Choosing your wine

Selecting the right wine is an individual taste and can sometimes be challenging. The 3 most talked about wine traits are oak, body, and sweetness. While some wines can be light and fruity and are meant to be consumed young, others are heavy, lots of oak and tannins and take time to "come around". This is a term called esterfication. It is the alcohol mixed in with all the unique ingredients that take time to soften up. Otherwise known as ageing. Whites are generally consumed sooner than reds but reds usually have a longer shelf life. We can help you choose when you come in to start a batch.

Caring for your wine

Upon arriving home with your wine, please keep bottles upright for 10 to 14 days before storing on their side. Once turned, it is important to store wines in a dark, cool place. Red wine is generally served at room temperature, and white wine (including Zinfandel) is generally served chilled. Wines are best when consumed within 5 years. However, 28 day kits are best consumed within 24 months. Red wines last longer than white wines.

The winery process

Wine crafting is made easy with the help of companies like CellarCraft and Vineco.

 

 

 

Choose your wine from the Village Vintner menu.

We mix the ingredients and you pitch (add) the yeast.

We then ferment, rack, fine, rack, filter, your wine for you.

You then make an appointment to bottle your wine around the due date.

Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions about the brewing process. Please check our FAQ or contact us.

Wine Kits: A closer look

The less expensive kits have more concentrate in them. So more water is added to make 23 litres. As the price increases so does the amount of juice and quality. Also where the grapes/juice come from change the cost structure. Some kits are not location specific while others are. Usually location specific wines are more expensive. The more expensive wines do need more time to age. Bottom line? The best wines cost the most and take the longest to age. If you need wine right away do the less expensive 4 week kits and drink right away. If you can't wait too long but want better quality do the middle of the road 6 week kit. All kits (other than Ice wine and Port styles) produce 23 litres or about 28-30 bottles.

Bottling options

You can bring in your own wine bottles but they must be CLEAN. We have a free bottle sanitizer on site. You MUST remove or deface commercial wine labels from your bottles before you are permitted to fill them up with your own wine. 750 ml clear or green bottles may be purchased on site at a cost of about $1 each. Since we have no control over your cleanliness we cannot guarantee product consistency when you bottle in your used bottles.

Wine Bottling Options

All types of wine bottles can be used to bottle your Village Vintner U-Vin. Please be sure to remove brand labels and clean well before use. If you are purchasing bottles, they are reusable. Always rinse your bottles immediately after they are emptied. Do not use soap. A strong bleach solution can be used if you leave to soak overnight and rinse thoroughly afterwards.

The Village Vintner offers white glass bottles for $1 each. Specialty bottles can be ordered upon request. Labels are also available in a variety of shapes and styles and may be personally printed.

Please note: Since we cannot ensure the cleanliness of reused bottles, the Village Vintner cannot guarantee wine bottled in reused bottles.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Can I make wine that is as good as store bought brands?"

Yes. It may help to allow the wine to age after taking it home.

"Is it expensive?"

Not at all. The prices for our most popular wine kits range from $60 to $150 for 30 bottles. This means you can have a bottle of quality wine for approximately $5.00.

"I've never done any winemaking on premise, what do I need to know and how much work is required of me."

The process of making wine on premise starts with choosing the type of wine you want to make and what quality of wine kit you want to use. The LCB requires that the customer own the ingredients and begin by sprinkling the yeast on the juice to begin fermentation. We assist you at all times to whatever extent required. After the batch is started the customer has no further obligations until the wine is ready to be bottled. When you arrive for your bottling appointment you need to sanitize your bottles, fill & cork them and finish by applying labels and shrink caps. We provide all the necessary equipment and assistance for you to accomplish this with ease.

"How long will it take?"

We offer you the choice of 4-week, 6-week and 8-week wine kits. Our 4-week wines are made from the finest blend of grape juice and concentrate. They are usually ready to drink in a few weeks after bottling. Our 8-week wines are made from premium quality grape juice blends. They are fuller bodied and require a longer aging time (at least 2 to 3 months). Our 8-week wine kits, with 100% varietal grape juice from country-specific vineyards, Selection Estate Series has re-defined the quality expectations of the advanced winemaker and the wine kit industry alike.

"What kinds of wines are available?"

Please see our Products page.

"What is the alcohol content?"

The alcohol level in our wines range from 11% to 14.5%.

"Are Village Vintner wine kits dry or sweet?"

Our wine menu has sweetness indicators next to the wine names. Most of our wines have a dry finish, but we can adjust the levels to your taste. Just ask.

"Can I clean my bottles when I come in to bottle?"

No, your bottles should already be clean as we provide time and equipment for sanitizing already clean bottles. Thoroughly rinsing a wine bottle very soon after it is empty, soaking it for a few minutes to remove the label and draining it completely eliminates the need to spend much more time cleaning bottles that are left to the last minute. HINT! Store the clean bottles upside down to avoid contamination by foreign objects, dust, insects etc.

"Can I store my wine in the Wine-On-Premise where I made it?"

Sorry, once your wine is ready to be bottled you need to bottle and remove it to your home within a reasonable length of time (30 days). This is required by law as well as by the availability of containers and space to put them in.

"What are Tannins?"

Tannin comes from the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes, and also from wood. It gives wine its longevity and character. Tannin is also found in strong tea.

"What about wine with food?"

The fuller flavoured the food, the more full-bodied the wine should be. A simply prepared chicken can match well with a light bodied white wine. If you add a rich cream sauce, then a medium to full-bodied white may be preferred.

"What about wine with cheese?"

Similar to how milk softens tea, cheese serves to round the tannic tastes of wine. Brie with sparkling wine is a good combination. Blue cheese overpowers most wines except dessert wines.

What does “vintage” mean?

The vintage year on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made. A California wine with a vintage date must be made from at least 95 percent of grapes harvested in the designated year.

Where does cork come from?

Corks are produced from the bark of a tree grown in the western Mediterranean. What makes it so unique is that it can be peeled from the tree without hurting the actual tree.

Is it important to let a wine breathe?

Whites? Not really. Reds? Yes, as it can make a wine smoother more aromatic, and even a bit less tannic than if you just poured it into your glass.

What is the ideal temperature to serve white wine?

Serving white wine around 50-55 degrees is refreshing, and allows the wine to express itself. However, most of us don't keep a thermometer around, so here's an easy trick. Take your wine out of the fridge about twenty minutes before you plan to serve it. Once you open it, keep it on ice if you like, but not in ice, and especially not in an ice and water bath. Save that for Champagne.

What are the most planted grapes in the world?

Grapes are, in fact, the most planted fruit crop in the world, but not as many as you'd think go into wine. In California, for example, only 47% of the grapes grown are wine grapes; the majority is for table grapes or raisins.