Vint Hill Craft Winery in Warrenton, Virginia is beginning another program for wine enthusiasts to make wine. The winery is offering home winemaking classes. Participants will work one-on-one with winemaker Ashton Lough for four classes to make wine. Each class lasts for two hours. By the end of the last class, participants can take their wine home. The cost of the four classes and supplies is $399.
The first class, on December 1st, includes an introduction, terminology, overview of winemaking, and preparation of musts and juice for primary fermentation. The class meets again two weeks later on December 15, this time to rack the wine from the fermentation container to a carboy. A month later, on January 12 the class involves racking again into another carboy. During the fourth class, participants will bottle their wine on February 9th.
These classes and the couple cases of wine that participants make are an excellent introduction to winemaking. Sure, one can purchase a wine kit and make the wine at home. Kathy gave me a wine kit for Christmas in 2007. It remained unopened for six months. There was the apprehension that we would do something wrong and ruin the wine. Even the directions were intimidating. Try reading a hydrometer for the first time on your own. Making wine as a class with a winemaker that can tell you what to do eliminates the intimidation and apprehension. Furthermore the winemaker can answer questions and address why you are doing what you are doing. After these four classes at Vint Hill Craft Winery, participants can purchase wine kits and make wine at home, knowing what they should be doing to create a successful wine.
At Vint Hill, participants may choose between making a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec from Argentina. Sign up for the home winemaking class by Friday, November 23rd.
Cheers,
Terry
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