Why make your own wine?
Because it's easy!
Our kits are from
$135 to $223
That means your cost per 750ml bottle, depending on the kit you choose, is about
$4.50-$7
Our prices include taxes, corks, labels, and shrink tops

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.:
I made an Ice Wine. Now there appear to be whitish flakes in the bottles, what are they and can I drink the wine?

A.:

What has happened is that the wine has formed what is commonly called wine diamonds or wine stones (weinstein in german) this is a common occurrence in red wines and ice wine  or any wine where the grapes have been allowed to stay on the wine. The longer the grapes are on the wine the more wine acid will accumulate in the grapes. The wine acid is the building block of wine.
Another factor can be that the longer a wine is allowed to ferment the less crystals will form during the fermentation, but will occur later in the bottle.

The wine diamonds are odorless, tasteless and harmless.

The crystals or "Wine Diamonds" is an indicator that the grapes ripened long enough and that the wine fermented slowly. These two factors are important for quality wine.

It is a natural process for the wine to go through. The grape acid is partly composed of tartrates, as wine ripens these tartaric crystals "fall out"
If you see these flakes in your wine the wine has actually reached it's peak of perfection. It is a sign of a quality wine. The crystals may also form on the cork, this will not negatively affect your wine.

During the process the tartrates actually take acid with them, which produces a rounder fuller wine.

Most North American commercially bottled wines have undergone cold stabilization. The wine is cooled down and the crystals fall out and can be filtered out before bottling. This is of course done to make the wine look better, but can also negatively affect the actual quality of the wine.

If you'd rather not serve the wine without the crystals, you can store the bottle standing up before serving and/or  decanter the wine once the crystals have settled at the bottom of the bottle.

Q.:
Why should I let my freshly bottled wine stand cork up for a week before storing them on their side? I'd have thought getting the cork wet as soon as possible would be desirable.

A.:
In all young wines there are still some CO2 that needs to escape through the cork. Additionally, the corking machine has compressed the corks, it takes time for the corks to expand and provide a good seal.

Q.:
What is the best way of storing my batch when I bring it home?

A.:
Step one: Please read the question above.

Temperature.
 The ideal temperature for storing wine is between 15⁰ C to 20⁰ C ( 60⁰ F - 70⁰ F)
It is important that there are no great temperature fluctuations. Wine should therefore be stored away from heat sources such as  heaters and furnaces, drafty  doorways or open windows.

Air Quality and Circulation.
Your wine will age best in a dark , slightly damp  environment with good air circulation.

Factors to avoid.
1.) Storing your wine in a garage where there may be car exhaust emitted and vibrations.
2.) Do not store wine where there may be chemical odors such as paint, paint thinners i.e., turpentine,  strong soap odors and detergent odors. Keep in mind that the cork is porous and moist and can absorb chemicals that can affect the aging of and taste of your wine.
3.) Don't store your wine on the floor.

Vibration.
The bottles should be placed away from vibrations. For example the other side of a wall where you might have your washer and dryer is not a good spot.

So the synopsis is basically: cool; dark; good air circulation; draft free; odor free; vibration free.