Way way OT Wine-making.

When I attended the meeting of the coven in Halifax, NS, aka Sheena's
totally delightful dinner along with great company, I was introduced to
home-made wine. To be honest, I was stupid enough ask for white, but DH had
much more sense, and enjoyed Sheena's home - made red. IIRC Sheena, Jim,
Ruby and Ruby's long-suffering DH enjoyesd the red!!

Now the background is set, does anyone have a recommendation for a company
from whom ( who?) to buy the stuff in the USA?? I m sure if I shopped
through Canada, both nations would tax my eyebrows ffor me.

I eagerly look forward to a response; it would be such a fun project!

Gillian
Near lakeland, FL

"Lucretia Borgia" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 00:06:36 GMT, "Gillian Murray"
wrote:

When I attended the meeting of the coven in Halifax, NS, aka Sheena's
totally delightful dinner along with great company, I was introduced to
home-made wine. To be honest, I was stupid enough ask for white, but DH
had
much more sense, and enjoyed Sheena's home - made red. IIRC Sheena, Jim,
Ruby and Ruby's long-suffering DH enjoyesd the red!!

Now the background is set, does anyone have a recommendation for a company
from whom ( who?) to buy the stuff in the USA?? I m sure if I shopped
through Canada, both nations would tax my eyebrows ffor me.

I eagerly look forward to a response; it would be such a fun project!

Gillian
Near lakeland, FL

They have come such a long way in the last few years most any outfit
will have good quality wine kits. Choose the one with best parking
and nearest, that's what I did!

Up here it cost $75 for the initial kit, everything you needed to make
23 litres of wine. After that it runs about $49.00 per 23 litres,
can't be beat lol

OK, Lucretia,

I have forwarded your response to himself at the main computer. I googled,
and found many hits. I think my big problem is that it could probably have
to be a US company, because of the customs problem. then the next question
is " who is honest, and who are rip-offs". This I think is the main reason
for the post.
Incidentally how did the latest batch worrk out in the condo??

Cheers and hicups
Gill and Jim'

Gillian Murray wrote:

OK, Lucretia,

I have forwarded your response to himself at the main computer. I googled,
and found many hits. I think my big problem is that it could probably have
to be a US company, because of the customs problem. then the next question
is " who is honest, and who are rip-offs". This I think is the main reason
for the post.
Incidentally how did the latest batch worrk out in the condo??

Cheers and hicups
Gill and Jim'




Of course, the other option is to go and make the wine from scratch. My
parents make homemade wine and start with a bunch of berries (raspberry
wine is absolutely yummy, and so is peach). They have a recipe book with
a bunch of recipes, and they only thing they do differently is add more
berries so they get more flavour. They started with needing to clean out
their freezer when they stopped entertaining like they used to and had
all these berries freezer burning, so they fermented them. Rhubarb wine
is also delicious. Just a thought.

Rachel

"Gillian Murray" ) writes:
(snip)
Now the background is set, does anyone have a recommendation for a company
from whom ( who?) to buy the stuff in the USA?? I m sure if I shopped
through Canada, both nations would tax my eyebrows ffor me.

I eagerly look forward to a response; it would be such a fun project!

Gillian

When I tried home made wine making many years ago, it was a disaster.
My son-in-law "makes" his own wine, and it is very good. But he really
does not make it. There are places here in Ottawa which sort of make wine
for you. All the equipment is in the store, and the wine "maker" merely
purchases the ingredients, and does some of the work. But the important
parts of the process are basically carried out by the store owner. I dont
know if such places exist outside Ontario, and/or Canada.

--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

I used to make tea wine (I know Sheena hates tea!) and it was really good!

Elderberry is WONDERFUL for those who have elderberries growing in their
country - particularly if you forget it for a couple of years - then it`s
really smooth and dangerous!

My BIL used to make a very nice Oak-leaf wine, too.

I remember that I stored several Winchesters of wine in the shed and forgot
about them. I remembered them when some friends visited, Mum @ Dad and two
sons (all three men were Metropolitan Police Officers). Since the labels
had fallen off most of the Winchesters, the men volunteered to hold an
impromptu "Wine tasting" in our shed.

After a while three very large and VERY wobbly men emerged, definitely the
worse for wear, but very happy. They were none the wiser as to what the
wines WERE, but they liked all of them. Fortunately Mum/wife drove them all
home to near London!!!

Pat P
East Anglian Xstitch
http://homepages.tesco.net/~porter

"Rachel Janzen" wrote in message
news:sizWc.190093$M95.162715@pd7tw1no...
Gillian Murray wrote:

OK, Lucretia,

I have forwarded your response to himself at the main computer. I
googled,
and found many hits. I think my big problem is that it could probably
have
to be a US company, because of the customs problem. then the next
question
is " who is honest, and who are rip-offs". This I think is the main
reason
for the post.
Incidentally how did the latest batch worrk out in the condo??

Cheers and hicups
Gill and Jim'




Of course, the other option is to go and make the wine from scratch. My
parents make homemade wine and start with a bunch of berries (raspberry
wine is absolutely yummy, and so is peach). They have a recipe book with
a bunch of recipes, and they only thing they do differently is add more
berries so they get more flavour. They started with needing to clean out
their freezer when they stopped entertaining like they used to and had
all these berries freezer burning, so they fermented them. Rhubarb wine
is also delicious. Just a thought.

Rachel

Your VINYARD? Where are your vines? On the balcony?

I have three bunches of grapes (about the size of peas!) on my grapevine
that I planted last year. With the rotten siummer we`re having, I doubt if
they`ll come to much - but at least I haven`t had to worry about watering
them too often!

Pat P

"Lucretia Borgia" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 01:52:02 GMT, "Gillian Murray"
wrote:



OK, Lucretia,

I have forwarded your response to himself at the main computer. I
googled,
and found many hits. I think my big problem is that it could probably
have
to be a US company, because of the customs problem. then the next
question
is " who is honest, and who are rip-offs". This I think is the main
reason
for the post.
Incidentally how did the latest batch worrk out in the condo??

Cheers and hicups
Gill and Jim'


Seems absolutely fine, I checked it before leaving it to rest awhile.
The difference is in the fermentation, here is zooms along whereas
before it had a slow, dignified fermentation at basement temps. All
of which shows these kits are very stable.

The people who run the shops are very helpful here (they need to be to
attract you to their store) and he told me if I did not like what a
faster fermentation produced, he could give me a different yeast in
future, but it's fine.

It makes good sense to make the wine, I am annoyed with myself that I
did not show Jim my vineyard, it proves how little space one needs.

"F.James Cripwell" wrote in message
...
When I tried home made wine making many years ago, it was a
disaster.
My son-in-law "makes" his own wine, and it is very good. But he really
does not make it. There are places here in Ottawa which sort of make wine
for you. All the equipment is in the store, and the wine "maker" merely
purchases the ingredients, and does some of the work. But the important
parts of the process are basically carried out by the store owner. I dont
know if such places exist outside Ontario, and/or Canada.

--
Jim Cripwell.
The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of one's life, any
time that is spent in stitching.
Adapted from a sign on The Cobb, Lyme Regis, England.

There used to be a bottle your own store here In Halifax but the wine was
not as good as making it oneself from kits.
ruby