WHY are you making wine?

The question is not necessarily why you have started making wine, but why you are interested in this hobby. Do you just want to make some simple bottles from a kit and following the instructions to see if you can do it? Are you more experienced and you like to know more of the science behind it Why did you brew beer and now went to make wine? Are you doing it for getting drunk on your own wine? ... etc.

I guess what I like to know comes down to: Why do you like making wine?! Or maybe you just stumbled upon this forum and hate making wine, I don't know

For myself, I got a starting kit for my birthday last year and made 2 awful wines that went down the drain. I decided to read up a lot and have expanded my winemaking gear from a simple start kit to better and more equipment with autosiphon, refractometer, 5 carboys, a gazillion airlocks, "brewing pot", a better corker etc.

I do this as a hobby because I like to experiment with different tastes, see what result a must renders. I'm interested to read about experiences of others. And of course eventually the reward of having a homemade good bottle and sharing it with friends, being proud of the result and wanting to make more.

Let's hear your reason for making wine at home!

Same reason I like to cook. Creating something I enjoy.

Either following a recipe, aka a kit or tweaking a recipe, or making my own fruit wine.

The bonus is sharing with my friends.

For me a number of reasons i suppose.
1) Its empowering learning to be self sufficient.
2) Its better for your health using my rain water than fluoridated and who knows what else rubbish.
3) The science of making an alcohol so simply bare roots from fruits and or juice.
4) To see how it turns out, the expectation.
5) To enjoy with my wife with good food.
6) Same as cooking, following a recipe.
7) For trying to obtain that 'wow' taste of something i like.
8) For possibly bartering in a post societal collapse.
9) Adding a new skill.

I have two muscadine vines. After I made more than enough jelly, my wife suggested I try making wine. This is my 3rd year, though I really shouldn't count the 1st year I tried because I didn't try very hard and the results proved it. Last years batch is still aging. One sample bottle proved less than satisfactory, but who knows. Maybe after another 6 months to a year, the wine will improve. My current 2 gallons are still dropping lees and I feel much better about this batch.

I'm making wine to see if I can figure it out, plus its a challenge, and I have to do something with excess fruit. BTW, I've planted two more vines so I should be able to double my production in a few years. I guess that means I enjoy the process and challenge. And I do like commercial muscadine wine: Sweet Nobel by Old South Winery in Natchez, MS. I'm trying to at least mimic the taste of Sweet Nobel.

I can't stand the thought of all that fruit going to waste.

The art and science of it. There are so many variables in the wine making process (fruit that was grown in perfect conditions, type of yeast, additives vs no additives, aging method) I enjoy making general fruit wine but really enjoy making grape wine from the varietals that produce the full bodied flavored associated with Cabernets, Pinot noir, etc) only problem is I live in Alabama so those grapes are only available in concentrated kits. I did make a batch of fresh muscadine this past year and my friends loved it. It was a fun process crushing the fruit I picked from the vine and processing it like a true wine maker and watching the flavors and color develop during the fermentation process. I'm Finishing up an Australian Cab right now that I will bulk age for at least 3 month before bottling. Pretty excited about this one.

Haven't done a wine kit yet, usually by grapes from California or juice by the bucket, sometimes get local Pennsylvania grapes, but also make wine from other fruit.
Why do I do it? Something different, get away from beer and cider and besides my wonderful and understanding lady friend is a wine drinker, so I'm trying to make wine to please her.

I make mead, but will chime in ... it's easy to make, laid back (takes it's time), endless variety of mad scientist approach to recipes/flavors, and it's fun .... for an investment in ingredients and time, you end up with an enjoyable adult beverage (...well, my wife hasn't been too enthusiastic about a few of mine, but in general, she really likes it.....she will not drink my oaked ginger habanero, but that's OK, and leaves more for me)

I like to make wine out of things other than grapes. It's easy to buy grape wine, but harder to find elderflower, rhubarb, strawberry, or dandelion wine in the shops.

