"Make Your Own Wine" Presentation on March 11, 2012

1. Make Your Own Wine
March 11, 2012, Eastern Shore Wine Tasting Society
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Ron Sasiela @ Academy Art Museum

2. Presentation Outline
I. Introduction
Reasons for home winemaking
Federal regulations
II. Getting Started
Purchasing/growing ingredients
Grapes
Juice
Wine kits
Fruit
Equipment needs
III. Understanding structure: Acid,
alcohol, tannin, sugar.
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3. Presentation Outline cont.
III. Fermentation
Containers; Adjusting the must; air locks, gases
Temperature effect and its regulation
Yeast, oak, other additives
- - - - - - - - - - 15 minute Break- - - - - - - - - - -
IV. Tracking the juice’s fermentation
Sugar changes 
Acid changes
Temperature
V. Racking the wine
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4. Presentation Outline cont.
VI. Ageing the bulk wine
Temperature monitoring, air locks
Tasting
VII. Clarifying the wine
VIII. Bottling
IX. Ageing the bottles
X. Costs $
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5. Why make your own wine?
1. Adjust recipes to their own tastes
2. Want fewer calories or lower alcohol wine
3. Avoid certain ingredients
4. Use creative skills – winemaking’s an art form
5. Less cost than commercial wine
6. Enter their wine in national contests, local clubs,
county fairs; lower environmental impact
7. Increase their wine knowledge and appreciation
8. Visit wineries with more awareness
9. Gifts for friends; Home Winemakers’ Centers
10. Practice before commercial…more reasons…
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6. What do you like to drink?
What do you want to make?
White, red or rosé wine?
Sweet, semi-sweet or dry wine?
Drink now or age?
Crisp (tart) or not?
Alcohol level – “hot”?
Still or sparkling?
“Naked” or oaked?
Advanced methods: Sur lee,
Malolactic,……. 6

7. Federal Regulations
27 CFR 24.75
200 gallons/year tax-free to the head
of the household for personal
consumption (100 gal/single adult person)
Cannot be sold or offered for sale
Can be tasted at organized events,
competitions
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8. General Excise Tax Information
What is the tax on wine?
26 U.S.C. 5041 (b)
If ½ of 1% to not over 14% alcohol $1.07 per gallon
If more than 14% and not over 21% alcohol $1.57 per gallon
If more than 21% and not over 24% alcohol $3.15 per gallon
Artificially Carbonated $3.30 per gallon
Sparkling $3.40 per gallon
Hard Cider $.226 per gallon
Max saving $214 - $680/yr.
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9. Preview - Wines for Tasting Today
Cranberry rosé: 1a and 1b
Chardonnay: 2a and 2b
Johannisburg Riesling: 3a and 3b
Sauvignon Blanc: 4a and 4b
Syrah: 5a, 5b and 5c
Malbec: 6a and 6b
Pinot Noir: 7a
Nebbiolo: 8a and 8b
Bill Novak’s (Merlot) wines
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10. What Matters?
Relative contibutions
15
Winemaker's
contribution
Varietal's
85
contribution
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11. Cranberry wine
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12. Cranberry Wine
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13. Cranberry Wine
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14. 14

15. 1st Wine Tasting - Cranberry
1%
2% 10%
17%
Cranberry, fresh
4% Fresh sliced strawberries
Red seedless grapes
8% Cranberry juice
Cranberry/pomegrante juice
Pomegrante juice
40%
Fresh blackberries
9%
Red cherries
Dry hibiscus flowers
9% 15

16. Cranberry Wine Cost Analysis
Percentage
Fruit composition Packaging Unit price Amount, oz. composition Cost Cost %
Cranberry, fresh 10 x 12 oz. $ 1.69 120 17% $ 16.90 13%
Fresh sliced strawberries 2 x 12 oz. $ 3.50 32 4% $ 7.00 6%
Red seedless grapes 2 x 30 oz. $ 3.50 60 8% $ 7.00 6%
Cranberry juice 1 x 64 oz. $ 3.00 64 9% $ 3.00 2%
Cranberry/pomegrante juice 1 x 64 oz. $ 3.00 64 9% $ 3.00 2%
Pomegrante juice 6 x 48 oz. $ 9.99 288 40% $ 59.94 48%
Fresh blackberries 2 x 6 oz. $ 3.50 12 2% $ 7.00 6%
Red cherries 4.26 lbs. $ 3.99 68 10% $ 17.00 14%
Dry hibiscus flowers 1 x 4.4 oz. $ 4.95 4.7 1% $ 5.00 4%
Total 712.7 100% $ 125.84 100%
$125.84/55 bottle yield = $2.28/bottle +
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17. Grapes vs. Juice
Juice yield from grapes:
1 lb. of grapes ---> 1 cup juice
85-90 lbs.  5 gallons +/-
Cluster size
Press pressure
Pre vs. post pressing
Varietal variations
Annual vintage variations
Juice yield from juice 17

