Homemade Wine Series as a Wedding Gift

Geoffington · 12-07-2009, 03:20 PM

I was considering making wine as a gift for my sister's wedding in June. I know she likes blends such as pink or rose wines, so I'm not sure if this will work, but I figured I'd pick your brains.
My plan is to make roughly 5-6 bottles (or more if the style I land upon is likely to successfully age well longer) and write messages intended for each sequential year of their marriage, so that they can open the bottles on their anniversaries.
I know this is a really tall order and complex plan, so I'm going to try to call upon a few experienced winemakers I know.
Still, if you have any advice for styles that are not dry that would work well for this, I'd appreciate it.
If you have any criticisms with this idea, let me know that as well. I'm aware it can be difficult to gauge how well a wine will age until it is made, so I'm taking a huge risk here.

**MultumInParvo** · 12-07-2009, 03:42 PM

I know nothing about wine, but I can tell you it is certainly a sweet idea. One thing I would recommend is that you package them very well. If they look good, it won't matter as much how they'll taste. The idea is nice, if the presentation is nice, I think you'll have a home run.

**AZ_IPA** · 12-07-2009, 03:45 PM

It will be tough to have a drinkable wine by june...they need to age for quite awhile...

**summersolstice** · 12-07-2009, 04:24 PM

If you start within the next 2-3 weeks, you can easily have this done and in the bottle by June. You need to make a mist-style kit like WE's Island Mist Exotic Fruit White Zinfandel. Make the kit in December and the first half of January and allow it to bulk age, clear and degass before bottling in May and you'll have a very nice drinkable wine by June. Don't expect it to last the five years that you anticipated though. Blush style wines and roses aren't meant for aging. This style will, however, be very tasty for a couple of years and will be a hit for anyone who like blush or roses.

Geoffington · 12-08-2009, 10:41 PM

My goal isn't to have it drinkable by June, just at the very least bottled by then. It can bottle condition for the year (or more if necessary/time allows) that I understand most wines require and be ready to drink upon their first anniversary. That is my goal.

Cford1: Yeah, I'm hoping that if it doesn't turn out I can at least make it pretty and cute enough that they'll appreciate it.

Summersolstice: Thank you. This is kind of what I figured, but I have so little to work with with respect to my sister's wine tastes and she explicitly does not like beer beyond Yuengling. That is why I am left with this option of making wine.

**summersolstice** · 12-08-2009, 11:21 PM

Trust me: casual wine drinkers love Mist-style wines. They taste like wine coolers and I've yet to meet a female who didn't like them. Hell I like them on a hot summer evening.

Texron · 12-08-2009, 11:49 PM

I think its a great idea and agree that with a nice label it will be a hit-no matter how green it tastes. One bottle will probably never be opened-but saved as a souvenir. I recently started at Mead/melomel for a wedding in May. I going to give them six bottles and suggest the save them for a yearly celebration. I am going to tell them it will get better each year-just as their relationship will get better each year (hopefully).

I doubt there will be any complaints and I'm betting the gesture will be well recieved. For you as well as me.

**samc** · 12-09-2009, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by summersolstice

Trust me: casual wine drinkers love Mist-style wines. They taste like wine coolers and I've yet to meet a female who didn't like them. Hell I like them on a hot summer evening.

You are not getting around much, the days of dainty ladies just liking fruity light sparkly crap is fading. I doubt my wife would drink wine coolers, she just poured herself two fingers of Sheep Dip blended from single malt Scotch that I bought her for her birthday.

**Wade E** · 12-09-2009, 12:16 AM

You can easily make a decent white or Rose wine in that time frame, I wouldn say the same about a Cab Sauv or something like that though. The Mist kits are a way to go and since it sounds like you dont have much experience(or any at all) in wine making the kit would be the better way to go but its going yo render you with about 28 bottles , not 5-6. You could also go with a white Merlot or something like that in a kit. A slightly sweetened wine is the better way to go for a shorter time frame as the sweetener will typically hide little imperfections in a wine like not aging as much as truly needed.

Geoffington · 12-09-2009, 12:33 AM

I suppose I can't complain about too much wine, I just don't want to give them any more than will be good at a rate of 1 per year. If you have a recommendation for how many of the white or rose wine in that kit to give then I'd appreciate the advice. I'm also considering having an experienced home vintner either give me tips or help me out depending on his availability.