I found this book in a charity shop and was amazed at how simple the process is, gave it a go with some apple wine and never looked back!:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0563207930/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I do actually have a grape vine in my garden and have made wine from it. No idea what type of grapes they are, and I'm leaving the wine for a while to see how it matures. My neighbours have a pear tree so I make pear cider too, which is even easier than wine.

I've never brewed beer, but I'm going to try it next

I enjoy the artistic side of it. I've done kits and just bottled one last night actually but my first wine was a dandelion that i created from scratch. I have some rhubarb and saskatoons that i'm going to do small batches with. I brew beer, cider, and mead so it seemed to fit. My wife would rather drink my wine that store bought and loves my cider so its nice to make something that others like.

its one of my hobbis i love the part when we trasnform some "Fruit Juice" or Honey Water and another things like cinnamon and spices in something smooth, tastefull and almost holy alcohol XD.

the joy of making somethings that me and my friends enjoy is amazing for me.

im more a mead maker, but i do Mango Wine once in a while.

cheers.

Frankly, I wish I had a good answer for this question...so does my wife! But, I really don't know what drew me into this hobby. Certainly not a big drinker at all, and actually prefer Bourbon when I do drink. However, looking around my office/winery/brewhouse, it is apparent that I do love this hobby! There's 25 gallons of "stuff cooking" now, and I don't know how many cases of beer and wine stacked up in the closets around the house.

I suppose the simplest answer is I also love to cook. This is like cooking in many ways, just in very slow motion! Then there are the bubbles....They just always amuse me for some reason. I like sights, sizzling sounds, and smells...makes walking into my office fun again. Typing this has condensed my thoughts into one word, Joy. It just makes me happy!

I had the carboys from my Beer brewing, so i have almost everything i needed in the way on equipment
( raking canes, hose, bottle tree -had all of it )

And i like sweet wines - so i make my wines on the sweet side

I am not a fan of the artificially dried out american wines

So, i can make mine to my own tastes.

2 cents

S

I have more experience drinking wine, than making wine, and have been on some winery tours-- thus far the wines I have made are meads. (I have a small Merlot kit to start soon) I'm still at the stage where I feel a little amazed that I've produced something drinkable and enjoyable, well me and the yeast of choice. I feel a little bit of excitement when I take a sample give it a sniff and swirl and see legs in the glass, and think this is like a good wine.
So I enjoy the process and aim to made a product to enjoy. I also like sharing the product, which has led me to make some sweet meads, which I wouldn't normally choose for myself.

I make grape wine from my own small hobby vineyard, I am lucky to live in a climate that is good for quality wine. I love the whole process from growing the vines through the year to harvest and making the wine. Using my own fruit makes the winemaking very satisfying.

In Spain, France and Italy many houses in small villages will have their own small vineyard. A village will share equipment such as tractors, crushers and presses. For them home winemaking is a natural and normal part of life. In the Anglo countries such as the USA and Australia home winemaking is seen as a bit strange, possibly dangerous, and something you do if you are a bit eccentric. It is a pity because it is such a rewarding and enjoyable hobby.

i have some watermelon wine and some mango wine that are just now really starting to develop. it's the process i enjoy step to step. i bought the watermelons and mangoes, peeled them, etc. i really enjoy seeing how they develop, and just as in brewing, it's the fascination ( even after 7 years ) of "WOW!! I made this !!!!"

Why do artists paint?

Exactly!

I mainly brew beer, but the equipment can be used for wine, too. I like to take ordinary fruit juices and see what I can turn them into. Granted, it's not fine wine, but I can make a decent table wine from juice concentrate from the store, sugar and the right yeast.