18. 18

19. Chardonnay – Sur Lee
Heron Bay brand wine kit from California
Starting sp. gr. = 1.109 = 26.4oBrix; April 25, 2011
@55% conversion to alcohol = 14.5%
Titratable acidity (TA) increased from 0.40 to 0.81
pH went from 3.4 to 2.8
Bentonite added for clarification
Lalvin #EC-1118 yeast used
In two days fermentation rate = 48 bubbles/min.
At 9 days vat moved to 55oF cellar, sp. gr. 1.028, move back
to 68oF
At 18 days sp. gr. = 1.017 moved back to 55oF room for Sur
lee ageing; no bâtonnage.
At 9 months, sp. gr. = 1.003, RS = 1/10%, Bottle off w/SO2
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20. Tracking Malo-lactic Fermentation
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21. Harford Vineyard & Winery
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22. Harford Vineyard Supply
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23. Harford Vineyard’s Grape Crushing
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24. How to Measure Juice Sugar
About ½ of the juice sugar is converted to
alcohol – the other half becomes carbon
dioxide gas.
24% juice sugar results in a 12% alcohol table
wine
Measuring devices:
Hydrometer – measures specific gravity (Brix) of
juice, potential alcohol and is inexpensive ($6)
Refractometer – measures the refractive index of
the juice and converts it directly to % sugar ($90)
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25. Hydrometer in Use
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26. Refractometer
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27. Must adjustment
pH and Acid
• What are the recommended
ranges?
• How are they measured?
• How do you make corrective
adjustments?
• When do you make adjustment(s)?
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28. Must Acid
Recommendations
Wine Type pH TA, %
White 3.25 – 3.45 0.70 – 0.95
Red 3.40 – 3.55
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0.50 – 0.75

29. Measuring TA: Kit’s parts
.2 N NaOH
Beaker, flask
20 ml Indicator
syringe 29
solution

30. Measuring Titratable Acidity
Measure 15 ml of juice into container
Add a few drops of indicator solution
Slowly add 0.2 N sodium hydroxide
Note volume used
Multiply ml. of NaOH used by 0.15 = TA, %
Example:
4.5 ml. x 0.15 = 0.68 % Titratable acidity
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31. Measuring TA
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32. Measuring pH
Calibrate pH meter with pH 4.00 and
7.00 solutions
Place pH probe’s into juice, stir slowly,
stop
Allow meter reading to stabilize
Read value from display panel
If using fresh grapes then measure
several values and calculate an average
Adjust, if necessary, with tartaric acid
before fermentation 32

33. pH Meter Measurement
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34. Calculating Acid Adjustment
The Wine Acid Website Calculator:
http://www.anaesthetist.com/mnm/wine/Findex.htm#wine.htm
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35. Johannisburg Riesling
Made from fresh California juice (Harford Vineyard)
Starting sp. gr. = 1.096, pH = 2.91, TA = 0.34%
Yeast used was S. bayanus, October 9th, 2011
Fermented at ~71oF
Sp. gr. = 1.083 on Oct 16th, 1.066 on Oct. 22nd, 1.011 on
Nov. 9th
On 11/20 adjust TA to 0.7, sp. gr. = 1.002 and take to
55oF cellar, so2 to 39 ppm.
1/22/12 – degas, r.s. = ¼%
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36. Tannin
A significant taste component of a
wine’s experience
Causes the mouth puckering sensation
Found in strong tea beverages
In wine making it’s contributed by:
If using grapes – stems and seeds
Oak contact from new barrels, chips, etc.
Added tannin sources – dry extract, chip vodka
extract, strong tea
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37. Tea is a Good Source of Tannin
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38. Sauvignon Blanc
Made from fresh Chilean juice (Harford Vineyard)
Starting sp. gr. = 1.096, pH = 3.16, TA = 0.52%
Yeast used was S. bayanus, May 4th, 2011
Fermented at from 58 to 71oF
Sp. gr. = 1.060 on May 8th, 1.039 on May 13th
Adjust TA to 0.80 and take to 55oF cellar
Sp. gr. = 1.002 on June 4th
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39. Air Locks
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40. Air Locks
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41. Dissolved Carbon Dioxide
Carbonic acid: H2CO3
Found in Coca Cola
Our lungs
Champagne
But not ordinarily desired in still table wines
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42. Removing Dissolved Carbon Dioxide
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43. Measuring Residual Sugar (RS)
Hydrometer readings during fermentation
provide a visual guide to the grape juice to wine
conversion
As sugar is nearing complete
consumption the CO2 rate
will taper off
Paper glucose test strips –
commonly used by diabetics
are an easy and inexpensive
tool to check remaining wine
sugar levels 43

