beer after you’ve cut the grass.)

Cheers,

Bob

Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield)

Filed under: General by Craig