Wanting to start my first batch this fall

[harrymanback92]

So I started making beer so that, eventually, I could make wine; good wine. I do all-grain and make my own recipes with my brewing, so I wanna dive straight into winemaking. It doesn't seem anymore difficult than beer, just a couple of differences.

I think for my first wine(or two; I have two carboys(6.5gal) I want to dedicate to wine, and would be willing to purchase two 5 gallon carboys for secondary.) Ideally, I would make 1 6 gallon batch of Pinot Noir, and 1 6 gallon batch of a Bourdeaux style.

I'm wondering if anyone can point me to essential winemaking resources(ideally available over the web),a guide to creating blended wines (as I understand a Bourdeaux is-and by blended I mean a wine made from a blend of grapes, I apologize if my vocabulary is off). Also, maybe there are winemaking calculators available online? How many lbs of grapes will I need to make 12 gallons of wine?

I also want to make wine with grapes. If it's harder than using a kit that's fine, I'm just the kinda guy who jumps head first into things. Which brings me to my next point, I'm fortunate enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area; I'm outside of wine country. Can anyone explain how I can go about purchasing fresh grapes this fall? I would rather not order online or buy grapes that aren't grown fairly locally, as I feel like I'm under utilizing a great potential resource.

Anything a first time vinter needs to know would also be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys! Cheers!

 

[novalou]

So I started making beer so that, eventually, I could make wine; good wine. I do all-grain and make my own recipes with my brewing, so I wanna dive straight into winemaking. It doesn't seem anymore difficult than beer, just a couple of differences.

I think for my first wine(or two; I have two carboys(6.5gal) I want to dedicate to wine, and would be willing to purchase two 5 gallon carboys for secondary.) Ideally, I would make 1 6 gallon batch of Pinot Noir, and 1 6 gallon batch of a Bourdeaux style.

I'm wondering if anyone can point me to essential winemaking resources(ideally available over the web),a guide to creating blended wines (as I understand a Bourdeaux is-and by blended I mean a wine made from a blend of grapes, I apologize if my vocabulary is off). Also, maybe there are winemaking calculators available online? How many lbs of grapes will I need to make 12 gallons of wine?

I also want to make wine with grapes. If it's harder than using a kit that's fine, I'm just the kinda guy who jumps head first into things. Which brings me to my next point, I'm fortunate enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area; I'm outside of wine country. Can anyone explain how I can go about purchasing fresh grapes this fall? I would rather not order online or buy grapes that aren't grown fairly locally, as I feel like I'm under utilizing a great potential resource.

Anything a first time vinter needs to know would also be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys! Cheers!

Your local brew house may bring in boxes of grapes, I'd start there. Also try some area wineries. I'm from Ohio, many wineries here also cater to the home winemaker.

I am planning on purchasing (4) 36 lb boxes for 10 gallons. It may be enough for 12, but leave little for topping up your carboy. You probably would need 5 boxes.

Go to the library, get books on wine making. Jack Keller's website is a good tool as well.

I'm curious as to what others add as well!