Hinermad
Well-Known Member
The title pretty much says it all. If you were going to suggest a book on winemaking to a beginner, which would it be?
Dave
Dave
Recommend a winemaking book?
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summersolstice
Well-Known Member
Depends on the kind of wine you want to make. Scratch from fresh grapes? Country wines from fruit?
freebd
Well-Known Member
I started out with the book "The Joy of Home Winemaking" by Terry garey...its a very good read and covers all country wines and grape wines too..
++1 on this one--still my favorite. A good one to read all the way through and come back to later for reference.
ByCandleLightWinery
Well-Known Member
Also my go to book.
If you wanted to go with grape wines, our local brew store uses Wine making step by step. I picked it up from the library and thumbed thought it. Seems pretty good. I don't mess with grape wines cause I figure I can buy them so easily, and I live in a wine rich region, so why bother?
OP
OP
Hinermad
Well-Known Member
Country wines and wine from juice for now. At the moment I'm doing meads and already plan on getting Ken Schramm's book, but I thought it might be a good idea to flesh out the library a bit.
Dave
ByCandleLightWinery
Well-Known Member
The Joy of Home Winemaking is really your best choice then. There is a Making Wild Wines and Meads book out there, but I find it inferior to both Terry Geary and Ken Schramm's books. Good book to check out from the library for inspiring recipes, but don't spend the money to own it.
Ah, I do love checking books out from the library before owning. It has saved me much money.
You can't do much better than Lum Eisenman's, and it'll only cost you a few moments of download (assuming a high speed connection and a pdf reader):
The Home Winemaker's Manual
The Home Winemaker's Manual
ByCandleLightWinery
Well-Known Member
Downloaded it, and I agree for grape wines. Most of the books are pretty much alike when it comes to grape wines, so why not use one for free! (unless you are into that whole book binding thing)
Lum covers fruit (other than grape) also. Starting on page 151 (158 pdf). He includes a few basic recipes, but even better, provides an overall approach of how to make wines from other fruits. More of a formula approach than straight recipes.
For a truly endless list of recipes, (albeit obnoxious web design), Jack Keller's site is the place to go.
Of course, if like you said, the OP is looking for something to pass the time on the toilet, this is not a viable solution..... unless of course there's wifi installed!!
+1 on libraries.
Have you tried WorldCat ?
I reserve my books online and they have them sitting at the front desk to pick up. Our library system also allows renewals online. Of course, every once in awhile it's nice to just browse the aisles.
summersolstice
Well-Known Member
+1 on Eisenman's book. Between that and Jack Keller's website I don't think buying a book is necessary. Of course I do anyway - I have several - but those two websites will teach you all you need to know about winemaking.
OP
OP
Hinermad
Well-Known Member
I found Jack's site earlier. The site design doesn't bother me - I've been reading ham radio sites like that for years. About the only thing that turns me off to a site is political ranting mixed in among the technical stuff. His remaining collection of recipes is great. I wish I could have seen it before the Geocities collapse ate the rest of it.
Of course, if like you said, the OP is looking for something to pass the time on the toilet, this is not a viable solution..... unless of course there's wifi installed!!
Wifi and an iPod Touch, and I'm good to go.
(Ugh, I can't believe I said that. Sorry.)
Dave
I've been razzing Jack for over a decade now about his site design. In return, he tells me how dull my sites are! I had 'google white' years before google was ever misspelled:
Vinic
And you can feel bad about that last sh**ty comment, but I doubt that you're really sorry!
OP
OP
Hinermad
Well-Known Member
And you can feel bad about that last sh**ty comment, but I doubt that you're really sorry!
Guilty as charged. (grin)
Dave
Yan
Well-Known Member
Yeah, Jack's site sure has helped me a lot too. I try not to read what he says on his blog that isn't about wine though. I have the impression he might get up and whoop my ass if I ever spoke a word of politics with him.
HeyworthHomebrew
Member
Jack's site has helped me a lot as a new home winemaker, along with this forum and others. Ditto on the Joys of Winemaking as well, a classic.
OP
OP
Hinermad
Well-Known Member
I did pick up Joys of Home Winemaking and Compleat Meadmaker. Both look like good investments, so thank you all for the recommendations.
I'm about halfway through Compleat Meadmaker, and all I can say is I wish most of the people I work with could write half as well as Schramm.
Dave
I'm about halfway through Compleat Meadmaker, and all I can say is I wish most of the people I work with could write half as well as Schramm.
Dave
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