So my parents both made wine back in the 70s, (and I've recently learnt since I started that my Grandparents also made wine).
Anyway Dad was finally getting around to cleaning out the cupboard and when I came home just before Christmas I saw the carboys sitting on the floor waiting for the next council clean up.
Well one thing led to another aaand I've now got a Mixed Berry and Apple Juice in primary and an Apfelwein in secondary.
Ultimately why am I doing it? I enjoy wine and this seemed fun. My wife is convinced all I am going to make is vinegar, so there is a bit of trying to show her I can do it too....

I am an engineer and a man of science. Figuring out how to make different products by changing the production methods seemed extremely applicable to wine making. I just started my first wine (blueberry) and plan to stick with that fruit.
My plan is to sort of master one or 2 fruits at a time and experiment with how long they are aged and oaking techniques...
this first gallon will go straight to bottle but my second batch I'll start here in the next week when my primary frees up will be oaked.

Honestly, I do wine kits, and the answer is cost. If I age it a couple of years, for $6 a bottle, it's easily as good as some $20 - $30 bottles store bought.

Beer isn't so expensive, so while there is savings it's more about creativity and enjoying the process.

Maybe I'll evolve beyond this, but for now, I am very happy with it.

I just started last year with wine kits. Just want to see what all it involved and If we could save money over just buying wine. Well, I have my 5th & 6th kit fermenting now. ( Hope it hurries, I'm out of wine) I've found a few vinyards near me with different types of grapes and berries so this year I'm making my own. Yes, it is cheaper than just buying wine but I figure It'll take me about two years to break even after all the equipment I bought. My simple wine kit has turned into multiple primary buckets, carboys, airlocks, siphons, hoses and I'm ordering a crusher and press this week to prepair for my next wine adventure. It's also real nice to take your own wine over friends instead of a store bought bottle

I started brewing both to drink what I make and because of the cost of drinking.

1 - My wife and I both cook a lot, and we make our own jam and preserves (and sell them). It's kind of addictive making your own stuff to eat and drink, especially when you can put it up and have it later, like jams, preserves, and alcohol.

2 - By making my own alcohol, I can make what I like. So far, my ciders have not come out great, but my ginger beer has come out 10 times better than commercial stuff.

3 - The cost - I can brew a gallon of cider for roughly $8.00. I can brew a gallon of ginger beer for even less. After getting rid of the yeast and such, I end up with roughly 100oz or so. Compare that to buying 48-72 oz. for $7.00 to $10.00+, it just makes sense to brew my own drinks.

I'm planning on making some actual wine from grape juice this weekend, perhaps. Even the cost of that will be less than the cheapest wine one can buy at the store ($3.00 for a REALLY cheap one...and it tastes cheap, too).

And I'll add a fourth reason here - to get drunk more often. My ginger beer has a much higher ABV than commercial ginger beer. And so, drinking it tastes better and "feels" better. hehehe.

1) Im a cheap bastard with expensive tastes

2) I like wine occasionally and i love hard cider

3) I cook a lot and i can make some ingredients from scratch such as wine and vinegar.

4) Its kinda fun

5) They make great gifts.

6) Im a bit of a control freak when it comes to my food and drink. Way too much salt, sugar and other chemicals are used in everything you buy. Many of the things i make from scratch taste as good or better with far less junk added. My homemade bread for example has about the same amount of salt in the whole loaf as you would find in 1-2 slices of store bought bread. It taste fantastic so why not make it fresh.

7) Ive got tons of blackberries and mulberries on my property. The critters don't deserve them all.

I like beer, and I like brewing beer. But I don't have many opportunities to brew; other obligations keep stealing my Saturdays. I also like wine, and it's a lot less time consuming to make (using cheap bottled apple or grape juice and a little sugar)

The results have generally been good, except for that batch of apple cider using beer yeast that ended too sweet and never carbed.

