Copyright 2006 Michael Saville

Wine making has a rich history. It has been a part of humankind's diet over the centuries throughout the world. History books show this to be the case with the numerous quotes from almost all major civilizations about wine and its beneficial effects. For example, the Bible has wine held as a holy drink and is compared to the blood of Jesus.

It is generally considered that wine is the naturally fermented juice of fresh fruit or berries. But as a rule t is generally derived from grapes. In that sense, wine is an agricultural product as it is derived from grapes, an agricultural produce. With little assistance from mankind, grapes are converted by nature through a chemical process into an alcoholic beverage. Over time and through learning, we have come to know how to produce highest quality grapes to produce finest qualities of wine. We have also learned how to pair it with food so that we get the best effect of both.

It is possible to make wine from scratch rather than from a kit. However, there are some important things to think about when doing this. You need to collect the grapes carefully and separate them from the stems and press them to obtain grape juice. It is better if you use a commercially available grape press machine. If you choose to do it manually at home, there is a possibility you may not press the grapes right and ruin the whole batch. Ensure that you separate the seeds and skins from the grape juice. It is important to learn everything about your grape type as this will help greatly to achieve the wine you want. The grapes body and texture as well as colour influence all final results. Start the process of fermentation by adding sugar and alcohol to the fresh grape juice. Once the sugar is dissolved completely or the alcohol content reaches fifteen percent you have produced your own wine. Store the ready made wine in a cool place, first in wooden barrels and then once the wine is ready in bottles. You should store the bottles horizontally. Finally, do not forget the cork. Remember to seal your bottles with proper, air tight corks, which will keep your wine away from air and from getting oxidized.

For newcomers to the home wine making process, a wine making kit for beginners is probably the best choice to help get you started in this pastime. A wine making kit for beginners includes all of the basic equipment that you will need in order to produce wine right at home. In a typical wine making kit for beginners, you would receive: a primary fermentor, glass secondary fermentor, hydrometer, stopper and fermentation lock, siphon-hose, and a sterilizer. With a wine making kit you can create your own wine and name it whatever you want. You can even get kits that create labels for you that can specifically showcase your wine to whatever specifications you would like.

It is worthwhile giving a note of caution here. Before you consider undertaking the task of wine making, you should realize that wine making is a long process that requires a lot of patience. Additionally, wine making must be attended to with a great degree of precision, since a person who is not paying attention during the wine making process might find the end result to be wine with a horrible taste. However, if you are a person who truly appreciates the complexity of wine, you might find the process of home made wine making enjoyable in the sense of mastering an art. In attempting to create your own wine, you are forcing yourself to examine what is involved in making a wine that you appreciate, and wine is no longer something that you just purchase from your local wine shop.

About the Author

Michael Saville has prepared other information on all aspects of both wine making and wine tasting. For more information visit http://www.wine-making.me.uk

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Temperature
Temperature is by far the more important of the two factors to watch. The "golden temperature" for wine is 55�F. Wine should normally be stored between 50-60�F, although a range of 45-65�F is considered OK and the most easily maintained by the normal collector. A lower, colder temperature causes the aging process to slow down, preventing the wine from aging properly. A higher, warmer temperature causes premature aging, although not in a "good" way. You cannot just put a bottle of wine in a desert and cause it to age 20 years!
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The sommelier gives you a splash of wine and you, the host, must smell and taste the wine, with all eyes on you and all conversation halted. This only has to take moment and should not take much more than that. No one is expecting a tasting note from you or to hear what amazing nuances you find. All that fun will come later, if appropriate for your group. Right now, you are to assess that the wine is "sound or clean." A hearty swirl could in fact blow subtle problems off the nose and have them land right on your palate when you take the obligatory sip. However strong or subtle the problem, you want to avoid tasting it. Instead of swirling, simply lift the glass to your nose and take a sniff. If it smells bad you will know it and you will not want to taste that smell! The most common occurrence is a corky wine.
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Sweet Wine



Red wines become richer, as the initial fruit flavours mellow and the astringent tannins relax, contributing to the body and character.
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Many wines which are 30 years and older seem to benefit from Fran�ois Audouze�s �slow-oxygenation method�. Open the bottle 4-8 hours before you intend to serve it. Smell but do not pour any out of the bottle. Do not decant. Really. The theory here is old wines are damaged or destroyed by decanting (to remove the sediment) because this exposes them to too much oxygen. Wine is alive and always changing when it�s exposed to air. More here. A cautionary note: Capsules on old wines are usually made from lead; after opening, wipe the top of bottle and then wash your hands.
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Virginia Wine Country Events

Featured Virginia Event: Oakencroft Spring Fiesta. Closest winery to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. Our first event of the year. Featuring tours, tastings of our premier wines, picnic by the lake, enjoy the spring time in Jefferson Country and the panaromic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Live Music, light fare.

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Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:13:49 GMT

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