44. R. S. Measurement
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45. Oak Options
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46. SO2 Measurement
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47. Syrah
Syrah has many attributes: big, luscious
and framed with masculine tannins. Yet,
Syrah can be alluringly balanced with dark
fruit and elegant floral aspects. It is not
surprising to learn that the French call it
"La Syrah" - one of the few feminine
varieties. So, think of Syrah as a ballerina
who took up kick boxing and has an
attitude. 47

48. Wild vs. Cultured Yeast?
Considerations
Alcohol level desired
Resistance to sulfite’s inhibition
Characteristic of lees produced
Flavor nuances sought
Temperature sensitivity
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49. Commercial Wine Yeasts
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50. Yeast Growing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJyFGYPyHbY
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51. Malbec 2010
Started Sept. 5, 2010; a Chilean
concentrate kit wine. Four liters of warm
water placed in the primary fermenter
and let stand, open, overnight to reduce
the amount of Easton-town chlorine.
Juice and oak chips were added, along
with a jar of grape skins that had the
consistency of grape jam. The starting
specific gravity was 1.085. Yeast was
sprinkled over the surface and not stirred.
Fermentation was rapid at ~73oF, sp. gr. =
1.004 eight days later. Racked on Oct. 8th
and four additives introduced (Kiesolol,
Ksorbate, chitosan, SO2). 31 bottles on
Wine complements
Of Tom Divilio
Dec. 17th51 (@14 wks.)

52. Clarifying the Wine
(Beyond simply settling)
Pectic enzymes
Bentonite – a colloidal clay
Sparkaloid
Kiesolol – a hydrocolloid
Chitosan – shellfish extract
Egg whites
Isinglass
Paper filtration
Potassium sorbate added to prevent bottle
re-fermentation
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53. Pinot Noir, 2009
Made from Vintner’s Reserve Concentrate
Prepare bentonite treatment
Starting sp. gr. = 1.097(23o Brix); TA = 0.2% , adjust to
0.6%
Yeast used: Red Star Premier Cuvée, March 29th, 2009
6 oz. oak chips added to vat
Fermented at 74oF
Sp. gr. = 1.064 on April 1st, add ¼ tsp dry tannin, move
to 55oF then two days later back to 73oF, 1.018 on April
7 , 1.004 on April 11; Rack, 39 ppm SO2, Vit. C
Cellar age for 18 months
Bottle on Oct. 2, 2010
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54. Bottling the Wine
Select bottles in keeping with the wine’s style
Use either screw caps, corks, Zorks, caps
Clean bottles, treat with SO2
Use special bottom-up filler tube to avoid air contact
Purge headspace with inert gas
If using corks rest the bottles upright for 3 days to
seat the corks in the bottle’s neck
Prepare a descriptive label
Add a decorative capsule
Keep the corks moist by laying the bottles on side
Let rest for 2 months to avoid “bottle sickness”
Enjoy!
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55. Bottle Closures
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56. Wine after Corking
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57. Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo produces lightly colored red wines
which can be highly tannic in youth with scents
of tar and roses. As they age, the wines take on
a characteristic brick-orange hue at the rim of
the glass and mature to reveal other aromas
and flavors such as violets, tar, wild
herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, a
nd prunes. Nebbiolo wines can require years of
aging to balance the tannins with other
characteristics.
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58. Casata Monticello Nebbiolo d'Alba
2008
This young Italian charmer is an excellent
example of Nebbiolo that can show off
it's big brother Barolo's best qualities,
but is accessible and ready to drink now.
Exhibiting typical flavors of dark fruit, tar
and leather, it is balanced by a fresh
acidity and lush, lengthy finish. A great
value, and a great introduction to the
seductive Nebbiolo grape.
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59. Sulfite Free Wine
http://www.naturalwine.net/index.htm
1. Select only the freshest fruit
2. Wash the fruit
3. Use meticulous sanitation
4. Use vitamin C as an antioxidant
5. FDA regs allow up to 10 ppm
6. Keep acid level high (e. g. >.7 TA)
7. Keep pH low (e. g. <3.5)
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60. Merlot, 2010
Compliments of Bill Novak
Made 5 gallons from 100 lbs. fresh grapes in
Sept.
Starting Brix = 21o, pH = 3.3
Yeast = k1
21 day primary fermentation
Malolactic fermentation completed
Oak treatment = 7 sticks for 5 month
Racking = three times
Bottled in June 2011
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61. Resources
Winemaker Magazine http://winemakermag.com/
Making Wine Website
http://www.sentex.net/~bacchus/faq.html
The Home Winemaker's Manual (free download!)
http://www.winebook.webs.com/winebook.pdf
Enjoy your winemaking hobby responsibly!
P. S. Sunday, November 4th , 3 – 5 PM Wine-in-Art @ AAM
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