Winemaking Tips

• You can make white or red wines at home. bottle wine and glasses with a wine image by mashe from Fotolia.com

  Making your own wine gives you the freedom to create your own flavor and a sense of self-satisfaction. However, wine making is a science as well as an art, and requires patience and attention to detail. Research the steps, processes, equipment and ingredients before you press your first grape. Check with your state laws if you are fermenting large quantities of wine to find out the gallon-per-year limit that applies to you.

Clean, Clean, Clean

• The first step to the wine making process is to sanitize the work area. Choose an area that is closed off to foot traffic and clear out any furniture or decor. Wash the walls and floors to remove any molds, dust or dirt particles, and make sure no insects have made a home in the room. Airborne molds or flying insects can turn wine into vinegar quite sufficiently.

  The next step is to thoroughly sanitize the carboy, bottles, thermometers, hydrometer, tubing, spoons, plastic buckets and anything else that will come in contact with the wine. According to Alison Crowe in "The Wine Maker's Answer Book," avoid bleach or soap, and choose sodium percarbonate to clean the equipment. Clean your wine making tools in a sanitized bath tub for a quick and easy process. Let air dry before beginning the wine making process.

Measurements Must be Precise

• Wine making is a science dedicated to precision. The simplest change in sugar or alcohol level will result in a different variety of wine. Two wine making tools, the thermometer and hydrometer, measure temperature and specific gravity, respectively. Before you start making wine, keep a record of the room temperature for at least a 48-hour period to see if there are any fluctuations in the temperature. To make white wine, the preferred temperature should be between 58 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ideal temperature for red wines is 65 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Crowe. The hydrometer measures specific gravity in degrees Brix, or sugar level, in the fermenting liquid. Following the first fermentation, measure the Brix level with your hydrometer to see if you have enough sugar to continue the fermentation process. Too little sugar will halt fermentation, and turn your wine into juice.

Think Outside Your Vineyard

• If you are intimidated by the thought of starting your wine-making endeavor from the roots of the grape vine, consider another alternative to finding your juice. Wine-making kits are available that use specific grape varietals grown in the Napa Valley Region of California or specialty blends for your favorite commercial wine. Purchase a wine-making kit if you are creating a small amount of wine. For larger wine-making endeavors, contact vineyards and sign up for the purchase of their wine grapes when they become available. This process requires planning since you need to sign up for grapes during the off-season to make sure you are in the pool, and there is always the chance that the crop might fail, leaving you without grapes. However, you will be able to purchase enough grapes to make a large amount of wine, and with adequate research, you can choose a vineyard that produces high-quality grapes that will work nicely for your wine.