Winemaking
Some of our customers enjoy making their wine at home. For them it’s a hobby. Basic equipment to make wine at home includes: a primary fermenter; a carboy; an airlock and stopper; a racking tube; a stirring paddle or spoon; and a hydrometer. We sell these items in a basic do-it-yourself package for $99.95. The wine kits themselves sell for anywhere from $79.95 up to $164.95.
Most of our customers prefer to make their wine at our store. In addition to the price of the wine kit, there is a service charge for the use of our equipment, facility and labour. This is called the Winery Fee. For most of our kits this fee is $31.00. When you add the cost of corks, the total cost to make wine in store is $119.50 and up. Most batches make 30 to 31 bottles of wine.
To start a batch of wine in store is very easy and only takes a few minutes. Once you’ve chosen which wine you want to make and paid for it , we will sterilize a primary fermenter and put the juice in it. You then add the yeast, and any other ingredients required, and stir. After four to eight weeks, your wine is ready to bottle. We will book a bottling appointment at a time that’s convenient for you. We allow a half hour per batch for bottling, but it often takes less time than that. We will give you as much instruction as you need, but with our automated equipment it’s quite easy, and our customers often comment that it’s also fun!