I can make Big reds with West Coast grapes with long maceration time, age in carboy/bottle 2+years and make wine just as good or better than what costs $20-$30/bottle. My cost for ingredients is about $3 bottle, so for a 5 gallon batch, 5 bottles to the gallon, I'm saving about $500. I make at least 15 gallons a year, plus its a fun hobby and I'm too cheap to spend $20-$30 for a bottle of wine. its also interesting to blend the different kinds of wine and see how they change over the years. If I were to spend $30 for a bottle of wine, I doubt I'd keep it long, I'd worry that it might go bad.

I'm probably in the minority in that I have never used a kit for Winemaking.

I started making wine just to see how easy it was to make some cheap hooch in between batches of beer. Now, I have to keep making wine because SWMBO likes it better than store-bought and requests it, which ensures her continued support for my beer-making

I like the zaniness and freedom of wine. With Beer-making I am starting with malted barley and often shooting for a style, in some fashion, whereas with wine i can just grab anything interesting from the juice aisle or scavenge fruit from friends and neighbors, and whip up some frankenstein creation limited only by my imagination.

Also, the brew-day for wine is SOOO much easier than beer, so making a mix helps keep the overall pipeline full, and the ease of just letting it sit is nice departure from beers more restrictive time tables.

Well, I have a dozen fruit trees on the ranchita and the fruit comes in and ripens at the same time. I already have the equipment for brewing beer so why not make some fruit wine?

I am more of a beer man, but due to unavailability of all ingredients, I resorted to making wine. We have no winery in the country. Even cheap imported wine costs around $30 a bottle. Furthermore, there's nothing like drinking a good wine you made yourself!

I've been making wine since the mid-70's. I started making my own for economic reasons (poor, starving grad student) but kept at it as my results improved. I have made some truly bad undrinkable swill - but keep in mind that everybody's taste is different; what is swill for me may be nectar for you, and vice versa. Poor quality wine can always be turned to acceptable vinegar, or converted to an acceptable brandy so there is no reason to throw it out.

I no longer have to make wine to save money. I continue to make it because it gives me satisfaction to create something from the essential ingredients. It is much like cooking from scratch, brewing beer, gardening, etc. It is just more fun and more satisfying to do something yourself.

My wines are primarily for 'cooking' rather than 'drinking' wine. I drink my wines whilst cooking but open a commercial wine for serving with dinner. I can't make enough to share with everybody so mostly keep it in the kitchen.

Today, springtime in Alaska, my spruce trees are growing buds which I will soon collect so I can make my 'signature' spruce tip wine. Rhubarb is also emerging and I will soon have several gallons of wine bubbling away.

I like experimenting with making wine out of various fruits and berries, and like the fact that I can make things you would never see in the store: for example mulberries are not cultivated at a large scale, so you could never find mulberry wine on the store shelves.

It also helps that I can either make wine for much cheaper than it is in the store, or practically for free during the summer when I volunteer at a nonprofit that picks fruit from peoples' backyards and lets the pickers keep some of it.

For the art, science, and culture of it. Loved it so much I went pro

RachmaelBenApplebaum said:

For the art, science, and culture of it. Loved it so much I went pro

Click to expand...

I as well loved the elegance of taking simple ingredients and turning it into a tasty beverage, add into it the science. I then went pro, even working on completing a 2year program on wine and Viticulture. if you ever want an auxilerating experience making wine.. there is 2 big ones, the final press-load of a long hard vintage and the day that wine you held as a grape gets bottled. yes i know many here have had the pleasure of the last one but it is a moment of joy to bottle your wine that has been "raised" for sometimes years .

For me the greatest satisfaction has been when people will happily finish off a bottle of my wine. People will have a glass out of politeness, but when they keep drinking till a bottle (or 2) is empty, you know they are really enjoying it. It took me many years to get to that stage, which made it all the more satisfying.

and because I can.

I'm extremely new to this and have only made mead and rice wine. I love the experience of making something from scratch and then being able to enjoy the fruits of my own labor.

In fact, I'm enjoying a glass of my own homemade rice wine at the moment.