My process is purely simple and all done by hand, I pick my grapes from my backyard vines, wash in a colander and de-stem at the same time then transfer grapes to a stainless steel bowl, mash the grapes with a potato masher then strain through cheese cloth (which cause hand cramps from wringing the juice through) from there to the poly fermenter, then I add the rest of the ingredients to make a fine wine that has all my friends in awe and in line for the next 6 gallons to be bottled..
Name: Bob Schultz
State: Michigan

I started making wine from age 10 years unfortunately faced many problems such as oxidation also in my country they leave the pulp up to 50 days in the containers (cause strengthen taste)…. but now because of your valuable information of your website I enhanced the ways…….
First I collect ripen fruits of both red and white grapes clean them and destemming the mix the ratio that I want of black grapes(30%)+70% white grapes to reach the desired color… I can measure by refractometer the brix 22-24 the crushing the fruits then cover the container with white cloth to about 7 days in meanwhile I break the cap twice a day until brix reach 8 after that lift up the must and make 1st racking … then close the barrel and make water trap to about 40 days and then 2nd racking …..sweeten the wine plus sodium metabisulfite…..bottling.
By the way I deepen in my fermentation on the wild bacteria.. because in my country i don’t know how to obtain it (also i put small label on my bottle like santa claus …….
Name: Yacoub Emeel Hijazeen
State: Kingdom of Jordan/Middle East

West Sacramento Calif. 10 Members making 100 gallons red each year. We buy our juice fresh from local wineries, barrel, ferment, rack and bottle.
Name: Dennis Freitas
State: California

I have 7 riesling vines that are 6 years old and another 32 that are 4 years old. From this I was only able to produce 3 gallons of juice and wine. I have placed 3rd place each of the last 3 years in the Puyallup, WA fair competition in dry whites. I know I am bias, but I do have reasonable taste buds and I know what a good riesling is supposed to taste like. Thus, I think my wine is very good and my son who is a card carrying wine expert and educator says I am doing very well and my wine is really good. It is fun to do and if the deer let my vines and grapes mature I expect to make at least 5 gallons next year. I am trying my hand at reds this year as well and right now I have 6 gallons 60/40 percent Cab and Merlot aging in some oak that I have my fingers crossed about. The chemistry of wine making intrigues me and I do my best with my limited set up but I’ll keep plugging away as I think I have the riesling down pat and the red awaits my trial and error on the first batch. Come Nov. I will know how that will turn out. I enjoy all phases of wine making and besides it beats just mowing grass and doing the garden. Moreover, my taste buds are getting an education as well.
Name: Johnnie Reeder
State: Fox Island, Washington

Hi,
Not much to tell we get the juice or get fruit from local friends. I get it cleaned up and get it in the bucket and let it ferment for a couple of weeks and get it in a primary fermenter and let it go for a month and rack it off and let it go again for another couple of months and taste and bottle. I have got 4 awards for my wine. I have entered 5 wines and got awards.
Thks
Jerry
Name: Jerry Renaud
State: Pennsalvania

I make my wine the old fashion way, by the grapes localy then crush, and press. Let the juice to ferment in the open barrel. When the fermentation is finished I will transfer the juice to the fifty gallon Barrel and close for about two month.
And I love my wine. This is my story, Excuse my poor english.
Name: Giuseppe D’Angelo
State: NY

I began wine making at the age of 16. A quart of grape juice in the fridge was found to have started fermenting, and I became quite obsessed with the process. My grandfather subsequently got me hooked when he shared an age old elderblossom recipe and older lady he knew shared with him. We would gather blossoms and make the wine together. Another favorite was mulberry, which we gathered in Newark, OH, in the alley behind his home. I have records of my winemaking back to 1978, including receipts from purchases made at Adventures in Homebrewing that date back that far as well. I still make both of these varieties (I removed my concord/catawba vineyard a few years ago), primarily out of my “winery” in my mother-in-law’s basement.
Name: John Edelmann
State: OH

I make my wine at our summer place on the manistee river, kind of hard to get a pic of my outfit here in michigan the snow is about this deep and i won’t get in there till somtime in march so I took a pic of our wine cellar there is dandlion, rhubarb, strawberry, blackcap, rashberry, elderberry, blackberry, and wild grape. I have a 6 gal. crock and a 10 gal. most of the time I need to use a elec heating pad because it’s only warm enough in July and Aug.
Name: dick mckinley
State: mi.

Enjoy making seasonal fruit wines, along with many of the foreign red concentrates. I focus on the availability of friends’ home-grown freebies, namely pears, apples, plums, and grapes. Specialize in various combinations of blendings of these fruits, as well as wines from the individual fruits. Have experimented with onion, potato, carrots, corn, coffee, and chocolate raspberry. Surprisingly, with pleasant results.
Name: Louis Savka
State: Indiana