wine time!

Ok, I haven't blogged about my winemaking hobby before, so it's about time.

I love wine. I love making wine. It's a great science hobby plus, you get to consume what you produce! :) :)

I've made about 16 gallons in the last two years and I've poured out some real crap, but I've made some stuff recently that was just fantastic!

Niagra / apple white blend - "Summer White"
Blackberry 07 - only ONE bottle left!!! AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Luna Rossa - Italian amarone style - YUMO!!! (This is Melissa's favorite) - Let's put it this way...I've only TWELVE bottles left out of THIRTY!!
Orange Mead - pretty good but WAY too sweet for me.
Mango citrus symphony - it's good, but I'm just not into sweet white wines anymore.
Port - this one is going to sit for a year before I crack the first bottle. It's already bulk aged in the carboy since April 08 so (three months down, 8 to go).

Wines I'll be making this fall and winter...
6 gallons of blackberry
3 gallons of niagra
6 gallons of apple (3 gal will be blended with the niagra, the other 3 will be back sweetened and sparkled)
6 gallons of blueberry
6 gallon white merlot/strawberry kit I have left over
6 gallons of orange mead for my friends (yes, Harvey's...that's YOU!)
6 gallons of chambourcin
6 gallons of luna rossa

Why so much? Well, the blackberry, blueberry, chambourcin and luna rossa need to sit for at least a year before drinking. This way, I can make different wines the next year and have a nice collection of ready to drink wines and lots of stuff to share!