wine made from home grown grapes from scratch...

so i figure since i have hops growing for beer and a beekeeping project underway for mead i am gonna try and grow my own grapes for some red wine. I have no expertise when it comes to wine however and was hoping you could help me out...Im looking for a complete guide to wine from scratch since i havent found much of one here...hopefully something that could eventually make its way into a sticky Maybe im just not looking in the right place? Internet is somewhat helpful but what i was actually looking for is someone who has done it and what there thoughts were- or anyone else with advice. Thanks

This was posted yesterday and it includes a link to a tutorial:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/advice-buying-local-grapes-78713/

yes thank you- right after i posted i came across this but its amazing how ambiguous the titles are...

scinerd3000 said:

... its amazing how ambiguous the titles are...

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Gee, I'm hurt. I thought "Advice on buying local grapes?" was an OK title since I was seeking advice on buying local grapes.

scinerd3000 said:

so i figure since i have hops growing for beer and a beekeeping project underway for mead i am gonna try and grow my own grapes for some red wine. I have no expertise when it comes to wine however and was hoping you could help me out...Im looking for a complete guide to wine from scratch since i havent found much of one here...hopefully something that could eventually make its way into a sticky Maybe im just not looking in the right place? Internet is somewhat helpful but what i was actually looking for is someone who has done it and what there thoughts were- or anyone else with advice. Thanks

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Hi scinerd3000: You might try reading "From vines to wines" by Jeff Cox, or "The Backyard Vinter: an Enthusiast's Guide to Growing Grapes & Making Wine at Home" by Jim Law. As you're in CA, odds are good you might get some good (and free) viticultural info from your county extension agent, or the extension agent from whatever county Napa Valley is in. You might also get lucky & be able to procure cuttings from a vinyard, or find a nursery that carries varieties of wine grapes. The local library can also be a good (free) source of info too. I've found that the "Western Garden Book" is indispensable when growing anything; it's more general in the information provided, but that info is solidly researched & covers most of the plants grown in North America & the proper care for them, tho grapes are only about 2 pages out of 400. UC Davis and Fresno State have viticulture & enology depts. & therefore would sell the textbooks used in those programs, you might be able to pick up some useful titles at their bookstore(s) & might even save some $ buying them used; or just get a book list from them & buy from ebay, amazon, etc... Hope you find some of this info useful, GF.

You might try "Home Winemaking - Step by Step" by Jon Iverson. It seems like a pretty good book for learning the from-scratch approach. Also "The Way to Make Wine" by Sheridan Warrick. These are old-fashioned books I found at the library as opposed to online help, of course.

gimmebeer said:

Gee, I'm hurt. I thought "Advice on buying local grapes?" was an OK title since I was seeking advice on buying local grapes.

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im sorry but keep in mind it was late night and i was a bit out of it.

That's OK. I'm easily hurt, but I'll get over it. Good luck in your quest to grow and make great wine.