Getting Started - Need some pro tips

I've been reading up on wine making online, and I have a few questions for you seasoned veterans.

1. Can somebody recommend a good, easy recipe (i'm looking for something that will taste good when done)?
2. what do i use to rack the wine, where can i get it, and how often do i have to rack?
3. can I ferment the wine in plastic jugs and store it in plastic water bottles? (i'm operating on a low budget)
4. any other tips for an aspiring wine maker

Thanks guys!

i can answer a few questions. You need to rack into a Glass or better bottle container. Wine is very sensitive to aeration and since your probably going to want it to store well you need to use a non-porous container. All plastics other than PET plastics are out. As for racking, a simple autosyphon or racking cain works just rfine as long as you dont pout it after its fermented. Same type of thing as beer- bubbles after fermentation = bad. Austinhomebrew.com or northernbrewer.com have wine kits which give you everything you will need to get started. Ive only done one and it turned out well but personally i prefer beer. Good luck

thanks for the advice. unfortunately I am not looking to invest too much money into wine making right now. Do you have any cheap alternatives to fancy equipment without sacrificing quality? (starter kit is a bit pricey for my liking)

just to clarify, when I am racking, are you saying that I should do it as gently as possible to avoid bubbles?

Also, my water bottles are made of PET (they have the recycling triangle with the 1 inside), so are they okay?

you can often find carboys on craigslist or at thrift shops for really cheap--you need a container w/a small opening to avoid oxidation during aging and definitely don't want to use plastic containers that were designed for single use (you'll also probably need a capacity of 5-6 gallons). As far as bottling goes, you can go to a recycling center and buy used wine bottles for really cheap. Basics corks aren't too bad either (I got some for $13/pack of 100). Or, you can use 1 or 2L soda bottles. Glass is probably better though. Craigslist can also work well for bottles. (I picked up 5 dozen grolsches for free!)
A proper syphon is less than $10 and you'll definitely need it for racking, as you'll damage the wine by pouring. In terms of recipes, with your budget, you'd probably be best with a wine kit, although more money buys more quality/better taste. Alternatively, you could look into fruit wine, but the results are less reliable and you'd need more expertise/experience.
Hope that helps!
Emily

here is an inexpensive way

1 three gal. glass carboy
1 air lock and stopper
siphon hose
@ a case of wine bottles with screw caps

you will need to fill each bottle w/ the siphon hose which is time consuming,but feasible.

for an easy wine just get some juice from the local grocery store. Make sure it has no preservatives and is pasteurized Get one lb. of sugar and mix with the juice. Add the yeast. Wait about three weeks to bottle. Wait about 3 weeks more to drink. If you have yeast you can experiment with different juice combos and always have wine.

ps: I used welch's grape juice and it turned out just fine

pss I did not rack