Making your own wine is a great way to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. There is no better way to ensure that the wine you drink is healthy for both you and the environment, than making it yourself. Making homemade wine give’s you control of the process, from picking ingredients to corking each bottle. You can ensure the ingredients and supplies you are using are eco-friendly and do not contain any unknown chemicals or preservatives.
While there are many ways to ensure your next bottle of wine is environmentally friendly, we have a few tips that we think will help any wine maker produce a ecofriendly bottle of wine that also tastes amazing:
Buy Organic
Organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage run-off, genetic modification, or radiation. To be considered organic, produce must meet the USDA’s National Organic Program requirements. Organic produce can be found almost anywhere, including your local grocery store, farmers markets, or even online.
Fruit wines are the most convenient option for wine makers looking to use organic produce on a budget. Almost every state has fresh, seasonal, organic produce that can be found year-round. Some of our favorite fruit wines made from organic fruit include apple wine, cranberry wine, strawberry wine, and blackberry wine.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaner
Before you start your next batch of wine you should always clean your equipment. However some cleaners contain harsh chemicals, that are neither safe for your skin nor the environment.
If you want to use an environmentally friendly cleaner we recommend one that contains no chemicals and just oxygen. One Step No-Rinse Cleaner is a great cleaning solution that requires no rinsing and is safe for sanitizing aluminum, stainless steel, and other metals and plastics.
Re-use Empty Wine Bottles
Whether you have left over wine bottles from your last party or your last batch of homemade wine, you can re-use wine bottles the next time you make wine. Re-using wine bottles reduces the waste produced when you are making wine. It is also a cost-effective solution for anyone on a budget.
Making your own wine is a great option for any person looking to lead a “green” lifestyle. For beginners, starting with an all-inclusive kit will suit you well when navigating the ins and outs of home wine production. For more winemaking supplies, recipe tips, and a deeper look into the winemaking process, check out our winemaking steps to get started