We offer seminars on the Making of Wine and on the Antics of Winetasting.
Our seminars are fun and informative.
Call (519) 888-6272 or e-mail us to register.

These are some of the steps in the winemaking process:

BLENDING THE CONCENTRATE AND ADDING WATER AND DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE TO START THE WINE.	TESTING. CHECKING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY TO ENSURE THE SUGAR HAS TURNED INTO ALCOHOL.
RACKING. SIPHONING WINE FROM ONE CARBOY TO ANOTHER, LEAVING THE SEDIMENT BEHIND.	YOU ADD THE YEAST WHICH MAKES THE WINE.

Here are some basic principals for tasting wine: Appearance: Hold the glass up to light to check for cloudiness or any solid particles. In a red wine, tilt the glass away from you and look through it onto a white background. This will show any brown colour in the wine. Nose: The "nose" refers to the bouquet of a wine. After swirling the wine in your glass, tilt the glass toward you and stick your nose slightly inside. Gently sniff at least 3 - 4 times. The nose of a wine can tell you a lot about its origin and how it was made. Tasting: The tongue has many taste-sensitive parts. Therefore, the only way to fairly judge a wine is to make sure you have evenly distributed it over the entire tongue. To help this process a little air should be let in by pursing your lips and slowly drawing in breath. This enables the taste of the wine to also be sent through your nasal passages, which enhances the overall taste. Five elements to look for: Dryness/Sweetness - The sweetness or dryness of a wine is easily and usually the first element noted. Acidity - It is important not to confuse acidity with dryness in a wine. Check acidity based on the sharpness you feel on the edges of your tongue. Tannin - Tannin is in the stalks, pips and skins of grapes. Skins are used in the colouring of red wines, therefore tannin is also extracted with it. Tannin on the tongue gives a furry, drying feeling. This is what makes young reds hard to drink, but with aging it disappears. Oak - With very young oaked wines it is very easy to taste and at times overpowering. With matured wine it mellows into a taste of vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon. In a richer red it gives your palate a feeling of creamy smoothness. Fruit - All of the different grape varieties have characteristics of different fruits. Look for the fruit tastes that should accompany that varietal. These tastes range from fruit tastes such as cherry, raspberry or mellon to tastes of vegetables, herbs and spices. When judging the taste of your varietal wine (eg: a Cabernet Sauvignon), go to a liquor store and purchase a commercial bottle then make a side by side comparison, noting the common characteristics between the commercial wine and the wine made from your kit.

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