What kind of wine can I make?

We carry an extensive variety of wines. If there is a particular style of wine that you enjoy and you cannot find it on our Wine List then give us a call at 604-421-2929 and we we’ll do our best to find it for you from one of our many trusted suppliers and we’ll make alternate suggestions to suit your tastes. Don’t hesitate to call us and ask. We have access to almost every type and style of wine.

How much wine will I get?

• Our wine batches work out to 23 litres. That is equivalent to approximately 28-30 750ml bottles.
• Our specialty wines like Ports and Ice Wine Styles are available in half batches which is equivalent to 11.5 litres.
• Our Ciders and Coolers are available in 48 litre batches or 23 litre batches.

Will I need bottles and how many?

If you are bottling wine you are welcome to bring in your own bottles you will need 28-30 and we supply shrink caps, labels and corks.

We also have a selection of bottling options available for purchase at bottling time:

• 750ml Glass Wine Bottles at $1.25 Each
• 4 Litre Re-Usable Wine Bags at $2.50 Each
• 375ml Glass Ice Wine Bottles at $1.25 Each
• 75ml Glass Port/Wine Bottles at $0.87 Each

How should I clean my own bottles?

First things first, rinse out your bottles! The best way to keep clean and sanitary bottles is rinse them with hot water after every use. Letting them air try upside down after a good hot rinse will prevent mold growth.

If your bottles need a deeper clean, DO NOT USE DISH SOAP. Dish soap will leave a film on your bottles that will mix with your brew and compromise the quality and the taste. Use bleach to get hard to remove yuckies.

We do offer a mild sulphite sanitizing agent for wine bottles that is so friendly to your wine you don’t need to rinse your bottles after sanitizing if you prefer. We also have a chlorine based sanitizer for the stuck-on grime.

Keeping your bottles clean is the first step to bottling great wine. Try your best to keep empty bottles clean. Washing your bottles at home before you get to the brewery is appreciated as it speeds up your bottling time and enables us to keep our appointments flowing throughout the day.

What if I can’t drink a whole batch?

Some customers bottle and split batches with their friends and family. This makes the bottling process a little more fun and a lot less work.

How long will my wine last?

Though our wines can be made preservatives free upon request (sulphite free), we usually add a very small amount (about 5g to 23 litres) when we stabilize our wines to ensure through their various stages of fermentation and shortly thereafter they will not oxidize. Because our wines don’t have the same level of sulphites and preservatives as commercial wines, storage is important. Your wine can last up to 3+ years if stored in a relatively cool, dark, constant climate, like in the basement or a storage locker. Wine should also be stored on its side after the first week post-bottling to ensure the cork does not dry out and oxygen does not leak in.

How long does it take?

If you would like to make your own wine and partake in the whole hands-on making process it will take about 15 minutes. Please contact us for an appointment. If you want to avoid the work, pitching the yeast takes less than a minute and then you only need to come in and bottle it when you it is finished. Bottling your wine takes from 30 min to an hour.

Once fermenting your wine will take from 4-9 weeks depending on what kind of wine you decide to make. The length of time each kit takes corresponds to the juice concentrate to water ratio. 10 litre juice kits take 4 weeks, 16 litre juice kits take 6 weeks and 18 litre juice kits take 8 weeks. All kits produce 23 litres.

When can I drink my wine?

Depending on what kind of wine you make we suggest a minimum ageing time of 3 months ageing for whites and 6 months ageing for reds. Higher end kits with higher juice to water ratio and things like skin and oak packs will require a bit more ageing time to reach their full potential. That being said, many of our customers are ‘trunk ageing’ experts and enjoy their wine right away.

Do you have any promotions or specials on?

Every month we send out an email for upcoming events and monthly beer and wine specials.

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