Why do we make our own wine

[SiSandrine]

I was trying to reflect this afternoon on why we make our own wine. Or specifically why I do and that got me curious as to what the reasons are for other folk, so I thought I'd ask. For me it is manifold. I like working with my hands and making something of my own. I have an office job and guess the primordial instinct in me misses this. I like the idea of making and producing my own food product. I like the challenge - every wine I make I feel can be better than the last. I also like starting something from scratch, working through to see a finished product. I like the connection with history and the great outdoors, foraging for example. I like learning from other folk, trying out new techniques and adapting them. I also like using equipment and gadgetry. I like wine - which really helps. Wine making brings all that together for me. What are your reasons?

[Cellar_Rat]

Its a very good question. We are foodies. So I like to know what goes in.

We do our own bread, pork, chicken, eggs, veg, cheese and bread. So I guess I also have a self sufficiency streak.


PS Did I mention that at less than £1 per bottle is appeals to my inner Yorkshireman!

[SiSandrine]

PS Did I mention that at less than £1 per bottle is appeals to my inner Yorkshireman!

LoL. There is that.

[Rich]

I started making my own when I was gifted a couple of DJ's from the father in law. A fantastic reason why it's all his fault.. After that I went searching a way to make it better. Then I met up with Bob and it went from there, with the wine.

The all grain beer I blame entirely on Koomber..

[Delmonteman]

I thought about this quite a lot recently as it often surprises me that more people don't do it, particularly given how cheap, easy and good quality kits are these days (for both wine and beer). That thought got me onto thinking that it must be something about the type of people that we are and the type of person I am... Basically, I like making things, but there's something more to it than that too in that when I see something I like the look of (currently grape pressing equipment!) then I automatically start down a thought process of how I can do it myself, but better...! Essentially this stems from my dislike of blatant profiteering by businesses and the effects that mass consumerism has on 'vanilla' everything. If things aren't made to be cheap and cheerful then they are labelled up 'organic' or 'luxury' and the price is increased way beyond the basic increase in costs that the production of higher quality goods and services brings. You don't pay for quality these days, you pay for quality plus a 'value added' profit margin that corporate nazi's want to charge people that are stupid (or lazy) enough to pay for these things! Basically, if you want something doing right (and I am quite particular when I want to be) then do it yourself (especially if you can do a lot cheaper!)

I think that's the only thing I could add to your already fair summary of reasons Si...

[fatbloke]

My father used to keep bees, I never managed to get any of his honey, yet I was convinced that it should be possible to make a reasonable standard of home made booze, without expensive imported ingredients from a simple method.

Yes, its fair to point out that meads can take a long time to be ready to drink and its taken a while to learn the tips and tricks, but that's been a larger part of the interest, and yes, some of the more interesting honies are imported.

It doesn't have to be rocket science.....

[robwrx]

I too enjoy making things, and creating an end result from bits and pieces is very satisfying. Although I've enjoyed wine drinking all my adult life it wasn't until two years ago that I thought I would have a go at making wine from a pair of vines in my garden. The result was a spectacular failure (due to the grapes being under ripe) but I got the fermenting bug.

The whole process of wine making I find immensely pleasurable, especially the pitching of the yeast and getting the first signs of ferment. I could spend hours just watching the lava lamp style formations in a DJ, the bubbles rising and the bloop bloop of the airlock. There is just something very therapeutic about watching a ferment happen.